m

We have already noticed the erection of Fort Laurens.-At that point, seventy miles from Fort McIntosh, and exposed to all the fierce north western tribes, Colonel John Gibson had been left with one hundred and fifty men to get through the winter of 1778-9, as he best could, while McIntosh himself returned to Pittsburgh, disappointed and dispirited.* Nor was Congress in a very good humor with him, for already had six months passed to no purpose. Washington was consulted, but could give no definite advice, knowing nothing of those details which must determine the course of things for the winter. McIntosh, at length, in February asked leave to retire from his unsatisfactory command, and was allowed to do so. No blame, however, appears to have fairly attached to him, as he did all in his power; among other things leading a party with provisions to the relief of Colonel Gibson's starving garrison. Unhappily the guns fired as a salute by those about to be relieved, scared the pack-horses and much of the provision was scattered and lost in the woods. The force at Fort Laurens, meantime, had been as we have intimated, suffering cruelly, both from the Indians and famine, and, though finally rescued from starvation, had done, and could do, nothing. The post was at last abandoned in August 1779.

But, while McIntosh was groaning and doing nothing, his fellow General, Clark, was very differently employed. Governor Hamilton, having made his various arrangements, had left Detroit, and moved down to St. Vincent's (or Vincennes,) on the Wabash, from which point he intended to operate in reducing Kaskaskia and Cahokia, and also in conquering Kentucky, and driving the rebels from the West. But in the very process of taking St. Vincent's, he met with treatment that might have caused a more modest man to doubt the possibility of conquering those rebels. Hamilton came upon that post, in December 1778. He came *Sparks Washington, vol. vi. p. 156.

202

Capture of St. Vincents.

1779.

with a large body of troops, and unexpectedly; so that there was no chance of defence on the part of the garrison, which consisted indeed of only two men, Captain Helm, of Fauquier county, Virginia, and one Henry. Helm, however, was not disposed to yield, absolutely, to any odds; so, loading his single cannon, he stood by it with a lighted match, and, as the British came nigh, bade them stand, and demanded to know what terms would be granted the garrison, as otherwise he should not surrender. The Governor, unwilling to lose time and men, offered the usual honors of war, and could scarce believe his eyes, when he saw the threatening garrison to be only one officer and one private. However, even this bold conduct did not make him feel the character of the people with whom he was contending; and so, thinking it too late to operate in such a country, he sent his Indians, of whom he had some four hundred, to prevent troops coming down the Ohio, and to annoy the Americans in all ways, and sat quietly down for the winter.

Information of all these proceedings having reached Clark, he saw, at once, that either he must have Hamilton, or Hamilton would have him; so he cast about him, to see what means of conquest were within his reach. On the 29th of January, 1779, the news of the capture of St. Vincents reached Kaskashia, and, by the 4th of February, a "battoe," as Colonel Bowman writes it, had been repaired, provisioned, manned, and armed, and was on her way down the Mississippi, in order to ascend the Ohio and Wabash, and co-operate with the land forces which were assembling. These forces, on the 5th of February, numbered one hundred and seventy men, "including artillery, packhorsemen, &c." and with this little band, on the 7th, Clark set forward to besiege the British Governor, who had under him about half as many followers as a garrison. It was "rain and drizzly weather," and the "roads very bad with mud and water;" but through those

*

prairie ways, and the waters which covered some of the plains, the little rebel band slipped and spattered along, as they best could, and how they did it, cannot be shown better than by copying a portion of Joseph Bowman's Journal, and Clark's own account.

February 7th. Began our march early; made a good day's march

Bowman. Clark in his letter to Jefferson, says, one hundred and thirty men, but he may not have counted packhorsemen, &c.—(See Jefferson's Writings, i. 451.) + There were seventy-nine men. (See Clark's letter to Jefferson.)

1779.

Bowman's Journal.

203

for about nine leagues. The road very bad with mud and water. Pitched our camp in a square, baggage in the middle, every company to

guard their own square.

Not

8th. Marched early through the waters which we now began to meet in those large and level plains where, from the flatness of the country, the water rests a considerable time before it drains off. withstanding our men were in great spirits, though much fatigued. 9th. Made another day's march. Rain part of the day.

10th. Crossed the river Petit Fort, upon trees which we felled for that purpose, the water being so high there was no fording it. Still raining and no tents. Encamped near the river. Stormy weather. 11th. Crossed the Saline river. Nothing extraordinary this day. 12th. Marched across Cat Plains. Saw and killed numbers of buffaloes. The road very bad from the immense quantity of rain that had fallen. The men much fatigued. Encamped on the edge of the wood. This plain being fifteen or more miles across, it was late in the night before the baggage and troops got together. Now 21 miles from St. Vincents.

13th. Arrived early at the two Wabashes; although a league asunder they are now but one. We set to making a canoe.

14th. Finished the canoe and put her into the river about four o'clock in the afternoon.

15th. Ferried across the Two Wabashes, it being three miles in water, to the opposite hills, where we encamped. Still raining. Ordered not to fire any guns in future, but in case of necessity.

16th. March all day through rain and water. Crossed the Fir River. Provisions begin to be short.

17th. Marched early. Crossed several runs very deep. Sent Mr. Kennedy, our commissary with three men, to cross the river Embarrass, if possible, and proceed to a plantation opposite Post St. Vincents in order to steal boats or canoes to ferry us across the Wabash. About an hour by sun we got near the river Embarrass, and found the country all overflowed with water. We strove to find the Wabash. Travelled till three o'clock in mud and water, but could find no place to encamp on. Still keep marching on, but after some time Mr. Kennedy and his party returned. Found it impossible to pass the Embarrass river. We found the water falling from a small spot of ground. Staid there the remainder of the night. Drizzly and dark weather.

18th. At break of day, heard Governor Hamilton's morning guns. Set off and marched down the river. Saw some fine lands. About two o'clock came to the bank of the Wabash. Made rafts for four men to cross and go up to town and steal boats, but they spent the day and night in the water to no purpose, for there was not a foot of dry land to be found.

1779. At

19th. Captain McCarty's company set to making a canoe. three o'clock, the four men returned after spending the night on some old logs in the water. The canoe finished. Captain McCarty with three of his men embarked in the canoe, and made the next attempt to steal boats. But he soon returned, having discovered four large fires about a league distant from our camp, that seemed to him to be fires of whites and Indians. Immediately Colonel Clark sent two men in the canoe down to meet the battoe, with orders to come on day and night, that being our last hope from starving. Many of the men much cast down, particularly the volunteers. No provision of any sort for two days. Hard fortune.

20th. Camp very quiet but hungry.-Many of the Creoles volunteers talking of returning. Fell to making more canoes, when about 12 o'clock our sentry brought too a boat with five Frenchmen from the Port, who told us we were not as yet discovered, that the inhabitants were well pleased towards us, &c.

Captain Willing's brother, who was taken in the Fort, had made his escape to us, and said that one Masonville, with a party of Indians, were then seven days in pursuit of him, with much news, more news in our favor, such as repairs done to the fort, &c. They informed us of two canoes they had seen adrift some distance above us. Ordered Captain Worthington, with a party of men, to go in search of them. Returned late with one only. One of our men killed a deer which was distributed in the camp very acceptably.

21st. At break of day began to ferry our men over in our two canoes, to small hills called mamelles, or breasts. Capt. Williams with two men went to look for a passage; but were discovered by two men in a canoe, but could not bring them to. The whole army being over, we thought to get to town that night, so plunged into the water, sometimes to the neck, for more than a league, when we stopped on the next hill of the same name, there being no dry land on any side for many leagues. Our pilot says we cannot get along—that it was impossible. The whole army being over, we encamped. Rain all this day. No provisions."*

And here we turn to Clark himself.

"This last day's march, [February 21st,] through the water was far superior to any thing the Frenchmen had an 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 return

* We take our extracts from a MS copy of the journal: portions may also be found in Dillon, i. 157.

1779.

Clark's account.

205 ed with a design to have the men transported on board the canoes to the Sugar camp, which I knew would spend 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 war-whoop, 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 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 any body 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 moist and warm, for the season. This was the coldest night we had. The ice in the morning was from one half to three quarters of an inch thick, near the shores, and in still water. The morning was the finest we had on our march. A little after sunrise I lectured the whole. What I said to them 1 forget; but it may be easily imagined by a person that could possess my affections for them at that time:-I concluded by informing them that passing the plain that was then in full view, and reaching the opposite woods, would put an end to their fatigue-that in