Super Tidbit
When people think about the Revolutionary war, we the think about Paul Revere, William Dawes and others racing though the Massachusetts countryside, warning the regulars the British were coming and rallying local militias. The
battles of Concord Bridge, Bunker Hill, Princeton, Brandywine, Yorktown and many others were all in the east or southeast. Few people think about Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and west of the Mississippi. The Revolutionary War battles in the west were critical to the formation of the United States.
In previous articles, I have mentioned how important the Spanish were in supplying all kinds of war material up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The British
had tolerated the Spanish smuggling for a couple of reasons. First, they did not have enough troops to stop it and, secondly, they did not want a war with Spain. That all changed in 1779.
The British were fighting all over Europe and were having their troubles fighting in the American colonies. In 1779, Spain saw a chance to help overpower Great Britain and declared war against them. Since Spain had officially entered the war, the British decided to
attack Spanish territories along the Mississippi, including Illinois and Indiana. The stakes were tremendous. If the British succeeded, what is now Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the eleven states that were part of the Louisiana Purchase would be provinces of Canada. Moreover, Great Britain would take what would become the Northwest United States and make it part of Canada also.
St. Louis was in Spanish territory and was the
fur trading center that served the upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The lands that were to become the Louisiana Purchase was owned by Spain, not France, at the time.
The British wanted the Spanish territory and also wanted to stop the supply of war material to the Americans. They decided to attack St. Louis and Cahokia in Illinois Territory. The British were head quartered in Detroit, a long way from St. Louis and Cahokia. Travel was on
foot or by canoe. The British did not have enough troops, so they used fur traders to recruit and to lead Indian tribes to attack St. Louis and Cahokia. The British, in return, promised them the fur trade on the upper Mississippi and an extra cut of everything to the fur traders who organized and commanded the Indian mercenaries. They were all well supplied by the British.
The Spanish Lt. Governor and Captain in the Spanish Army in charge of
St. Louis was Fernando de Labya. De Leyba suspected an coming attack by the British and, in the late winter of 1780, a friendly fur trader told him the British were indeed preparing to attack. De Layba immediately started building fortifications, including trenches and a tower he named Fort San Carlos. The tower was made from local stone and was approximately 30 feet in diameter and 30 to 40 feet high. De Labya hoisted four cannons atop the tower. He only had a few cannon
balls and shot. If he did not get more supplies he would have to resort to shooting rocks and pebbles. De Layba appealed to Francois Valle, a former French officer and militiamen for what is now St. Genevieve, Missouri, for help. Valle sent 60 French militiamen, cannonballs and shot to help De Layba.
The Village of Cahokia was still poorly defended because of few militia, poor leadership and lack of supplies. When De Layba was tipped
off, he warned the Americans who immediately sent for Colonel George Rogers Clark, the highest-ranking military officer west of the Appalachians. This military operation covered a vast area. It went all the way from Detroit to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, down the Mississippi to the Arkansas River, and up through Illinois and Indiana territories.
The British put Emanuel Hesse, a fur trader and former military officer, in charge of the surrogate
British army. Hesse had 10 or more Indian tribes in his army of 1000 to 1500 men. These tribes included the South Winnebago, Menominee, Kickapoo, Pottawatomie, Ojibwa, Fox, Sac and Ho-Chunk. The British forces left Prairie du Chien toward St. Louis. Both De Layba at Fort San Carlos and the Americans at Cahokia were vastly outnumbered. De Layba had about 200 men. At Cahokia, there was only a force of 29 men, but Colonel George Rogers Clark arrived just in
time. The Indians feared George Rogers Clark, and with good reason. He was ruthless, just what you needed for fighting on the frontier.
The attacks began. The people working in the fields around St. Louis were immediately killed, captured or enslaved. De Leyba's troops had excellent fortifications and determination stopped the British attackers. At Cahokia, George Rogers Clark, his troops, and the local militia repulsed the British
attack. The Indian mercenaries were supposed to attack Cahokia again, but they wanted no more of Colonel George Rogers Clark. De Layba was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given the title of “don” by Spain. Sadly, he died only a few weeks after he won the battle of St. Louis. Colonel George Rogers became Brigadier General George Rogers Clark and was nicknamed “The conqueror of the Northwest”.
The battles of St. Louis and Cahokia are barely a
footnote in history books, but they determined the future growth of the United States. Next time you go to a baseball game in St. Louis, look for a plaque which commemorates Francois Valle and the battle of St. Louis which occurred where Busch Stadium is built. Had De Layba not won the Battle of St. Louis, you might be watching the St. Louis Canucks instead of the Cardinals.
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Tidbits
July 16, 1779 – American Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led a charge ending in victory at Stony Point, New York. The British had considered Stony Point to be an impregnable
position. Nevertheless, Wayne attacked with 1200 light infantry. The Colonial Army had 15 killed and 83 wounded while the British Army suffered 94 killed and 472 captured. The battle lasted only 30 minutes. General Wayne used only bayonets in the attack. His daring earned him the nickname “Mad Anthony Wayne”.
July 16, 1790 – Congress declares, through the “Residence Act”, that the
new United States capital will be built in a swamp along the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. It's still a swamp.
July 16, 1945 – The first atomic bomb is tested at Alamogordo, New Mexico. The successful test was also the official end of the Manhattan Project.
July 17, 1945 – The Potsdam Conference
begins. Potsdam was a community near Berlin, Germany, in the area controlled by the Soviet Union. The attendees of the conference were United States President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Churchill was later replaced by Clement Attlee who won the election over Winston Churchill.
It was at this conference that President Truman informed the other two leaders of the successful test
of the atomic bomb. Stalin was not surprised, however, because his spies had told him of the successful test the day before.
Stalin and Churchill had previously made a deal, behind the back of President Truman, on how Eastern Europe was to be carved up. This led to the Cold War but also shows how little you can trust allies.
July 17, 1955 – Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California.
The original park cost $17 million and was built on 160 acres. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 18 million visitors per year and grosses $3 billion annually.
Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901. He became a commercial artist and his first film, a cartoon made in 1928, was called “Steamboat Willie” featuring Mickey Mouse in the starring role.
July 18,
1792 – John Paul Jones dies in Paris while awaiting his commission as the United States Counsel to Algiers. In the Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones was a bold and courageous naval leader who raided British harbors in England. In September of 1779, John Paul Jones fought one of the fiercest battles in U.S. naval history. Jones was in command of the Bonhomme Richard, a U.S. Navy frigate. Badly outgunned, Jones took on the 50 gun British
warship HMS Serapis. The Captain of Serapis ordered Jones to surrender. Jones replied defiantly, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Within 3 or 4 hours, the captain and crew of the Serapis surrendered.
July 20, 1889 – Homesteaders Ellen Watson, known as “Cattle Kate”, and James Averrell, were accused of cattle rustling and were lynched. They were grazing their herds on lands
previously controlled by Wyoming rancher, Albert Bothwell. Although 5 men were charged and tried, they were found not guilty by a pro-rancher jury. The “Range Wars” had turned ugly.
July 20, 1989 – Astronaut Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. In May of 1961, President John F. Kennedy voiced a goal of putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Although Kennedy would
never live to see it happen, it was a great feat for the United States and the space program.
July 21, 1865 – Wild Bill Hickok wins the first classic western shootout. Wild Bill got in an argument with David Tutt. No one actually knows why because some say it was over a card game, and some say it was over a woman. Whatever the cause, the two agreed to a duel.
The two met on a street in Springfield, Missouri. It became know as the “classic western walk down.” At a distance of 75 yards, Wild Bill told Tutt not to come any closer. Tutt drew his revolver and fired, missing Hickok. Cool Wild Bill then drew and fired, hitting Tutt in the chest, killing him. The dime novels sensationalized the story and it became the standard for western shootouts.
By the way...that's a good shot
considering that Wild Bill used an 1851 Colt Navy. It was said Hickok could shoot accurately at a distance of 100 yards.
July 22, 1933 – Famed aviator, Wylie Post, returns after a round-the-world trip. Post was the first aviator to fly solo around the world. It took seven days and 19 hours. An amazing feat for the time.
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Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know
the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Sept. 19 – Sept. 20, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Sept. 19, 2026 National Civil War, Military, and Collector Arms Show, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, IL.
Oct. 3 - 4, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors
Association - New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Oct. 24 - 25, 2026 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville, IL.
Oct. 24 - 25, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Collectors Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Nov. 7 - 8, 2026 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Nov. 28 - 29, 2026
Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association - New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Nov. 28 - 29, 2026 Sauk Trail Gun Collectors Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Dec. 6 – Dec. 7, 2026 Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Feb. 13 - 14, 2027 Central Illinois Gun
Collectors Association - New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
ISRA Town Hall Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Livingston County – 4th Tuesday of the month –
South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Summer meetings are postponed until August.
Madison County – 1st Wednesday of the month – Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd., East Alton, IL; Doors open at 6:15pm; Meeting starts at 6:30pm
Northwest Suburban - 3rd Tuesday of the month – Algonquin/Dundee area - New Location - GAT Guns, 970 Dundee Ave, East Dundee, IL - Discounted Pistol Range from 4pm to 6pm, Social starts at 5:30pm, Meeting 7pm – 8pm, Catering fee $20
South Suburban/Cook County - 2nd Thursday of the month – New Location: Papa Joe's Italian Restaurant, 14459 LaGrange Rd, Orland Park, IL; Doors open 6:00pm; Meeting 7pm –
8pm
Will County - 3rd Wednesday of the month – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
