Fort Hamilton (6)

 (1832-1832) - A Black Hawk War militia Fort established in 1832 near present day Wiota, Lafayette County, Wisconsin by William S. Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton. Probably named after the Hamilton family. Abandoned as a fortification in 1832 at the end of the Black Hawk War.

History of Fort Hamilton (6)
Established in June 1832 during the Black Hawk War by William S. Hamilton as a militia and settler fortification.

The fort is described as forty feet square surrounded by a ditch and pickets. A blockhouse 16' X 24' was located on the west side.

The fort itself was not directly attacked but a massacre occurred on the 15th of June at South Wayne nearby. General Dodge who was based at Fort Dodge was notified and he dispatched troops to the area. On 16 Jun 1832, a Mr. Apple left the fort to tend to his farm and was killed and scalped by the hostile Indians. The hostiles were tracked down and dispatched, The remnants of the hostiles were defeated on 2 Aug 1832 at the Battle of Bad Axe, ending the war.

Abandoned as a fortification in 1832 at the end of the war.

Current Status
A mural depicting the fort is located at the Zimmerman Cheeze factory in Wiota along with a stone monument.

See Also:
 * Black Hawk War

Sources:
 * , page 851.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Hamilton
 * Wikipedia - Fort Hamilton
 * Waymarking - Fort Hamilton
 * Wisconsin Historical Society - Wiota - Town and Village