The Battle of Bad Axe was the culmination of the Black Hawk War. The Black Hawk war was a military conflict between the Sauk, Meskwaki (Fox), and the United States Military, led by General Atkinson. The conflict began in 1832 and took place in northwestern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. The Native Americans, led by Black Hawk, crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. The Native Americans moved across the Mississippi in order to settle land that their tribes used to settle.
The Battle of Bad Axe, also known as the Bad Axe Massacre, was the final fight in the Black Hawk War. It was a two day encounter. The reason this battle is also known as a massacre is due to the fact that the United States Army and the steamboat Warrior slaughtered the Sauk and Fox tribes that were trying to retreat across the Mississippi River and surrender.
