Elizabeth Armstrong (née Boyd; October 21, 1798 – 13 November 1857) was an American settler who found temporary shelter at Apple River Fort with her husband, John, and two children during the 1832 Black Hawk War.
Around 1827, the Armstrong family moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois and settled south of the Falls of Apple River in present-day Hanover Township.
She assigned them to such tasks as molding new rifleballs, rolling gunpowder cartridges, and reloading the weapons, while the soldiers tried to keep up a steady stream of gunfire.
[1][4] Elizabeth Armstrong was praised as a heroine for her actions during the battle, displaying the kind of courage under fire the Illinois militia had so badly lacked during the first month of the Black Hawk War.
[1] In the past, there was some confusion regarding the name of the woman who assumed a lead organizational role at Apple River Fort; a 1900 collection from the Wisconsin Historical Society described her as "Mrs.
"[5] The same source stated that Armstrong was "cursing & swearing like a pirate" throughout the battle; so angry that even Black Hawk's band purported to hear her.