IAGenWeb Project - Allamakee co.
updated 12/18/2020


Veterans of the Black Hawk
and
Mexican-American War



Did your ancestor fight in the Black Hawk War or Mexican-American War? Contribute your information & photos for inclusion on this page.

Black Hawk War
1832

The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the Sac and Fox and the United States in 1832. It was the last armed resistance in the Midwest to cause federal removal of the eastern Indians beyond the Mississippi River. Although Allamakee county did not officially exist at this time, there were Allamakee county settlers who served in the Black Hawk War. During the Black Hawk War, a fort was built just outside of where New Albin is located today and four miles north of the Mississippi bridge site at Lansing, on the Wisconsin side, occurred the most important engagement in the Black Hawk War, known as "The Battle of the Bad Axe".

John David Beetem

A native of Kentucky, he was born in 1809. He served in the United States Mounted Ranger Battalion under Capt. Nathan Boone during the Black Hawk war. At the close of the Black Hawk War he went into Missouri, then to Van Buren co. Iowa, to Shellsburg, Wisconsin, to Dubuque co. Iowa and finally in 1854, to Allamakee county. There he purchased 600 acres in French Creek twp. and spent the remainder of his life. He died in September 3, 1868 and is buried in English Bench Cemetery.

Sources
~biography of his son, John T. Beetem in the Portrait and Biographical Album of Otoe & Cass Counties, Nebraska
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds & Woodmansee notes for English Bench cemetery


Platoon 'Platt' LaPoint

Mr. LaPoint served in the Black Hawk war, and previous to that had served sixteen years under the British. He died in south Lansing on September 29, 1889 and is buried in Wexford cemetery.

Source
~Chapter 21, Past & Present of Allamakee County


Samuel J. Russell

Dec 23, 1811-Nov 30, 1886. Illinois infantry, Black Hawk War. He is buried in the Postville cemetery. Gravestone photo.

Source
~Postville Review, June 5, 1903
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds


George Clinton Shattuck

An early settler in Waukon, George C. Shattuck was engaged in the public defense of the Winnebago Indian war of 1827, and in the Black Hawk war of 1832. He appears as a private on the muster roll of Captain Cornelius De Longs Company, of Iowa Militia* commanded by Col. H. Dodge. Called into service of the US on the requisition of H. Atkinson dated May 24th, 1832. He served for 3 months. Born 1786 and died 1876, he is buried in Greenwood cemetery, Platteville, Wisconsin.

[*refers to Iowa county, Michigan Territory; present-day is southwestern Wisconsin]

Sources
~biography & gravestone photo of George C. Shattuck
~Wisconsin Muster Rolls from the Black Hawk War, 1832; Wisconsin Historical Society (off-site database)


Col. John A. Wakefield

He enlisted in the army raised for the Back Hawk war, and was later appointed surgeon because of his medical knowledge. He served throughout the war and was slightly wounded at the battle of Bad Axe. ....in 1854 he removed to Allamakee county, Iowa, building a home on the north part of section 2, Makee township, which he had entered from the government the year before, and which later became the Hugh Norton place. He also took land in section 9, later the Benedict Troendle place. He remained here three years, and in 1854 removed to Kansas

Source
~Chapter 20, Past & Present of Allamakee County


~*~*~*~

Mexican-American War
1846-1848

The Mexican or 'Mexican-American' war was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 following the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas.

John C. Becker

December 5, 1816-September 1, 1895. Burial is in Gethsemane cemetery, Lansing. Military marker: U.S. Soldier Mex. War.

Source
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds (note DOB is in conflict with date on gravestone)
~Gravestone photo (off-site, Find a Grave)


John Austin Dolson

Born 03/04/1828 in MO. He served as a Private in Capt. Moore's Company, Co. G, 2nd IL Infantry. Received Military Bounty Land for his service: land warrant #31177, for 160 acres in Section 34 Concord twp., Dubuque co. IA (GLO Vol 1013, pg 249). Pension #18899 for service in the Mexican War (Fold3)

Removed to IA c1848. Married Lucretia Agnes Taylor 02/19/1849. 1854, living in Union twp., Allamakee & 1856 Iowa twp., Allamakee. Died 02/19/1914 in Grand Island, NE, buried St. Patrick Catholic cem., North Platte, NE
He was also a Civil War veteran, serving in the 21st IA Inf.

Sources:
1854 & 1856 Iowa State census; Fold3 website, BLM - GLO website, Find A Grave website


William F. Dunn

November 29, 1822-October 23, 1905. Burial is in Oakland Main cemetery, lot 526

Source
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds


Alonzo D. Frazier

May 14, 1820-Octboer 20, 1860. Burial is in Hardin cemetery.

Source
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds


Charles Guy

Charles Guy, an aged resident of Postville died on the 16th.  He was of a very inventive turn of mind and is said to have invented the Colt revolver, but was euchered out of the fruits of his genious by other parties.  He served as a soldier in the Seminole Indian war and in the Mexican war. 

~source: Waukon Democrat, 1894 (unknown month & day)
~contributed by S. Ferrall


Landelin Haas

A soldier of the Mexican War, he died June 30, 1895 on his homestead in French Creek twp. He is buried in St. Mary's Lycurgus cemetery. There is a Mexican War marker at the base of his tombstone.

Sources:
~Obituary of his wife Elizabeth
~Gravestone photo


Joseph Phillip Jackson

He enlisted at Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, May 22, 1846, and at Cincinnati his company was organized into the Third Ohio Infantry, later going to New Orleans, thence to the mouth of the Rio Grande, then to Matamoros, Mexico, in 1847 in the month of February he was at Buena Vista where he remained until his time expired. In 1913, he died in Lansing, at the home of his son-in-law, H. F. Gaunitz. He is buried in Paint Rock Cemetery.

Sources
~Chapter 20, Past & Present of Allamakee County
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds
~Obituary
~Gravestone (off-site Find a Grave)

Note: he also served in the Civil War


Daniel Liston

Burial is in Mt. Olivet cemetery, Waukon. Military marker is ingraved: Dan'l Liston, Co. K, 1st U.S. Inf., Mexican War.

Sources
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds
~Gravestone photo (off-site Find a Grave)


William C. Linton

Brother of Dr. John Linton and Thomas C. Linton. Lived in Linton twp. a few years before removing to Clayton co. and then to California, where he died in 1899.

Source
~Chapter 19, Past & Present of Allamakee County, 1913


Daniel K. Long

Served with Co. K, US 1st Inf. Mexican War. Burial is in Mt. Olivet, Waukon

Source
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds, by Dale Woodmansee


W. K. Martin

Born in Pennsylvania, 1824. Enlisted in 1844, United States army; initially sent out to build Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek County, Iowa Territory. Later his company went to Corpus Christi, Texas and to the Mexican campaign, where he received three flesh wounds. After his discharge, Aug. 25, 1849, at Fort Brown, Texas, he went to Allamakee County, purchasing a small farm. Married in 1850 to Temperance Bowman, reportedly the first marriage consummated in Allamakee county. The family removed to Floyd co. IA in 1876 where he died July 27, 1893 and is buried in the Westside cemetery near Marble Rock, Iowa.

Source
~Biography from the 1882 History of Floyd County, Iowa


Charles H. Maxwell

Iowa Pensions, Washington, Dec 6 - Mexican War Survivors, Increase: Chas. H. Maxwell, Lansing.

Source
~Cedar Rapids Gazette, December 6, 1894


John Thomas

1824-1907. Enlisted in the Mexican war as a drummer boy as he was too small to be taken as a regular. However, the war came to a close before the regiment arrived at the front. He came to Allamakee co. in the late 1840's and died in Linton twp.

Source
~Biography of his son George D.L. Thomas, 1913


Thomas B. Twiford

An early settler of Makee twp., Thos. B. Twiford served as a lieutenant in Captain Parker’s Company, Iowa Volunteers, in the Mexican War. He later went to Minnesota then Kansas, where he died.

Source
~Chapter 5, Past & Present of Allamakee County, 1913


John Ward

In 1846 he enlisted in Co. I., 2d U. S. artillery, serving in Gen. Wool's division during the Mexican War, participating in several battles, including the capture of the City of Mexico.

Source
~Biography of John Ward, 1882


Elias Hewitt Williams

July 23, 1819-Aug 20, 1891. Served in the Iowa infantry, Mexican War. He is buried in the Postville cemetery. There is a Veteran of the Mexican War marker next to his gravestone

Source
~Postville Review
~Allamakee co. Burial Grounds
~Gravestone photo


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