High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Battle of Apple River Fort, also known as the Siege of Apple River Fort, occurred on June 24, 1832 at the hastily constructed Apple River Fort, in present-day Elizabeth, Illinois, when Black Hawk and his "British Band" of Sauk and Fox stumbled across a group of messengers en route from Galena, Illinois. The small group of militia at the fort, led by Captain Clack Stone, fought off Chief Black Hawk`s band in a firefight that lasted for 45 minutes. The withering pace of the gunfire eventually convinced Black Hawk that the fort was too heavily defended to lead a direct attack, and he and his band of warriors retreated.