fight when it could serve a good purpose) to surrender his command,
were as follows: The settlement at Boonesborough, weakened by the
absence of half the garrison, was in no state to make a successful
defence against a large number of the enemy, should they take it by
surprise. That they would do so, was more than probable, for the
settlers were accustomed from long experience to consider themselves
safe from attack in the winter months, when the Indians almost
invariably rested and took refuge from the weather in their villages.
Familiar as he was with the character and habits of the Indians, Boone
calculated with confidence upon their abandoning their expedition and
returning to their country in triumph with their prisoners. It was
ever the tendency of these savages to repair to their towns after a
great victory, to indulge in a celebration and in their customary
vauntings and boasting.
Boone thus deliberately sacrificed himself and his men for the sake of
saving the settlement with its women and children. That they would soon
learn what had happened and be put upon their guard he felt sure, for
three of the party of salt-makers were absent at the fort and would
soon return. The event proved that all his calculations were justified,
and the incident ultimately tended to the welfare of the community.
The shrewdest among Boone’s men began to divine their leader’s purpose
when the Indians turned their backs on Boonesborough and with all
possible speed took the direction of the Ohio. Up to this time the
Kentucky settlers had no definite knowledge of the location of the
Indians’ towns. It would have been well for the savages had this
ignorance continued. In after life, Boone said: “It was a sorry day for
the Indians when they captured me and my salt-makers and showed us the
way to their villages and the lay of their land.”
The prisoners were not subjected to any cruelty by the Indians, who
were highly elated by their capture and especially by having the
renowned captain, Daniel Boone, in their power. They seem to have
given the whites their fair share of food and to have allowed them a
sufficiency of covering when they were camped at night. The captives
were at a loss whether to accept this consideration as an evidence of
friendly feeling, or a measure designed to keep them in good condition
to stand extreme torture when they should reach their destination. Most
of them knew the fickle and childlike temper of the Indian and the
uncertainty of any deductions that may be drawn from his behavior.
Here we must leave Boone for a while, trudging through the snow-swept
wilderness with philosophical readiness to accept with equanimity
whatever fate might have in store for him, but with a determination
to turn circumstances to the best account whenever opportunity should
offer.
VIII.
THE HANNIBAL OF THE WEST
Clark comes to Kentucky “to lend a helping hand”--He immediately
takes a leading part in the affairs of the settlers--He goes to
Virginia for much-needed ammunition--The race down the river with
Indians in pursuit--The powder and shot are safely delivered--Clark
makes a daring raid on the British posts in Canada--The party
surprises the Kaskaskians in the midst of a revel--The fort and town
are taken without the loss of a life--The inhabitants take the oath
of allegiance--Cahokia and Vincennes are quickly captured--But the
situation of the victors is precarious.
In order to follow the story of the Kentucky settlers with intelligent
understanding, it will be necessary to take a brief survey of the
achievements of that very remarkable man, George Rogers Clark. Not
only were Clark’s direct services to the new settlement powerfully
influential in its development, but his campaigns in British territory
were also of the utmost consequence to the Kentuckians, as we shall
see.
George Rogers Clark was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, November
19, 1752. Roosevelt, in “The Winning of the West,” thus tersely
describes him as he was at the beginning of his career: “He was of
good family, and had been fairly well educated, as education went in
colonial days; but from his childhood he had been passionately fond of
the wild roving life of the woods. He was a great hunter; and, like
so many other young colonial gentlemen of good birth and bringing
up, and adventurous temper, he followed the hazardous profession of
a backwoods surveyor. With chain and compass, as well as axe and
rifle, he penetrated the far places of the wilderness, the lonely,
dangerous regions where every weak man inevitably succumbed to the
manifold perils encountered, but where the strong and far-seeing were
able to lay the foundations of fame and fortune. He possessed high
daring, unflinching courage, passions which he could not control, and
a frame fitted to stand any strain of fatigue or hardship. He was a
square-built thick-set man, with high broad forehead, sandy hair, and
unquailing blue eyes that looked out from under heavy, shaggy brows.”
Clark made a short visit to Harrodsburg in 1775 and returned in the
following year. Long afterwards, General Ray, who in 1776 was a boy of
sixteen living at the station established by Colonel Harrod, told the
following story of Major Clark’s second arrival in Kentucky:
“I had come down to where I now live (about four miles north of
Harrodsburg) to turn some horses in the range. I had killed a small
blue-wing duck that was feeding in my spring, and had roasted it nicely
on the brow of the hill, about twenty steps east of my house. After
having taken it off to cool, I was much surprised on being suddenly
accosted by a fine soldierly-looking man, who exclaimed, ‘How do you
do, my little fellow? What is your name? Ain’t you afraid of being in
the woods by yourself?’
“On satisfying his inquiries, I invited the traveller to partake of my
duck, which he did, without leaving me a bone to pick, his appetite was
so keen, though he should have been welcome to all the game I could
have killed, when I afterwards became acquainted with his noble and
gallant soul.”
Having satisfied his hunger, the stranger asked a number of questions
about the settlers, the Indians, and the general conditions 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,” he answered, “and I have come out to see what you
brave fellows are doing in Kentucky and to lend you a helping hand if
necessary.”
Clark immediately took a leading part in the affairs of the struggling
community. His superior talents were so unmistakable and his
personality so impressive that he readily inspired the confidence of
the Kentucky settlers. At a general meeting, held at Harrodsburg in
June, 1775, he had been appointed with another to represent the young
community in negotiations with the Assembly of Virginia. The delegates
proceeded at once to Williamsburg, where it soon became apparent that
their errand could not be accomplished without great difficulty. At
the first serious check Clark’s companion returned to Kentucky, but
Clark determined to persevere, and by the exercise of diplomacy and
persuasion ultimately succeeded in his purpose.
In August the Council, with the approval of Governor Patrick Henry,
caused a large quantity of gunpowder to be shipped to Pittsburg and
there to be delivered to Major Clark for the use of the Kentucky
settlers. At the fall session of the Legislature, the determined
soldier, who had now been rejoined by his fellow-delegate, Gabriel
Jones, successfully urged the political organization of the new
settlement and the bill was passed that created it a county of the
State of Virginia. This was an important step, as it secured for
the crude commonwealth in the wilderness a judicial and military
establishment.
Clark now proceeded to Pittsburg, where the precious powder awaited him
and where he entered upon an extremely perilous phase of his mission.
The country about Pittsburg swarmed with Indians, who were not only
hostile to white men in general but, like all their race at the time,
ready to go to any extremes in the effort to secure ammunition. Clark
decided that speed and secrecy would serve his purpose more effectively
than a strong force which, encumbered and travelling slowly, could be
constantly harassed and would be probably cut up before reaching its
destination. Accordingly, he quietly embarked with seven sturdy boatmen
and commenced a rapid journey down the Ohio.
The Indians almost immediately got wind of the expedition and Clark’s
vessel had but an indifferent start when they were in pursuit of it by
land and water. The powder escort soon became aware of the pursuit and
bent its efforts to out-distancing the redskins, it being no part of
the leader’s plan to offer fight, except in the last extremity. Indeed,
although they were frequently fired upon from the shores and from the
following canoes, Clark forbade his men to retaliate but required them
to devote all their care and energies to the preservation of the cargo.
This grim race was maintained until it became evident to Clark that his
men could not much longer continue their arduous labor at the oars. The
Indians, on the other hand, being subjected to much less strain, might
have kept up the pursuit indefinitely. Realizing that the sole chance
of success lay in bringing the journey to a speedy end, Clark called
on his rowers for a supreme final effort with a view to getting beyond
sight of the Indians for a short space of time. The men responded
heartily. The boat was then at the mouth of Limestone Creek, near the
present town of Maysville. It was headed into the small stream and shot
up it with such swiftness that the pursuers were left far behind.
At a favorable point the boat was run into the bank, the powder hastily
brought ashore, and the craft turned loose to drift down the branch.
The barrels were now quickly conveyed to a hiding place in the densest
brush, the carriers carefully covering their tracks. This accomplished,
the entire party struck across country for Harrodsburg. They arrived
without mishap and Clark immediately returned with a sufficient guard
for the powder, which was found safe and uninjured where it had been
secreted. Thus, towards the close of 1776 the Kentucky settlers were
assured of the means of defending their homes in the impending struggle.
It must be remembered that the war of the Revolution was by this time
in full swing, and, whereas Boone and his associates had entered
Kentucky as British subjects, they were now rebels. It is not strange,
therefore, that the authorities of the Crown dominions in the north
treated them with hostility, nor that the Indian tribes friendly
to the British were employed in the attacks upon the settlers. The
practice of the times fully sanctioned the employment of savages and
the colonists were not above accepting such aid when it was available.
Clark, in fact, employed Indians in the defence of Vincennes, although
he declined their aid in attacking the town.
Several writers, in ignorance of the facts, or regardless of them,
insist on attributing the worst barbarities to the higher officials
in Canada, and the frontiersmen of the time were prone to credit them
with the utmost cruelty. They believed, and quite recent writers have
stated, that the Indians were urged by these officials to massacre
the whites in Kentucky unsparingly, and that they offered rewards for
scalps with the distinct understanding that they were preferable to
prisoners.
Now the most cursory examination of the records proves these statements
to be utterly false and shows that Governor Hamilton and other
officials rescued prisoners from the Indians and ransomed them whenever
possible. Thus, Boone’s fellow captives in the year 1778 were secured
from the Shawnees and kindly treated. Every effort was made to induce
them to give up Boone, and when these failed, money and gifts were
pressed upon them by the officers at Detroit.
It is true that certain agents of the British, such as Caldwell and
McKee, were guilty of the worst kind of atrocities in their dealings
with the American settlers; but these were men of the Simon Girty
stamp, natural blackguards, for whose actions their superiors cannot
be justly held accountable. It would be difficult to find in human
history records of more cruel and bloody deeds than some of those
attributable to men amongst the Kentucky pioneers themselves, but the
historian who should blame the settlers as a body, or their leaders,
for the villanies of such brutes as Greathouse, or Lewis Wetzel, could
not more effectually prove his unreliability.
It was well understood that the Governor of Canada was doing his
utmost to encourage and aid the Indians in the war which all felt to
be imminent, but it remained for Clark to devise the daring scheme of
crippling the enemy by adopting the policy of Hannibal in his conflict
with the Carthaginians, when he “carried the war into Africa.” Clark
conceived that the most effective way of defending Kentucky lay in
attacking the posts in the British territory on the north. He hoped
thus to keep the garrisons in Canada too busy in their own defence
to consider aggressive action, and also to curtail the supplies of
ammunition that they would be willing to give to the Indians. The
former object was of vital importance, for had they enjoyed freedom of
movement during this momentous period, a few small bodies of English
with cannon might have enabled the Indians to clear Kentucky of the
American colonists.
Clark’s plan met with the approval of the authorities in Virginia and
he was permitted to raise a body of one hundred and fifty men, and was
furnished with tents, supplies and ammunition. It was a very small
force for such an ambitious enterprise, but the leader was a man of
dauntless courage and resource and the men were picked fighters who had
the utmost confidence in their captain. The whole-souled devotedness
that Clark inspired in his followers, and the willing manner in which
they coöperated in his most hazardous plans, mark him as one of the
truly great leaders that this nation has produced. Had his exploits
been performed in the full limelight of the revolutionary stage,
instead of in the shadow of the wings, he must have attained to a
greatly wider fame than actually fell to his lot.
In May, 1778, Clark and his force, which had been somewhat increased
by the addition of a score or so of Kentucky volunteers, descended
the Ohio in flat-bottom boats as far as the mouth of the Tennessee,
where preparations were made for the advance upon the Illinois posts.
At this juncture the leader was extremely fortunate to fall in with
some American hunters who had recently been in the French settlements.
From these friends he acquired useful information, and secured their
services as guides.
At length a force of fewer than two hundred men started upon the
march across the wilderness to Kaskaskia. This place was fortified
and garrisoned by a strong body of militia, so that the only prospect
of capturing it lay in effecting a surprise. The party, therefore,
proceeded with the utmost caution, their front and flanks screened by
scouts. After a toilsome journey of fifty miles through dense forest,
they emerged upon the prairie and the difficulties of the march were
lightened whilst the danger of discovery increased. However, the
adventurers seem to have been attended by the most extraordinary good
fortune, for on the evening of the fourth of July they arrived without
mishap on the southern bank of the river, upon the opposite side of
which stood the town they sought.
The Americans lay concealed in the woods until nightfall, when they
crossed the stream in some boats which they had happily found. When all
were landed, Clark divided his force into two bodies. Whilst one of
these formed a cordon round the fort, he led the other into it. Never
was more strikingly illustrated the old adage that “Fortune favors the
bold.” The entire population of the place was gathered in or about a
large hall, where the officers of the garrison were giving a ball.
Even the sentries had deserted their posts to watch the dancing and
hear the music. Clark had found a small gate, through which he and his
men easily gained admittance to the fort. They traversed the deserted
streets without exciting attention and at last took up posts in the
vicinity of the hall, from the windows of which floated the mingled
sounds of music and merry laughter.
Clark went forward and stood with folded arms in the doorway of the
building, calmly surveying the scene. Some minutes passed before
his presence was noted. Then a woman, seeing the dread figure of an
American backwoodsman silhouetted in the opening, screamed in terror.
Confusion instantly prevailed. Shriek followed shriek. The violins
ceased. The dancers stood riveted to the floor, or ran hither and
thither aimlessly. The men, as soon as they had overcome the first
shock of surprise, advanced towards the entrance.
Clark’s waiting men now entered the building and made the French
officers prisoners. A house-to-house patrol disarmed all the
inhabitants and ordered them on the penalty of death to remain within
doors until daylight. These creole subjects of the British King had
been taught to believe the American backwoodsmen to be more cruel and
barbarous than the Indians, and they were filled with the worst fears
for their fate. Clark sought to increase their wild fancies, for he
fully appreciated the precarious nature of his situation, in the midst
of a hostile population many times more numerous than his own force and
surrounded by Indians ready to come to their aid.
The next morning, Clark proved himself to be a diplomat no less than
a soldier. The news of the alliance of France with the young American
republic had just reached the old-time colony of the former in
Canada. Counting upon this and his knowledge that the _habitans_ were
inclined to give allegiance to any ruler who would insure them peace
and protection, he relaxed the acerbity of his demeanor and adopted
a friendly attitude towards the Kaskaskians. He assured them that
it was not his desire to treat them with severity. That as British
subjects they were enemies to the Americans, but if they were willing
to take the oath of allegiance and to support the American cause, no
harm should befall them. He assured them that their religion should
not be interfered with, that they should enjoy the fullest protection
for their property, and that all their rights should be scrupulously
respected.
The creoles, relieved of the terrible dread that had been upon them and
overjoyed at the prospect of resuming the peaceful, pleasure-seeking
lives they loved beyond everything else, cheerfully assented to sever
the slender tie that bound them to the British Crown. The oath was
administered, and the American flag floated in British territory.
The fickle Frenchmen were now moved to enthusiastic admiration and
friendliness for their conquerors, and many of their young men
displayed eagerness to fight for them. When Clark organized an
expedition against Cahokia a body of these volunteered to augment his
meagre detachment, and he was only too glad to avail himself of their
services. Cahokia was taken without resistance on the part of the
inhabitants, who were readily persuaded by the French contingent in the
American force to take the oath of allegiance as they had done.
Encouraged by these successes, Clark despatched a French priest, who
had displayed genuine regard for the Americans, to the important post
of Vincennes, with the object of persuading its garrison and population
to follow the example of the people of Kaskaskia and Cahokia. The
expedition was entirely successful. Père Gibault gathered the
inhabitants of Vincennes in the church and at the close of a convincing
argument induced the majority of them to take the oath of allegiance
to the American Congress. Clark was delighted at the result of this
venture but, having no garrison to spare for Vincennes, was compelled
to content himself with a commander, who was permitted to raise the
American flag without any opposition.
It was now August, so that in three short months an intrepid leader
in command of fewer than two hundred men had succeeded in reducing
three British posts and placing a considerable extent of territory
under the flag of his own country. And this wonderful achievement had
been accomplished without the loss of a single life on the side of the
invaders.
IX.
THE VICTORY OF VINCENNES
Hamilton raises a strong force and regains Vincennes--He prepares
to move upon the other posts but Clark forestalls him--A desperate
march through the “drowned” lands--The band struggle along day after
day through icy water--The food gives out and starvation stares them
in the face--“No provisions yet, Lord help us!”--The bold march upon
Vincennes and the attack on the fort--The backwoodsmen give the British
a lesson in marksmanship--The fort is surrendered and the garrison made
prisoners--Governor Hamilton is sent to Virginia.
At the close of the year 1778, Clark found himself in possession of
three British posts commanding a territory of many hundreds of square
miles, in which dwelt an undependable population of creoles, and large
bands of Indians who might become active enemies at any moment. His
force had become diminished by the return to their homes of a number of
men whose terms of enlistment had expired. He had barely one hundred
Americans with him, and the French with whom he filled the vacancies
in his ranks were sorry substitutes for his sturdy backwoodsmen.
Henry Hamilton, the Governor of Canada, had been on the point of making
an aggressive movement against the American settlements in the West
when knowledge of Clark’s invasion of British territory came to him.
Hamilton was brave and energetic. He immediately turned his attention
to the task of ousting the Americans from Canada. At Detroit, the
headquarters of the dominion, preparations were made for a formidable
expedition.
Early in October, Hamilton started for Vincennes at the head of a
force of about one hundred and eighty whites and sixty Indians. The
latter contingent was joined by many bands on the way, until the
total strength of the command was brought up to five hundred. Many
difficulties were encountered on the journey, which involved the
crossing of Lake Erie and the passage of several rivers under highly
unfavorable conditions. At length, however, after seventy days of
toilsome progress, the mixed force reached its destination.
At the first appearance of the British commandant the creole population
of the town rushed to tender their allegiance. The garrison of the
fort promptly abandoned its arms and followed suit. There were but
three Americans in the place, and of course nothing remained for them
but to surrender. They were placed under parole and treated with
consideration. Thus by the middle of December the British had without
any difficulty regained the principal of the captured posts.
Hamilton was now justified in the conclusion that he had complete
command of the situation. Clark could not possibly stand against the
overwhelming force that the British commander could bring against him.
The latter decided to defer further operations until after the passage
of the cold weather, during which, in fact, it was almost impossible
to traverse the country. Meanwhile, he made his plans not only for the
comparatively easy task of subduing Clark but also for an expedition of
a thousand Indians, supported by artillery, into Kentucky.
Had the opening of spring found the British Governor in a position to
prosecute his designs the most momentous consequences must have ensued.
Without doubt he would have cleared the invaders from Canada, when that
large section of country below the Lakes which accrued to us from the
treaty of 1783 would have been lost. But he must also have swept the
settlers from Kentucky, and would probably have worked incalculable
damage all along the colonial frontier.