Mayor Taylor's defeat, coupled with other instances in which Illinois settlements suf- fered, showed more than ever the necessity for having a fort to protect the settlers down State from the Indians of this quarter.
At the outbreak of the War of 1812-1814, Governor Ninian Edwards, of Illinois Terri- tory, had pleaded with the United States authorities for soldiers and fortifications. He de- clared that no part of the nation had so many hostile Indians on its borders as had Illinois and that no part of the United States was so easy of access as the Illinois settlements, for the Indians had only to paddle their canoes down the Illinois or the Mississippi rivers.
Not all of the Watch Tower Indians were hostile to the Americans in this war, and those who remained friendly were taken care of on the Missouri river, but Black Hawk's following alone was quite formidable and fought on the British side.
The Government had learned a costly lesson in sending inadequate forces to Black Hawk's headquarters. In the Campbell's Island battle 16 Americans were killed out of a total of 133 men. Major Taylor had 334 effectives in the Credit Island battle and had several wounded, one of them fatally. The Indians would not welcome a fort in their midst, and, therefore, if one was to be built there must be military strength enough to meet any opposition.
On May 10th, 1816, there landed on the island of Rock Island, a distance of three and one-half miles from the Watch Tower, Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Smith and Col. William Law- rence with 700 regulars, and the erection of Fort Armstrong proceeded under this strong guard.
The Indians declined General Smith's invitation to come and meet him in council, but after some of the soldiers had left the islandþa stockade having been builtþthe natives pro- fessed some interest and a degree of friendship, and would come over to dance for the amusement of the troops. One day when the soldiers were largely out in the woods preparing timbers a large party of warriors, with Tah-cal-o-quoit at their head, came to where the fort was being built, approaching it from the north, and danced their way toward the entrance of the encampment. This innocent-appearing party in itself caused no alarm, but another large number of armed braves was seen coming from the south, with Keokuk, of the Watch Tower village, at their head. Immediately the bugle was sounded, recalling the men from the forest. Arms were seized, cannon were run out at the entrance ready to be fired, and it was believed that a general massacre was averted by having all in readiness before the Indians under Keokuk arrived.þ(Flagler.)