He resided there for several years however, during the War of 1812, he and his family were forced to leave the village and evacuated onto an American gunboat during the attack on Prairie du Chien by Lieutenant Colonel William McKay on July 14, 1814. Prior to the attack, Boilvin had directed a local resident to drive up his cattle, wishing to kill one of the heifers for some fresh meat. When the man spotted the approaching British forces, he returned to warn Boilvin. Going out to see for himself, Boilvin returned to raise the alarm and assisted in the evacuation of the settlement. The officers stationed at the garrison had been preparing to go riding in the countryside and, had McKay's forces arrived an hour or two later, it is thought the garrison would have been without an officer during the subsequent battle.Tuttle, Charles R. An Illustrated History of the State of Wisconsin: Being a Complete Civil, Political, and Military History of the State. Madison: B.B. Russell & Co., 1875. (pg. 123) Boilvin's house was destroyed during the attack, and a second house was built at the site in 1816.
