The British officer replied, "you shall have the honors of war." The fort was then surrendered, Capt. Helm was made a prisoner and the French inhabitants were disarmed. No sooner had Vincennes been retaken by the English than Clark's situation in the west became indeed, dangerous. Indian war parties began to assemble in the vicinity of his forces in Illinois, and to strengthen his position, he ordered Maj. Bowman to evacuate Cahokia and join him at Kaskaskia.

CHAPTER XIV.

CLARK'S EXPEDITION.

Sketch of the Celehrated Expedition of Gen. Geo. Rogers Clark-Capture of Vincennes, Kaskaskia and other Posts - The Memorable Contest between Clark and Hamilton at Vincennes.

IT WAS not long before Clark received information that the British had weakened their position at Vincennes; that Gov. Hamilton had but eighty men in his garrison, three pieces of cannon, and some swivels mounted; that the hostile Indians were to meet at Post Vincennes in the spring, drive the Americans out of the west, and attack the Kentucky settlements in a body, joined by their southern friends; that all the goods were taken from the merchants of Vincennes for the king's use; that the troops under Hamilton were repairing the fort and expected a reinforcement from Detroit in the spring; that they expected to have plenty of all kinds of stores; that they were strict in their discipline, but they were not under much apprehension of a visit.* From this report Col. Clark concluded that if he could reach the place undiscovered he could succeed in taking it.† "Col. Clark's was indeed a critical situation. He was, in a manner, cut off from any intercourse between himself and the United States. He knew that Gov. Hamilton, in the spring, by a juncTuttle's History of Indiana.

* Clark's Memoir.

tion of his northern and southern Indians, would be at the head of such a force that his little army would not be able to maintain possession of the country. Further than this the threatened war on the borders in the following spring could not fail to ruin Kentucky, should the enemy be permitted to make the necessary preparations in peace. In this critical situation, Col. Clark could see but one course, which was to attack the enemy in their quarters. He immediately gave orders to prepare for the enter prise. Although it was a bold venture, the inhabitants of Kaskaskia gathered about him with great enthusiasm, volunteering, donating provisions, etc. Plenty of provisions were soon provided, and every man was completely provided with all he could desire to enable him to withstand the coldest weather. It was resolved to send a vessel round by water to carry the artillery and stores. This vessel was to be armed so that she might force her way if necessary. For this purpose a large Mississippi boat was purchased and completely fitted out. Two four-pounders and four large swivels were placed in position, and forty-six men were assigned to man her under the command of Capt. John Rogers. He embarked on the fourth of February, with orders to force his way up the Wabash as high as the mouth of White river, and there to remain in secret until further orders; but if he found himself discovered, to do the enemy all the damage he could, without running too much risk of losing his vessel, and not to leave the river until he had lost all hope of the arrival of

the land forces. Col. Clark placed much reliance upon the aid he was to receive from this vessel. She was far superior to any thing the enemy could fit out without building a vessel; and at the worst, should they be discovered, they could build a number of large pirogues to attend her, and with such a little fleet, annoy the enemy considerably. Every thing being ready on the fifth of February, after his men had received a lecture and absolution from the priest, Col. Clark crossed the Kaskaskia river with one hundred and seventy men. The weather was very wet, and a great part of the plains covered with water several inches deep. The march was exceedingly disagreeable and difficult. In the face of these obstacles, it became an object of Col. Clark to keep his men in spirits. 'I suffered them,' says Clark, 'to shoot game

on all occasions and feast on it like Indian war dancers - each company by turns inviting the others to their feasts, which was the case every night.' Perhaps Col. Clark stimulated his men most by setting a brave example, wading as much through the mud and water as any of them. Thus, insensibly, without a murmur, were those men led on to the banks of the Little Wabash, which they reached on the thirteenth of February, having passed through great difficulties and suffered indiscribable hardships. A camp was formed on a small elevation on the bank of the river, and without waiting to discuss plans for crossing the river, Clark ordered the men to construct a vessel, and pretended that crossing this stream would be only a piece of amusement, although inwardly he held another opinion. The vessel was finished on the evening of the fourteenth, when, freighted with a select company, she was sent to explore the 'drowned lands' on the opposite side of the river. The men who embarked in this enterprise were privately instructed what report to make, and, if possible, to find a piece of dry land. They fortunately found about half an acre, and marked the trees from thence back to the camp, and made a very encouraging report. On the fifteenth the work of crossing the river commenced. Fortunately the day was unusually warm for the season. At this point the channel of the river was about thirty yards wide. A scaffold was built on the opposite shore, which was about three feet under water. The baggage was then ferried across and placed on it. The horses next swam across the river and received their loads at this scaffold. The troops were all ferried across in safety, and without any important accident the little army was again on the march in water about knee deep.' 'By evening,' says Clark, 'we found ourselves encamped on a pretty height in high spirits; each party laughing at the other in consequence of something that had happened in the course of this ferrying business, as they called it. A little antic drummer offered them great diversion by floating on his drum. All this was greatly encouraged, and they really began to think themselves superior to other men, and that neither the rivers nor the seasons could stop their progress. Their whole conversation was now concerning what they would do when they got about the enemy. They now began to view the main Wa

bash as a creek, and made no doubt but such men as they were could find a way across it. They wound themselves up to such a pitch that they soon took Post Vincennes, divided the spoils, and before bed time were far advanced on their route to Detroit. All this was no doubt pleasing to those of us who had more serious thoughts."

Here Clark discovered that the whole Wabash valley was overflowed, and that the enemy could easily approach him if they discovered his whereabouts, and wished to risk an action. They marched for several days under a drenching rain, and through mud and water. Reaching the Wabash, they constructed rafts for the purpose of crossing the river on a food-stealing expedition; but they labored all day and night to no purpose. They then commenced to construct a canoe, in which, when finished, a second attempt was made to steal boats. This expedition returned in a short time, having discovered two fires within a mile of the little army. Clark immediately dispatched the canoe down the river to meet the vessel that was supposed to be coming up with supplies, with orders to hasten forward day and night. This was the last hope, as their provisions were all gone, and starvation was at hand. The soldiers were much cast down, but on the following day they commenced to make more canoes, when, about noon, the sentinel on the river brought to a boat with five Frenchmen from the fort. From these persons they were informed that their presence was undiscovered at the fort. The hardships of this day were in a great measure relieved by a deer which had been killed by one of the men. On the following day, Clark succeeded in getting the little army across the Wabash, and he determined to reach the fort, and, if possible, to capture it that night.

From this point we will let Col. Clark tell the story of the march and the siege, in the language of his own journal: "This last day's march through the water was far superior to anything the Frenchmen had any idea of. They were backward in speaking; said that the nearest land to us was a small league, called the sugar camp, on the bank of the river. A canoe was sent off and returned without finding that we could pass. I went in her myself and sounded the water; found it deep as to my neck. I returned with a design to have the men transported on board the

canoes to the sugar camp, which I knew would expend the whole. day and ensuing night, as the vessels would pass slowly through the bushes. The loss of so much time to men half starved was a matter of consequence. I would have given now a great deal for a day's provision, or for one of our horses. I returned but slowly to the troops, giving myself time to think. On our arrival, all ran to hear what was the report. Every eye was fixed on me. I unfortunately spoke in a serious manner to one of the officers; the whole were alarmed without knowing what I said. I viewed their confusion for about one minute - whispered to those near me to do as I did; immediately put some water in my hand, poured on powder, blackened my face, gave the warwhoop, and marched into the water without saying a word. The party gazed, and fell in, one after another, without saying a word, like a flock of sheep. I ordered those near me to begin a favorite song of theirs; it soon passed through the line, and the whole went on cheerfully. I now intended to have them transported across the deepest part of the water; but when about waist deep, one of the men informed me that he thought he felt a path. We examined, and found it so; and concluded that it kept on the highest ground, which it did; and by taking pains to follow it, we got to the sugar camp without the least difficulty, where there was about half an acre of dry ground, at least not under water, where we took up our lodging. The Frenchmen that we had taken on the river, appeared to be uneasy at our situation. They begged that they might be permitted to go in the two canoes to town in the night. They said that they would bring from their own houses, provisions, without a possibility of any persons knowing it; that some of our men should go with them as a surety of their good conduct; that it was impossible we could march from that place till the water fell, for the plain was too deep to march. Some of the [officers?] believed that it might be done. I would not suffer it. I never could well account for this piece of obstinacy, and give satisfactory reasons to myself or anybody else, why I denied a proposition apparently so easy to execute, and of so much advantage; but something seemed to tell me that it should not be done, and it was not done.

The most of the weather that we had on this march was inoist