Among the many men of sterling quality who for various reasons came out to
Kentucky, was one stalwart, well-trained, military genius known in history
as General George Rogers Clark. His first trip to Kentucky was
semi-official, as a representative of the Virginia Legislature, to visit
the various forts and settlements and to report progress to the state
government. He found the settlers in dire need of powder. Reporting this
to the Virginia authorities, he succeeded in securing for the settlers a
quantity, which was yet insufficient to defend them against the Indians.
[Illustration: George Rogers Clark]
Of Clark’s second appearance in Kentucky, General Ray, who was at that
time a boy of sixteen, living at Harrodsburg (or Harrod’s Station as it
was then called), gives the following account: “I had come down to where I
now live, about four miles from Harrodsburg, to turn some horses on the
range. I had killed a small blue-winged duck that was feeding in my
spring, and had roasted it nicely by a fire on the brow of the hill. While
waiting for the duck to cool, I was startled by the sudden appearance of a
fine, soldierly-looking man. ‘How do you do, my little fellow? What is
your name? Aren’t you afraid of being in the woods by yourself?’ Answering
his inquiries, I invited him to partake of my duck, which he did, without
leaving me a bone to pick, his appetite was so keen. Had I known him then
as I did afterwards, he would have been welcome to all the game I could
have killed. Having devoured my duck, he asked me questions about the
settlers, the Indians and the condition of affairs in the locality.” These
the boy answered as well as he could, and then ventured to ask the name of
his guest. “My name is Clark,” was the response, “and I have come out here
to see how you brave fellows are doing in Kentucky, and to lend you a
helping hand, if necessary.”
With the universal consent of the settlers, Clark naturally assumed the
military leadership of the territory, visiting all the fortifications,
looking after their military stores, drilling the men, and otherwise
strengthening the defenses of the pioneers. Clark made other trips to
Virginia in behalf of the frontiersmen, but since the resources of
Virginia were severely taxed by the necessary support given to the other
colonies during the Revolutionary War, he received little or no
encouragement, and practically nothing in the way of military supplies. It
is stated that he provided the necessities at his own expense, defraying
the cost of transportation and distribution. Later, powder was made by the
settlers of Kentucky by leaching saltpetre from the soil in various
sections and combining it with charcoal and other ingredients.
The English army officers formed alliances with the Indian tribes living
north of the Ohio River in the territory now composing Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois and incited them to frequent attacks on the Kentucky settlements,
with the hope that they would the sooner capture the State of Virginia by
an approach from the west. Clark, as military commander of Kentucky, sent
spies into this northern country to determine the location of the
fortresses and the number of English and Indians in each. One of these
spies was the celebrated Simon Kenton, who was not content with locating
the enemy but attempted to recapture a lot of horses stolen from Kentucky
by the Indians on a former raid. Kenton and his companions were not able
to travel fast with the number of horses they had secured, and when they
were attacked by a band of Indians, Kenton’s companions were slain and he
was captured. The Indians hated him cordially and began to beat him
unmercifully, calling him the “hoss-steal.” They easily could have
murdered Kenton on the spot, but since he had proved such a terrible foe
to them in the past, they preferred to enjoy their capture all the more by
torturing him for awhile. He was carried by the Indians to Chillicothe,
where he was several times forced to run the gauntlet. Finally, when tied
to the stake to be burned, he was recognized by his boyhood friend, Simon
Girty, who sent him to Detroit, from which place he made his escape and
returned to Kentucky, reporting to General Clark the conditions as he had
found them.
Other spies returned, and from the general reports General Clark thought
it necessary to make another appeal to Virginia for aid. In 1778, Governor
Patrick Henry of Virginia gave to Clark a commission as commanding officer
to take such soldiers as he could secure in Virginia, together with his
Kentuckians, and go against the British and Indians north of the Ohio
River. Leaving Corn Island, now Louisville, he and his brave followers
marched northward through swamps and swam streams, capturing every
fortification to which they came. Among these were Kaskaskia and
Vincennes. By this heroic deed of Clark’s the great territory north of the
Ohio River was secured from the British, and became a part of Virginia’s
territory. Clark continued at the head of military affairs in Kentucky,
but his greatest work was done before he was thirty years of age.