|
 At
Campbell’s Island, located in the Mississippi River near present-day
Rock Island, was fought a day-long battle in the War of 1812. On
July 19, 1814, a pro-British band of Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk
attacked a force of United States regulars and rangers under Lieutenant
John Campbell. The Americans were defeated, with the loss of sixteen
American lives.
 Campbell’s
Island State Memorial consists of a North Carolina granite monument
dedicated in 1908, in a mini-park overlooking the river. A bronze
plaque on the monument base, attributed to sculptor A. L. Van der
Berghen, commemorates the battle. The plaque foreground depicts
two soldiers with rifles and a woman comforting a wounded soldier.
In the background are several soldiers and a boat, with Native American
warriors emerging from trees across the river. The other three sides
of the base carry Wisconsin red granite tablets describing the memorial’s
history.
A low concrete wall surrounds the monument, with an inner walk.
A “peace garden” contains four concrete benches, arranged
in a “Sacred Circle” design and decorated with mosaic
tiles in Sauk and Mesquakie artistic motifs. Designed by area artist
Kunhild Blacklock and dedicated in 1998, the garden was funded by
a grant through the River Action Committee of the Quad Cities. |
