[2] In June 1814, the U.S. Army at Fort Shelby, Prairie du Chien (present-day Wisconsin), was threatened with British and Indian attack.

After calls for more supplies and men reached St. Louis, Governor William Clark of Missouri organized the expedition led by Lieutenant John Campbell.

On July 4, Campbell's expedition left Cape au Gris with three fortified barges, or keel boats, each with a cabin and all having sails.

[3] On July 13, about eighty miles below the mouth of Rock river, they met a party of Indians from Prairie du Chien with a packet directed to Governor Clark of Missouri.

[1] On the eighteenth of July, about twenty miles below Rock river, the expedition was met by another party of nine Indians in canoes, bearing a white flag.

The keel boats proceeded up the river and landed on the Illinois shore opposite of the lower end of Rock Island.

Black Hawk also ensured Campbell that the Mississippi River would remain open to U.S. travel, fear that the British and their allies would bar passage.

On the morning of July 19, the expedition continued on its way to Prairie du Chien and set sail on the river pushed on by a fine breeze northwards.

However, later last night, a party of Indians arrived at the Sauk village from Prairie du Chien, coming down from the Rock river.

The ground where the keel landed was covered with high grass, hazel and willow bushes for a considerable distance up and down the shore.

Two or three attempts at firing flaming arrows from Black Hawk's men at close range was successful in hitting the boat's sail and setting it ablaze.

[1][3] The Governor Clark river gunboat commanded by Federick Yezier, damaged at Prairie from British artillery fire, had retreated downriver when it encountered Campbell's force.

After the battle, the Indian force plundered the abandoned keel for gunpowder, paraded, and scalped five of Campbell's dead regulars left behind.

[1][3] On August 23, 1814, another expedition led by Major Zachary Taylor of the 7th Regular Infantry was formed at Cap au Gris to recapture Fort Shelby and Prairie du Chien which had fallen to the British on July 20.

Another purpose was to reclaim free passage through the Upper Mississippi River by defeating Sauk villages along the riverbed and possibly engaging in negotiations.

Taylor realized his artillery would not be effective in destroying the Sauk village from his boats and disembarking was not possible due to the large numbers of Indians.