Minuteman Minute | President Lincoln's Militia Service

Abraham Lincoln served in the Illinois militia during the 1832 Black Hawk War long before becoming president. He saw no combat during the brief conflict, but he gained experience and political connections that benefited him later in life.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is your Minuteman Minute! This wall in our museum recognizes the 20 presidents who served in state militias, volunteer forces, or the National Guard. Chet Jezierski created this image of President Abraham Lincoln, who served in the Illinois militia during the 1832 Black Hawk War. Tensions rose when a mixed-nation group of Native Americans led by the Sauk chief Black Hawk crossed into Illinois to reclaim ancestral homelands. Lincoln answered Illinois Governor John Reynold’s call for militia volunteers in April 1832, winning his first election when he was chosen as captain of his company. Lincoln led a rifle company in Illinois’ 4th Regiment of Mounted Volunteers for a month before he was mustered out. He would volunteer for militia service two more times before the war was over. Lincoln saw no combat but gained experience and political connections that benefited him later in life. Come see this – and a whole lot more – at the National Guard Memorial Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.