Editing Stillman Valley, Illinois (section)

== History ==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2012}}
Stillman Valley was founded by European-American settlers in north central [[Illinois]] in 1876. A creek running through the community was named after Major Stillman of the [[Illinois Militia]] who on May 14, 1832, led troops in what became the first named battle of the [[Black Hawk War]]. The battle and the creek were called "[[Battle of Stillman's Run|Stillman's Run]]" after Stillman and his men fled the battlefield in the belief that they had been attacked by a superior force of Chief Black Hawk's warriors.<ref name=ledger>Matile, Roger. "[http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=6196 Maj. Stillman’s run: advancing to the rear"], ''Ledger-Sentinel'' ([[Oswego, Illinois]]), 24 May 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.</ref> The day after the battle, [[Abraham Lincoln]] was with the militia who buried the dead soldiers from the battle.<ref name="Abraham Lincoln">"[http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/sites/stillman.htm Stillman's Run Memorial]," ''Abraham Lincoln Online''. Retrieved on March 11, 2007</ref> The village was named after [[Stillman Creek]]; the valley serves as the watershed for the creek, hence the name Stillman Valley.{{Citation needed|date=August 2007}}

The [[Stillman's Run Battle Site]] and burial ground are in present-day Stillman Valley. A large memorial to this battle was erected in 1901. It reads, in part: "Here, on May 14, 1832, the first engagement of the Black Hawk War took place. When 275 Illinois militiamen under Maj. Isaiah Stillman were put to flight by [[Black Hawk (chief)|Black Hawk]] and his warriors."