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Site near Arrowsmith has a violent, tragic history
By Bill Kemp
Archivist/Librarian McLean County Museum of History
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In the summer of 1730, at a site southeast of Arrowsmith in eastern McLean County, a combined force of French soldiers and their Native American allies laid siege to a doomed band of Fox Indians. The standoff, which lasted about three weeks, culminated in the Sept. 9 massacre of an estimated 500 or more Fox, including a large number of women and children.

Today, the site of the Fox fort — now a peaceful landscape of scattered timber, farm fields, and the meandering Sangamon River — conceals well its violent and tragic history.

The fiercely independent Fox (known as the Mesquakie, or “People of the Red Earth”) opposed French meddling of the fur trade, and skirmishes and raids eventually developed into open warfare. By the summer of 1730, the Mesquakie found themselves in east-central Illinois, on the run and hounded by Indian allies of the French.

The Fox decided to stop running and erect a “fort.” This hastily, though skillfully, constructed fortification included a wooden palisade, burrows, and trenches. The Fox also made use of the natural landscape, namely the adjacent river and timber, to supplement their defensive works.

Initially, Fox warriors were optimistic about their chances of waiting out an extended siege, as they had adequate supplies of gunpowder, lead, and provisions. Yet word of the fort soon reached French authorities, who dispatched to the site their own soldiers and traders, as well as more Indians.

During the three-week siege, the French-led cordon grew to some 1,400 men, consisting primarily of Native Americans, such as Kickapoos, Mascoutens, Potawatomis, Weas, and others.

Realizing the hopelessness of their situation, the Fox offered to lay down their arms and surrender. Yet the French, sensing the endgame was near, rebuffed any overtures for a peaceful settlement.

For those interested, this story is skillfully recounted in the 1993 book, “The Fox Wars,” by R. David Edmunds and Joseph L. Peyser.

On the storm-darkened night of Sept.8, the disheartened Fox organized a breakout, though the cries of frightened Fox children gave them away. The French, concerned that a nighttime battle would end in chaos, decided to postpone their attack until the following day.

At morning’s light, the exhausted Fox found themselves about 12 miles southwest of the now-abandoned fort. Yet their freedom proved all-too fleeting. Fox men and boys formed a skirmish line, hoping to give their women and children time enough to flee. “Grim-faced, some watched in silence as the French and their allies . . . advanced rapidly toward their position,” noted Edmunds and Peyser.

“Other Foxes sang their death song. At least they would die as warriors.”

The badly outnumbered Fox had no chance of victory on the open battlefield. In some ways, those killed were the lucky ones. Many Fox were taken prisoner, only to be tortured and burned to death.

Since the late 1800s, historians and archeologists have debated the location of the Fox fort. Amateur archeological excavations were made at the suspected site, a farm southeast of Arrowsmith along the Sangamon River, in 1897, and again in 1932 and 1934. Although material recovered from those digs included 200 lead balls and other telling items, doubts remained as to whether that was the site of the siege.

Today, the archeological work is significantly more sophisticated and precise.

Lenville J. Stelle, a professor from Parkland College in Champaign, has conducted archeological reconnaissance and excavations at the site since 1988. The work of Stelle and other archeologists, coupled with the discovery of a long lost French account of the siege, offer further evidence that the fort was indeed at the site of the previous digs.
Take a look
This peaceful landscape in eastern McLean County was the scene of a bloody 1730 siege of Fox Indians by the French and their Native American allies.
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Reader comments on this story - 23 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

it's true wrote on Sep 9, 2007 11:45 PM:

" If you visit the field, you can still see dead bodies and guns from the battle. "

to curious wrote on Sep 9, 2007 10:54 PM:

" 12 miles southwest of the "Fox Fort" would be somewhere around the LeRoy County Club, where many massacres with clubs have occured since. There are shots still being fired, but it is rumored that they have only shot a few birdies and a couple of eagles. If this constitutes a massacre, I guess in McLean County that would be par for the course. I heard that just last year they finally killed the Chief 30 miles southeast at Champaign, must have been a French underground group called the NCAA that got him. "

Pierre wrote on Sep 9, 2007 8:31 PM:

" Truth be known, the French probably surrendered after a few hours. "

To: Defender wrote on Sep 9, 2007 6:39 PM:

" And why would being subjects of the Queen be so bad, considering the idiocy that's going on in the present government? I'd prefer some rational thinking right about now, since our leader seems to have failed rational and logical thinking 101 at some point in time. "

Hamish wrote on Sep 9, 2007 4:04 PM:

" This exact story is told around my hometown of Plano, Illinois. The locals talk about the last of the Fox Indians being beseiged by French and Indian allies on Meremech Hill, just north of the Fox River. There are old entrenchments, and lead musket balls found up there as well. Which is the real site? "

Son of a son of a McLean County farmer wrote on Sep 9, 2007 3:56 PM:

" I cannot believe this is true. I have been lead to believe by the readers of this publication that right here and now is the worst of times in McLean County and that prior times were marked by peace and tranquility. In online comments we have been told that, but for egotistical politicians building monuments to themselves, but for transplants from big cities, but for second hand smoke, but for law enforcement that does nothing about crime and allows guns into schools, but for law enforcement that overreacts to crime, but for gays, but for intolerance to gays, and but for 1000 other issues which currently plague our community, we could resume our lives as the living Norman Rockwell painting we all remember from not that long ago. Now the Pantagraph is trying to tell us that the history of McLean County is marked by something other than peaceful bliss? I don’t believe it. "

This was cool wrote on Sep 9, 2007 3:02 PM:

" Just a side note on the next American Haunting it will feature a residence that a Blm PD Sgt and the Blm Police Dispatcher Supervisor now live in. There is supposidly a ghost from an accident that occured outside that continually haunts them. So if you want to know why BPD is so screwed up on so many levels...tune in..I will..can't wait to watch it..laugh then everytime I see them I will chuckle. "

are wrote on Sep 9, 2007 2:47 PM:

" there ghosts out there? "

& still wrote on Sep 9, 2007 2:47 PM:

" there are "french" fries "

Henny Penny wrote on Sep 9, 2007 1:54 PM:

" I was wandering around in the country between Arrowsmith and LeRoy last week and found a 100 year old park (West Park) with old growth trees surrounded by corn fields. Really neat and a little creepy. "

to Defender wrote on Sep 9, 2007 10:42 AM:

" And the USA has paid France back for that help. We saved them in WWI and WWII and Vietnam. They are not fans of America never have been. They gave the colonies help for a stake in the New World purley a busniess deal. Read history? "

too bad wrote on Sep 9, 2007 9:52 AM:

" this just in, the site has been found and a marker will be placed there.the marker is 500 feet tall and has 3 wings.all give thanks to the mclean county zoneing board. "

Defender wrote on Sep 9, 2007 8:46 AM:

" If the French had not come to the aid of the colonist during the Rev War we would be subjects of the Queen. We would not be a free nation. Thank you France. Many countries have had times in their history that they are not proud of. "

curious wrote on Sep 9, 2007 8:11 AM:

" Since massacre was 12 miles SW of the fort, where is the massacre site? Is it known, or unknown? If known, what evidence has been found there? "

ES wrote on Sep 9, 2007 8:09 AM:

" Excellent historical analysis. I would point out there are some equally violent and tragic areas around Bagdad. "

Cruelty in war not limited to the French wrote on Sep 9, 2007 6:48 AM:

" Every culture has a history of this type of behavior. Americans during the witch trials. Japanese world war II brutality was bad against Americans. The raping and torture of the Chinese by them in the 1930s was horrible. It is a very long list. "

to Great Story wrote on Sep 9, 2007 5:52 AM:

" Ever hear that about the French NOT being well liked in the world except by the French. "

outstanding wrote on Sep 9, 2007 3:26 AM:

" story. bring more history like this. "

HUH wrote on Sep 9, 2007 1:32 AM:

" The French going to war? "

Great story! As a kid, wrote on Sep 8, 2007 7:57 PM:

" I remember the French not being the 'favorite people' and never really understood why. I do understand why now. This story is not only a great story; it is also a very informative story. It is a very sad story, too. I am glad to know that this fort's location has pretty much become confirmed now. "

Excellent story wrote on Sep 8, 2007 7:46 PM:

" Like "Abby" I would like to see more of this please. "

Abby Normal wrote on Sep 8, 2007 7:14 PM:

" More of this please. "

Iguchi wrote on Sep 8, 2007 4:54 PM:

" Cool Story "
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