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.