During the battle that broke out on June 24 at Apple River settlement, the women defended their homes alongside the other settlers and could not withdraw to safety. Organized by Elizabeth Armstrong, they molded bullets, reloaded spare muskets and rifles, handed them to the men on the firing platforms, and served as medics. Their aid enabled the defenders on the walls to keep up fire with single-shot firearms against attackers who outnumbered them. Accounts from the time praised the bravery of the women and children, recalling that girls as young as eight ran balls and made cartridges while women loaded guns, and that this small band of men, women, and children held their ground against Black Hawk and his followers.