USA > Illinois > Illinois, historical and statistical, comprising the essential facts of its planting and growth as a province, county, territory, and state, Vol. I > Part 13
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The French settlers composing the great body of the inhabit- ants in Illinois, at the outbreak of the war, as before stated, were inclined to sympathize with the British. They were re- quired, however, as a precautionary step, to renew their oath of allegiance to King George,* which they willingly consented to do. At the same time envoys were sent among them to incite acts of hostilities toward their neighbors-the Revolutionists- on the frontiers; and especially to encourage and aid the abo- rigines in making depredatory incursions against settlements friendly to the American cause. The striking difference be- tween the respective policies of the British and American au- thorities in regard to the Indians was well illustrated in the rewards offered to secure their cooperation-those of the Brit- ish being for scalps, seldom for prisoners; while Congress offered rewards for prisoners, but never for scalps. The early years of the war, however, did not materially affect the villages of Illi- nois. Their remoteness from the scenes of active operations insured for them comparative tranquility.
In the second year of the Revolution the attention of Virginia was drawn to the country of the Illinois, which was claimed to be within the limits of that commonwealth by virtue of ancient charters. The attacks of the Indians had become so frequent and been so successful as to cause serious alarm; but such had been the demands of the Confederation upon her for men and means that she had not been able to extend to her hardy backwoods settlers the aid which they so much needed. The British commandants at Vincennes and Kaskaskia, while unable to furnish men to aid the savage marauders whose midnight depredations had struck terror to the scattered settlements in Kentucky, could and did aid them with supplies and munitions of war.
It was reserved for the far-seeing eye of Col. George Rogers Clark, then in the vigor of early manhood, to discover the sit- uation of affairs, and for his sagacity and valor to apply the remedy. Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, Nov. 19, 1752, and already a leading spirit in the councils of his native State,
* Dillon's " Historical Notes," 124.
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CONQUEST OF ILLINOIS.
"he had made himself familiar with the relations and con- ditions, the needs and resources of the West. With that intui- tive genius which stamps him as the most brilliant commander of all those who obtained distinction in border warfare," he was quick to perceive the policy required, which was: to trans- fer the line of defense and the battle-field from the settlements in Kentucky County to the territory which formed the enemy's base of supplies; to arouse sentiments of friendship among, or at least conciliate the opposition of, the French inhabitants of the Northwest; to neutralize the hostility of the savages if possible by demonstrating to them the justice of the Ameri- can cause; and to accomplish what in every war is considered one of the greatest strategic successes-to turn the enemy's guns against himself.
To confirm his views, he sent, in 1777, to Kaskaskia two trusted spies, one of whom was James Moore, afterward a dis- tinguished pioneer settler. From their report he learned that while the commandant lost no opportunity to incite Indian hostilities, the French inhabitants were not disposed to incur any great risks for the British crown, notwithstanding the fact that they had been made to believe appalling reports of the · ferocity of "the big-knives," as the Americans were called. He was also made aware of the fact that while the militia was maintained in good order, rather from a fondness of display than from any desire to engage in active war or because they expected an attack, the fort was generally kept merely "as an asylum."
In December, 1777, Col. Clark submitted to Gov. Patrick Henry of Virginia, a plan for the reduction of the posts in Illi- nois, which, after some discussion, was approved; and on Jan. 2, he received authority to recruit, for three months' service, seven companies of fifty men each, which he was to command. Six thousand dollars were given him to defray expenses. Proceed- ing to Pittsburg, on Feb. 4, he succeeded, after extraordinary exertions, in raising three companies, who rendezvoused at Corn Island, a point nearly opposite the present city of Louis- ville .* Here Lieut. Hutchings, with a portion of one company,
* Several families who had accompanied Col. Clark's party were left on the island after his departure, and, removing to the mainland, laid out the town of Louisville in 1780.
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
deserted, but enough were retaken to form, with additional vol- unteers, a fourth company.
The four companies were led by captains Joseph Bowman, John Montgomery, Leonard Helm, and William Harrod, and their numbers have been variously estimated at from one hun- dred and fifty-three to one hundred and eighty men.
On June 24, 1778, Col. Clark set forth, and as his party de- scended the Falls of the Ohio the sun became totally eclipsed, which not only fixes the date, but might also have been re- garded as an omen of the eclipse of British authority in the Illinois country, which the courageous determination of the devoted colonel and his men was soon to effect. With keel- boats with double-manned oars, rowing night and day, on June 28, he reached an island at the mouth of the Tennessee River, where he landed. Here he fortunately met with a party of eight American hunters, under the leadership of John Duff, who had left Kaskaskia but a few days previously. They not only gave him all necessary information, but cheerfully took the oath of allegiance and joined his expedition. Although the colonel says "their intelligence was not favorable," they ren- dered valuable service, one of them, John Saunders, acting as guide.
On this same evening he ran his boats into a small creek, about one mile above Fort Massac .* Here he disembarked his command, and on the next day, without horses, wagons, baggage, or artillery, he began his march across the country.
Kaskaskia, the objective point, was one hundred and twenty miles away and the hitherto untrodden route lay through wil- derness and swamp. The guide, Saunders, becoming confused, lost his way, and being suspected of bad faith was threatened with death. Happily, however, he soon recognized a familiar spot, thus restoring confidence in his own fidelity and securing the safety of the party. After a wearisome march of six days, with only four days' provisions, the command arrived within three miles of Kaskaskia on the evening of July 4. On this very
* Erected by Lieut. Massac in October, 1758, after the evacuation of Fort Duquesne by the French-the last fort built by the French in the Western country. -Monette's "Valley of the Mississippi," I, 317. This statement and the name of such an officer has not been verified. It is more probable that the fort was named after Mr. de Massiac, the French minister of marine at this time.
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CONQUEST OF ILLINOIS.
day, Rocheblave, the commander of the post, all unconscious of the impending danger, was pouring forth the vexations of his soul in a pathetic appeal to Gen. Haldimand, governor of Canada. He depicted the discouragements of settlers, the dis- loyal conduct of those of British birth-enlarged upon the urgency of the need for troops, the jealousies of the inhabitants, Spanish encroachments, and expatiated upon the "brigandage" of Capt. Willing upon the Mississippi, fearing lest the latter might surprise and capture a position regarded as of great im- portance .* Col. Clark had indeed laid his plans with such adroitness and executed them with such skill that the appre- hensions of Rocheblave were concentrated upon a remote peril rather than upon the one which was at his door.
As soon as he could trust to darkness to hide his manœuvres from sight, Col. Clark led his command to the ferry-house on the Kaskaskia River, about a mile above the town, and made prisoners of the keeper and his family. "Finding," to use his own language, "plenty of boats to cross in in two hours, we transported ourselves to the other shore with the greatest silence. I immediately divided my little army into two
divisions. * Ordering one to surround the town, with the other I broke into the fort, secured the governor, Mr. Rocheblave; in fifteen minutes had every street secured, sent runners through the town ordering the people on pain of death to keep close to their houses, which they observed, and before daylight had the whole town disarmed." Capt. Helm commanded the town party, and the celebrated Simon Kenton led the way to the fort, into which he was conducted by a friendly American who was there ready for this service.+ The commandant was found peacefully sleeping by the side of his wife, and the success of the expedition was attained without the firing of a gun "or the shedding of a drop of blood."
Fort Gage, according to local traditions, was built in 1736, on the bluff on the opposite side of the Kaskaskia River from the town, as a protection against the Chickasaws and other hostile Indians at that time at war with the French. In 1756, during the French-and-Indian War, it was repaired and occupied by a
* Brymner's " Report of Canadian Archives," 1881, p. 15.
+ Reynolds' " Pioneer History of Illinois," 2d ed., p. 95.
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French garrison. Its shape is described by Capt. Pittman as that of an oblong quadrangle, and its dimensions are given as two hundred and ninety by two hundred and fifty-one feet. It was constructed of thick, square timbers, and within its walls were a stone magazine, the commandant's house, and other small buildings. It was destroyed by fire in 1766, and there is no evidence that it was ever rebuilt or reoccupied.
Following the histories of the State, until within the past year it has been generally supposed that the fort thus taken by Col. Clark was that known as the Fort Gage above spoken of. The publication of later information, throwing a clearer light on the important events of this period, shows that such a supposition is erroneous. The commandant at Fort Chartres, when it was abandoned in 1772, was ordered to station his troops at Kaskaskia. In a letter from Capt. Lord, bearing date April 10, 1772, he says that Fort Gage was to be the ren- dezvous in case of war. And in a letter of August 30, 1773, from Gov. Haldimand addressed to the commandant "at Fort Gage," he directs that the fort should be "well provisioned." But the fort here referred to as Fort Gage was evidently on the town side of the Kaskaskia River. In neither of the accounts given of the capture by Col. Clark does he mention the name of the fort taken by him. Neither has he stated that he divided his troops on the eastern bank of the river. To have crossed the stream with his entire force and then ordered a portion to recross in order to march up the hill on whose summit Fort Gage was situated would have been a waste of time and an altogether indefensible military movement. In the preceding February, Rocheblave, in a letter to Gen. Guy Carlton, states that "the roof of the mansion of the fort is of shingles and very leaky, notwithstanding my efforts to patch it, and unless a new roof be provided very soon, the building, which was constructed twenty-five years ago and cost the Jes- uits forty thousand piasters, will be ruined."# The building referred to, situated in the southeastern portion of the town near the river, was the old "Jesuit House," as Pittman calls it, which had been substantially constructed of stone, and the probability is, that as the old fort had not been repaired and
* Brymner's " Report of Canadian Archives," 1882, p. 12.
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FORT GAGE.
the garrison at the time of its transfer to Kaskaskia was small, it was decided to convert the old Jesuit residence temporarily into a fort.
As confirmatory evidence that the fort taken by Col. Clark was this old Jesuit mansion, the following letter to Gov. Fred- erick Haldimand of date June 27, 1779, from Maj. A. S. De Peyster, commandant of Mackinac, who was directly interested in procuring accurate information, would seem to be conclusive. He says: " The Kaskaskia is no ways fortified. The fort being still a sorry pinchetted [picketed?] enclosure around the Jesuit college, with two plank-houses at opposite angles, mounting two four-pounders, each on the ground floor, and a few swivels mounted in pidgeen [pigeon] houses."*
There is no evidence, indeed, that Col. Clark ever occupied the old fort on the hill; but on the contrary, soon after the capture by him of the structure then occupied as a fort, while making preparations to repel a threatened attack, he says: "I resolved to burn a part of the town that was near the fort, and guard it, as I knew the greatest service we possibly could do was to sell the fort as dear as possible."+ From the journals of both Col. Clark and Capt. Bowman it appears that when the former's force afterward started for Vincennes, it crossed the Kaskaskia River, which would not have been necessary had the men occupied the fort on the eastern bluff.#
Having thus far succeeded in his plans, Col. Clark next took measures to conciliate the inhabitants. In order to insure their more complete submission, he at first confirmed by his conduct and demeanor, as well as that of his men, the reports they had heard of the daring and ferocity of the "big-knives." Surprised and affrighted by the offensive bearing of the soldiery, they were soon driven, trembling for their lives, to their houses. Some of the leading citizens were arbitrarily arrested, and no one was permitted to leave the town. Having, in accordance with their request, on the following morning permitted the inhabitants to
* Michigan " Pioneer Collections," Vol. IX, p. 388.
+ "Clark's Campaign in Illinois," p. 57.
# These new facts concerning the location of the fort captured by Col. Clark were first brought to light by W. F. Poole, in his chapter on "The West," in Winsor's "America," VI, 719, 720.
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assemble for public worship, he took occasion to explain to them the causes of the Revolution, and following the instruc- tions of Gov. Henry, informed them "that although they were a conquered people, and as such were at the mercy of the conqueror, nevertheless the policy, no less than the desire, of the American government was to make them free; and that if he could have surety of their zeal and attachment to the Amer- ican cause they should immediately enjoy all the privileges of government and their property be secured to them." He further said that while he had nothing to do with churches except to protect them from insult, religious liberty should not be interfered with. They were also informed that the king of France had united his armies with those of the Americans, and that the two peoples were making common cause against the British ; but that they were at liberty to es- pouse whichever side in the great conflict they preferred; that if they decided to go with the Americans they must take the oath of allegiance.
The revulsion of feeling which followed the colonel's speech was highly complimentary to his eloquence. Unbounded dem- onstrations of joyful approval greeted his address, and the in- habitants at once avowed their readiness to take the required oath and become American citizens. The colonel was disposed also to deal leniently with Rocheblave, and invited him to dine with him; but instead of meeting his courtesies half-way and making the best of his misfortunes, the disgruntled Franco- British officer became violent and insulting. To such a length did he carry his insolence that the colonel felt compelled to place him in irons, and soon after sent him to Williamsburg as a prisoner of war. In 1780, breaking his parole, he made his way to New York, where, in 1781, he applied for a command and authority to recapture the Illinois posts. His slaves were confiscated and sold, the proceeds, amounting to five hundred pounds, being distributed among the troops of Col. Clark .*
The good work having been so successfully inaugurated at Kaskaskia, Capt. Bowman, with his company, was despatched to take possession of Cahokia. A number of the now friendly inhabitants of Kaskaskia accompanied the expedition to use
* "Clark's Campaign in Illinois," 37.
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INDIAN TREATIES CONCLUDED.
their influence to induce a like result at that point. There was a stockade fort at Cahokia, but it was not garrisoned, and no resistance whatever was made to the entrance of Capt. Bowman into the town. On learning what had occurred at Kaskaskia, the inhabitants here also readily took the oath of allegiance to Virginia. Many of the French, as a further pledge of their fealty to the new government, volunteered to enter the depleted ranks of the Virginia companies, and afterward did good ser- vice under Col. Clark.
" Domestic affairs," says the colonel, "being thus pretty well settled, the Indian department came next to be the object of my attention." This, indeed, was the most delicate and difficult portion of his task. To win the friendship, or at least secure the neutrality of the Indians was one of the primary objects of the campaign. The Chippewas, Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Sacs, Foxes-in a word, nearly all the leading tribes of the West- were represented in the repeated conferences held between Col. Clark and the savages, delegations of braves in some instances traveling a distance of five hundred miles in order to be present. With such consummate adroitness did he conduct these nego- tiations, not without a show of temper and of strength when occasion demanded, and so eloquently did he present the inher- ent justice of the American cause, that during the five weeks he remained at Cahokia he was enabled to conclude treaties with "ten or twelve different nations, among them the Miamis and Illinois." His success in this direction exceeded his most san- guine expectations.
Having brought matters to such a satisfactory issue at Kas- kaskia and Cahokia, Col. Clark next directed his attention to Post Vincennes, called by the British Fort Sackville. The com- mandant of this post, Lieut .- Gov. Edward Abbott, had gone to Detroit, leaving the fort to be guarded by the inhabitants of the village. Learning this fact, Col. Clark resolved to dispatch an envoy for the purpose of winning over the settlers of that local- ity to the support of the colonial cause. For this mission he selected Pierre Gibault, the vicar-general of the Illinois coun- try, who was well known at Vincennes. His embassy was completely successful, the inhabitants proceeding in a body to the church and taking the oath of allegiance. The American
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ILLINOIS-HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL.
flag was displayed from the fort to the astonishment of the Indians, and an officer temporarily placed in command. Capt. Helm, who had distinguished himself as a successful Indian negotiator, was subsequently appointed to this post, and entered upon his duties as commandant the middle of August. Immed- iate steps were taken to conciliate the Indians, who, observing the success of the Americans in obtaining possession of so many important British posts, began to reflect whether it was not for their interest to make friends with the winning side. The con- sideration which most influenced their decision, however, was the fact, repeatedly urged upon them, that "their old father, the king of the French, had come to life again and was mad at them for fighting for the British." A council was held at which all the tribes of the Wabash were represented, who declared themselves to have changed their minds in favor of the Ameri- cans.
But now occurred one of those reverses of fortune incident to a state of war, which no foresight of Col. Clark could well have prevented. Gov. Hamilton of Detroit, having learned of the loss of the posts of the Illinois, and that Fort Sackville had been left without a garrison other than that furnished by the inhabitants of Vincennes, resolved at once to recapture the lat- ter post. With a force of thirty regulars, fifty French volunteers, and four hundred Indians, he started down the Wabash and arrived in sight of the fort, Dec. 17. Gov. Hamilton well knew from sad experience that if the defense of the fort depended upon the French militia, it would not long hold out. He had captured that very day one of the inhabitants of Vincennes who was found to carry commissions in the army from both the British and Americans; and he expresses himself on the subject of their fidelity as follows: "There is not one in twenty of the French inhabitants at all the outposts, I firmly believe, whose oath of allegiance would have force enough to bind him to his duty; added to this that the greatest part of the traders among them who are called English, are rebels in their hearts."
Capt. Helm was not at all taken by surprise at the approach of the British force and had done all he could to be prepared for it. In a letter written to Col. Clark on that day, which was captured by Gov. Hamilton, he says: "The enemy is in sight,
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and my determination is to defend the garrison, though I have but twenty-one men, but not four men that I can really depend upon. Not one of the militia will take up arms, though before sight of the army there were no braver men." Even the four men that he had counted on turned out to be unreliable; but the brave captain refused to surrender the fort when demanded until terms-the honors of war-were granted him. Only him- self and one soldier* were surrendered, together with “three mounted iron guns, two swivels, fifty pounds of powder, and one hundred and fourteen shot."+ Gov. Hamilton once more assembled the citizens, enlarged upon their perfidy, and ad- ministered the oath of allegiance for the second time to one hundred and fifty-eight of them.
This was alarming news when communicated to Col. Clark, and placed him in a critical situation. He was well aware of the fact that the British did not intend to stop at Vincennes, but to recapture their lost ground in the Illinois. He also learned that Gov. Hamilton had decided not to make his attack in force until spring, and had permitted his Indian allies to depart on their winter's hunt and to make such forays as might offer. In one of these, Col. Clark came near being captured, as a party of forty Indians was within a few rods of him when he and a small guard of six soldiers were passing, failing to fire on them because they were instructed to take him alive.
Col. Clark, who kept himself well advised of the movements of the enemy, having also learned that Maj. de Peyster at Mack- inac had despatched Capt. Chas, de Langlade to raise a coopera- tive force of Indians to act with Hamilton at Vincennes, or more directly by way of the Illinois River, upon Cahokia,¿ decided, with his accustomed daring and sagacity, not to wait for the favorable weather, the want of which had delayed the British commander, but to take advantage of the absence of the In- dians, who were still marauding across the Ohio, and become the attacking party himself. He fitted up a boat mounting two four-pounders, and placing Lieut. John Rogers in command with thirty men, ordered him to proceed to Vincennes by water. With the detachment recalled from Cahokia and the two French
* Moses Henry. + Michigan " Pioneer Collections," IX, p.
# "Magazine of Western History," III.
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companies, which were commanded by Capts. Richard McCarty and François Charleville, he had a force of one hundred and seventy-three men. The American companies were led by Capts. Bowman and Worthington.
On Feb. 7, 1779, the inhabitants of Kaskaskia came out in their holiday attire to bid adieu to their friends and to cheer them on their way with words of encouragement. Father Gibault made a patriotic speech on the occasion, and "gave all the soldiers absolution." The march across the country through swamps and overflowed bottoms, swimming creeks and rivers filled with ice and snow, was most difficult and trying. With- out food, the water, which was "breast-high," freezing to their clothes, with no dry land in sight upon which shelter and warmth could be procured, the men at one time refused to proceed any farther. Clark's persuasive powers were invoked in vain. At length he mounted a little drummer-boy upon the shoulders of a stalwart sergeant, six feet two in height, who was personally devoted to his commander, and gave the order, "March!" The sergeant at once dashed along through the water, the drummer-boy beating the charge from his lofty perch, while Clark, with sword in hand, followed, repeating the com- mand as he threw aside the floating ice, "Forward!" Inspired with the novel scene as well as amused, the entire command promptly obeyed the order .*
He arrived before Vincennes at sunset, Feb. 23, and immedi- ately began the attack. Those of the inhabitants who adhered to the king had been warned by proclamation "to join their hair-buying general [so called on account of bounties offered by him for scalps] and fight like men;" while "the friends of liberty," although assured of good treatment, were cautioned "to keep out of the streets." On the next morning, after a brisk firing, Col. Clark demanded the surrender of the fort. This was refused, and the attack was renewed and continued for two hours. Gov. Hamilton believed that the American force was much larger than it was, and fearing that in case the fort should be carried by assault no mercy would be shown to the besieged, as Clark had threatened in his demand, asked for a conference, to which the colonel replied as follows:
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