Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 20

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472

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This speech hnd its desired effect. In a few moments after its delivery, expressions of joy took the place of the gloom which had rested upon the people. The news of the alliance of the Americans with France, and the magnanimous conduct of their conqueror, had won them over to the Ameri- can cause. The people, en masse, took the oath of allegiance to Virginia, their arms were restored to them, and n volunteer company of French militis II Is formed, and joined a detachment under the command of Capt. Bowman when that officer irny dispatched to take Cahokin The inhabitants of this village also took the oath of allegiance to Virginin.

The memoir of Clark proceeds : " Post Vincennes never being out of my mind, und from some things I learned, I had some reason to suspect that M. Gibault, the priest, was inclined to the American interest previous to our arrival in the country. Hy bad great influence over the people at this period, und Post Vincennes was under his jurisilictinh. 1 tuade no doubt of his integrity to us. I sent for him and bad a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes. In answer to all my queries, be informed me thnt he did not think it worth my while to ruose any military preparation to bo ninde at the Falls of the Ohio for the nitack of l'ost Vincennes, although the pluce was strong, and a great number of' lodiaus in its neighborhood who, to bis knowledge, were generally nt isne -- that tror. Ahbott had a few weeks before left the plure on some business to Delruit-that he expected thut when the inhabitants wero fully avyuninted with what had phased at the Illinois and the present happiness of their friends, and made fully acquainted with the onture of the war, that their sentituents would greatly rbange ; that he knew that his appearance there would have great weight even Among the savages ; that if it was agreeable ty ine he would take this business on himself, and had no doubt of this being able to bring that place over to the American interest without my being al the trouble of marching ugninst it; that his business being altogether spiritual, hy wished that ouother person might be charged with the temporal part of the embassy, but he would privately direet the whole. Anil be nsmed Doctor Lafont as his Associate.

"This wos perfectly agreeable to what I hul heen seereily nimning at for sume iInys. The plan was immediately settled, nad the tivo doctors, with their intended retinue, among whom I had a spy, set ahunt preparing for their journey and set out on the 14th uf July with an avstress to the inbahi- tants of Post Vincennes, authorizing theni to garrison their own town them- setres, which would convince them of the great confuilence we put in them, etc. All this had its desired effect M Gibault aud his pintty arrived safe, mut utter their spending a duy or tivo iu explainmg tuntters to the people ther universally arceded to the proposal jexcept a few ruisseries left by Mr. Alibott, who immediately lett the conuter I, and nent mi a body to the church, where the oath of nlleginnee wns administered to them in a must solemn manner. An officer was elected, the fort imvuedintely girrisoned and the American Hug isplored, to the astonishment of the Indians, aund ererything syttted far beyond our most sanguine hopes. The people here immediately began to put on a new face nail to talk in a different styly avil tu net as per- fret free nuon. With n garrison of their own, with the linited Stntys at their elbow, their language to the Indinny was immediately nitvred. They began ns citizons of the United States ond informed the Indians that their und father, the King of France, was coun to life again nud was mad at them for fighting for the English ; that they would adrisy them to make pence with

206

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA .- CONTINUED,

the Americans as som os they runbl, otherwise they might expect the Intt to be very lilouily, etc.

.. The Imlinus began to Ilunk seriously Throughout The country this WAS HOU the kind of language they generally got from their nucient friejuly uf the Wulash sad Illinois Through the nicuns of their correspondence spreading among the nulioos, uur batteries began how In play in n proper elmunel M. thenult and party, accompanied by seceral geutleinen of Fost Vincennes, returned to Kaskaskin about the first of Angust with the joy fhi nous. During his absence on this business, which caused great anxiety in me for without the possession of this post all our views would lince beve lilosieil), I uns exceedingly engaged in regulating things in the Illinois. The reilurtinn af these posts ions the period of The eplistpient of our troops. - wsus ul it grent loss nt this trois ty itelerivine how to net und hou far I might Leninre to strain ing authority. My instructions isere silent on many im+ turiant points, us it was ijnpuissible to furusee the events that wouhl tuku piner. To ntunion tho country and all the prospects that upeued tu aur rieis in the Indian ilepartinent at this time for the want of instruction in corinin ensey I thought ironld amount to a reflection on liuvernment us huring no confidence in ine I resolved to usurundt the authority necessary to curry my points I hout The greater part of our troops rebolisteil un a different establishmoral, rommissinbest Frenohi offirers in the country to commitml it company of the young inhabitants, established u garrison il Cahokia, colu- manded tos thpt Bou man, and another at kinskiskin, communded by tapt Williams

"Post Vincennes rewamed in the situation us mentiuntil. Col. Willson Linu, who hn accompanied us he a volunteer, took elmige of a party that was to ho ilisplurged on thvir orrienl ul the Falls, nud urilers upra seol fur the runorul uf that post In the muin lund. t'upl. John Montgomery uns ilis. jmitchell to Government with Better .. .

" I again turned my attention to Post Vilicenties I plainly saw that il woubt he highly necessary lo hace un American officer ut That poul. t'apt Leonard lelin Appeared calenlateil to Anviser iny purpose, he was past the tourilian uf life und u goul deal neguninteil with The loniun dispositiun. 1 sont bini tu commisindl ut thut post nod alen appointedl him ugent far linlian mifuirs in the department of the Wabash. + + +. About the iniilille of August hu gel unt lo luke charge of his new camiand. . .

Capuaun urritel Mofe al l'oal Vincennes andI uns rectited with ticelamntions hy the people. After the usnul ceremony iris over he sent for Gramil Hoor In Trankeshuw chief i und delivered my louer to Ium. After having read il, ho informed the l'apinin thul ho wny happy to see him, one of tho Big Knife ubiole, in this tuin - lle puit on ull the cuurile ilignity he irus mn-ler of, aml Capt Holm followedl hs rsample . it un. several days orfurr This business nas finnsberi, as the whole proceeding uns very coreuionions Al length the l'apdain unx invited to the Indian Council and informed by the Tohnero (Uraml Hour; that they had mutirely considered the case in bandl und boul gol the nature of the war between the English und us explained to their satisfaction ; $ 9 + that his idrie arre quite phungen aud thal he would tell the redl people on the Wobush to bloody the tan'] no more for the English. le jumped up, druck bis hrenst, culled Imuself man and i warrior, sonI thul he was nair a Big linife, ond took Chpt. Helm hy the in merriment Thus ended it's valuable negotiation nudl the saving of muoh bloodl. . . " > In a short time, almost the whole uf the curious trihes of the ililforeut notions on the Wabash, us high as Duinlenin, come to l'ost Viveenties and falloued the example of the Grand Tour chief. . . The British interests daily lost ground in this quarter. +

short line, the Indians of the curious Iribey inboiling the region of Minois cimo in greut numbera to l'hokin in order to make treaties of peace with us * * * * Thuwo Irealies, which commenced alont the Inst of August und continnel lietieren three unil four weeks, were probably rommetel in n uny ilifferent from any utber kuown tu Ameries al that fiore. I hnul been alunge convinced that our general cunduet with the Imilinns uns irrong ; that jiu it-

we expectedl, und unpitel is them to fear, unul thit giving them great pres. cats rollen it. I removed to guard against this and took good thing to make myself nequainted iruth the French und Spunist methods of Treating luihinns und with the diers, genius undI disposition of the Endinny in gourmet "

At the couveils nhime referred 10, Cul. Clark concluded trenties of prace with the Illinois, Kiekspoos, Knakaskins, l'eorius, Thankestinws, Duintenous and ol ber Iribes inbubiting the country belneen Lake Michigan anul the Mis- sissijipt.

Tidings uf tho great success of L'ol, l'Inrk, and that the French iulinh- ituuta in Illinois nud nt Tust Vincennes lind taken the outh of allegiance to The Stule of Virginia, induceil the Assrintily of thot Commonwealth, in Octo- ber, 1774, In pras4 ou net eunlaining the following provision :

" All citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia who are already sellled, or sbull horenfter settle, nu the western side of the Ohio, sboll be included in n ilistinet county, which shall he calledl fhnous County ; and the Governor of this l'oramonwealth, with the advice of the Council, niny nppoint n Couuty Lientrunut, ur Comumudnul-in-Chief, in That county, Juriug pleasure, IFho nat Conumissioners ie he shall think proper, in the different districts, during pressure , ull of whom, before they euter into other, shall take the oath of fidelity lo Ilus Commonn enth and the unth of office, aceariling to the forin of their own religion And all evil ofheers to u tich tho people have been uceus- lomed, necessary lo the preservation of peace nnit the administration of jus- tier, shall be ehusen by o tunjority of the cuizeus, in their respective districts, to be rouvened for That purpose by the County Lieutenant or Commandant, er liis Uiequity, and shinll be commisunseul by said County Lieutenant or Comu- maulnut-in- Chief."

This first allempt In organize the country west of the Ohio u'ps, bouvier, theurted by the British ugain taking possessiou of Post Viuconnes. Ou the 13th ut December, 1778. Hours Inmuiltout, British Lieutenant General ut Detroit, with au army ut Thirty regular troops, fifty Freuch culunteers and four humilred Indinus, took possession of the post, mnde n prisoner of Capt. Helui wul ligarmed u number of the French inhabilants.

Butler, in his Ilistory ut Kentucky. Anys: " When Gur, Inmiltou entered Viurennes, there were but two Americans there-Capt. Helm, the Commonil. aul, and our Heury. The Intter bad u enuunn well charged sud ulneed in the open furt gale, wlule lehm stood by it with a lighteil match in his unud. When Ilamilion and his troops gol within builing ilistnuce, the American officer. uu u loud voice, cried out, ' lah ! This sluppel the muvements of Intillou, who, in reply, demuted n surrender of the garrison. Helen ex- eluimeil, with un outh, " No nwou shull enter till I know the terms.' lumilton su Prel . Yine shull hnu The hours of uar.' And then the fort uns sur. remulered, with its garrison of one officer und one private "

The enpure of l'ogl Viucrunes by the British necessiinted : campnigu on the part of Col. Plork, to retako the pluce. Ou the 20th uf January. ITT !! , he received tho foltou tug intelligence frus n Spnmush merchant, Francis Vigo, webo hol been at l'ost Vincennes nnit was returning to St. Louis : Thut Gor. Motailtone hwl weakened himself hy acuding his Indiaus ngoinyt the frootier nud to block up the Ohio; thul te lind not wore thun eighty meu in the garrison, three pieces of canton und soir suicels, mounted ; thut the hostile ludiany u ere lo meel at Post Vincennes in the spring, drice us out of the Illinois und allack the Kentucky settlements tu n body, joiued hy their soul burn friends, Ilinl all the goods were lakeu from the merchants at Post Vincennes for the King's use: that The troops under lunilion wore repmiring the furt, nuit expected a reinforcement frou Detroit in the spring ; thul they oppearel la hore pleule of all kinds af storey ; that they were striet in their

iliscipline, but that he ilul nul believe they were undor inneh approhension of n visit : nul beligrel Ibut if we could get there undiscoveredl we might tuke the pInce.

"In short," says Clark, "we got every information from the gentleman that we could wish for. We saw but one uIterontive, ubich was, lo nttack the enemy in their quurtery. This ait tho approbation of erery imliridual belonging lo 14. Orders were immediately issued for preparation. The whole country took fire nl the alarm, noil every order ir'ns executeit with cheerfulness hy query description of the inhabitants-preparing provisions, encouraging volunteers, etc., eto .- anil, ns ive had plenty of stores, every wan was completely riggeil with what he could desiro to withstatul tho cold * * To convey our nrlillery and stores, it was concluiled uteather. 4

to sobil u vessel ronmil hy ivater, so strang that she might farce her im A large Mississippi boat was immediately purebased anit completely fitted ont ns n galley, mannling tu o four-puunders and four largo suirels. She was manneil by forty -nix men, under comumamil if Capl. John Rogers lle set sail on the fih of February, with orders to force his way up the Wabash ne high us the mouth of White River nuil to seerete himself until further orders, but if he found himself discovered, to do tho eneiny all the iluninge he evulit, with- out runting too great u risk of losing his vessel, and uut to leare the river until ho irns out of hope of our urrirul by land ; but by all means to conduct himsolf so ns to give no suspicion of our approach by lunil.

" Everything being ready, on the 5th of February, after receiving n lec- Ture omil Absolution frotu The priest, ue crossed the Kaskaskin River with one humilred and seventy wen. uurchedl nbout three miles and encomped, iThere ire lay until the 7th, unul set out. The weather wet, but fortunately not enld for the senson, All a great part of the plains uniler irater sererul inches ileep. It was difficult und rery fuliguing marching. My object was now' to keep the inen in spirits. I suffered them to shool gumo ou all ocen- sions, AndI T'ensi on it likt Indinn unr-dancers-rich company by turns inviting the others to their feasts, which was the ense every night, as the company that was to give the feast is always supplied with horses to Iny up n sufficient store of will mest in the course of the ilny-myself suil prin- cipal ufficors putting on the ivoodsolen, shouting now nud theu, and running ns much thrungh the mind and truter os nny of Them. Thus insensibly, without a murmur, were those men leil on to the banks of the Little Wubush, which we renched on the 13th, through incredible ditheulties, fur surpassing anything that ung of us tind ever experienced. Fortunately the diversions of the night wore off The Thoughts of the preceding dny. We foriued s camp un n height which ne found on the bunk of the river, and suffered our Iroojis to imuso themselres. I riewed this sheet of water for some timo with distrust ; but, uccusing myself fur doubting, I inmeilintely set to work, without holding quy consultation about il, or suffering anybody else to do so in my presence, ordered n pirogue lo be built immediately, nud neteil ns though crossing the water would be only a piece of iliversion. In the even- ing of the 14th, our vexsel was finished, mauned and sunl to explore the drowned lands on the opposite side of the Litto Waliish, with priinte in. strnotions whol report io inake, and, if possible, to finil some spot of ilry Innd. They found ubout linle an nere, and mintkuil the trees fromu thence back to the entup, und made a rory favorable reporl.

" Fortunately, the 15th happened to be a warm, moist day for the season. The ebnnuel of the river where ise Iny was about thirty yards wide. A scaffold was hitilt on the opposite shore (which wuy nhout three feet under water), and our baggage ferried nero's and put on it ; our horses aivom across, mn] recoired their loods at the senffold, hy which tilge the troops were also brought across, and we began our march through the water + +

" By evening we found ourselves encamped on n pretty height in high spirity, encli party laughing at the other, in cousequence of something that bnd happened during the course of this ferrying Inisiness, us they called il. A littlo untic drummer uttorded lheur great diversion hy swimming on bis drum. All this was grently encouragel, and they really began to ilunk themselves superior to other meu, and elnd neither the rivers nor tho season4 could alop their progress. They uvw began to viou the main Wahash Da a creek, and made no doubt but such mien as they were could find a u'ny to cross it They wound themselves up to such a pitch that they soon took Post Vincennes, divided the spoil, and beforo bed Inue u ere for advanced on their roule lo Detraut. All this wns no doubt plensing to those of us who had more serious thoughts. * 4 that the whole of The lou country on the Wabash wny drowned, and that the Wo were nowy convinced eneiny could easily get to us, if they discovered us and wished to risk an action ; if they did nul, we made no doubt of crossing the river hy some ucans ur olher. Eren if Capl. Rogers with his galley dul not go to his station agrecally to his nppolniment, we fottered ourselves that all wouldl be well, anit marched on in high spirits.""

Maj Bouman's umuuscript journal, quoted by Dillon, gives tho fallowing account of the army un lo The lost day's march :

" February 16th, Tito .- Marched all dny through rain and water. Crossed the Fur River. Provisions begin to be shurt.

"17th .- Marcheil corly ; crossed several ruus very deep ; sent Mr. Kernedy, our Commissary, with three mea, to cross the river Emburruss, if possible, and proceed to a plantation opposile Vincennes, in order to steal bosty ur canoes, lo ferry us across the Wabash. About ou hour by sun we got near the rit er Emharrass-found The country ull overflowed with wuter. We strove tu find The Wabasb. Traveled till eight o'clock in mud nul wnier founil no place to camp on ; still kept marching, bidl nfter some time Mr. Kernedy aud his purty returned. Found it impossible tu cross the Embarrass Rirer Found the water falling from a small spot of ground. Stayed there tho remaindor of the night. Drizzly unil dork weather

" 16th .- At daybreak heard Got. IIntiltou's morning gun. *** About two o'clock enme In the bauk of the Wabash ; made rafta for four men to cross, nnd go up to tuivu to steal boats, but they spent the day and night in the irater to no purpose ; not one foot of dry land lo be found

" 19th .- Capt. MeCarthy's comupnuy set lo minking a cauoc. At three o'clock the four wuen returned, after spending the uight on some higs in the irator. The ennoe finished , Capl. MeCarty, with three of bis men, cuborked in the ennoe and mnwie tho next attempt to steal boats, but soon returned, having discovered four inrge fires about a league distant frow our comp; they seemed lo he fires of whites anil Indians. Immediately Col. Clark seat two men in The csuoe down to meet The galley, wuh orders to come on dny und night-that tieing our lust bopr, sud wo alnrving. Many of the men much enst dowu, particularly the volunteers. No provision of quy mort now tico ilnye. Hard fortune.

11 20th .- Camp very quiet, but hungry Sowie alutosl iu despair. Mnny of the Creole volunteers lulking of returning. Fall to making more canoes ; about two o'clock our sentry on the river brought to a lwat with live Freuch- tucu from the fort, who told us we were nol na yet discovered -- that the in- Lubilants were well disposed toward ua. . They infurmed 4 us of Two canoes they hil scen adrift some distance nhoco us. Oplered that Capl. Worthington, with a party, go in search of them. Hlelurnul lule with Que ouly. Que of uur men killed n deer, which was brought into camp very necopinbly

'' 11sl -Al daybreak began to ferry our went over the Wohnsh ui turo cugoes tu a small hill called the Mawelle. "Flu whole urmuy hciug over, we thought to get to lown Thal uight, nuil so plunged into the wuler, sometimes to The tuck for more than ono league, when He stopped on n hill of the saure pute, there heiug no ilry land on auy side of us for minuty' leagues. Our pilots say we cannot get ulong-that it is ijupossible. The whole army being orer, ive queamped. Rain nll this day. No provi- sion" "

"'This last day's munreh through the water," says Cot. Clark, "ins far superiur to anything the Frenchmen hud any ulen uf. They were bukivard

in spenking -- sail the nearest land to us uns u small league enlleit tho Sugar Cutup, on The bank of the rivor. A canoe uns sent off, and returnedl withont Builing that we could puss. I went In her myself, mul sounded the uater, founil it deep as to my neck 1 returned with Thu dlesign to bure the mon transported of honril the canoes to the Sugar Camp, which I knew would spetul the ichole ilny und ensning night, as the vessels wronhl pnes slowly through the bushes The loss of so much time to inen half-starved uns muntlor of consequence. I wouldl bitre given wow o great deul for a duy's provision, or for one of our horses I returnedl slouly to the troops, giving myself time to think. On our arrival ull rnu to lienr wrunt aus the report. Every oye was fixed on me. I unfortunately spoke in a serious manner to one of the officers, the ichole were nlarmed without knowing what I said. I viewred their confusion for about one minute-whisperedl to those near ine tu ilo as I did-immediately put some water in my hund, poured on pourler, blnokeil my free, gnvo the wu-whoop, mind marched into the water, without saying n word. The party gazed, nul fell in uno after another, without saving n woril, like a Hook of sheep. I ordered those Hear me to begiu a favorite song of theirs; it soon passed through The line, and the u hole went on cheerfully. 1 now intended to have them transported across tho sleepest part of the water, but when about ivaist-ileop, one of the mien infarmed me that he thought ho folt a path. We examined aml found it su, Anil concluded thut it kopt on the highest grounil, which it dul; And by taking pains to follows it, wo gol to the Sugar Cauip without the least dithi- culty, where thero uns about half un nere of dry ground, al least not under water, uhere we look up our lodging

"The Frenchmen Ihnl ive hait taken on the river appeared to he uneasy at our situation. They begged Thul they might be permitlod lo go in the two ranoes to town, in the night. They said that they would bring froor their own houses provisions, without a possibility of uny one knowing it, that some of our men should go with them as a surely of their gooil conduet. Some of the ofheers believed That it might be done I would not sufer it. 1 never could well account for This piece of obstinney, and give salisfactory rensous to myself or anybody else why I deoied a proposition apparently su easy lo exceuto, nul uf so much miliantage ; but something scemeil In tell ore that it should not bo llone, and it was not done."

The most trying orden) was yel to be passed. From the point which the Ariny ocenpied that night they huil to tross the plain through ileep water to the woods in the distance. Col. Clurk, in a speech to them, concluded hy saying That, passing tho plnin, which uns then in full view, and reaching the opposito ivyods, would put on emil In atl their futiguo ; that iu a few hours they would haro n sight of their long-irisheil-fur object, uwl inmedjololy stepping into the unter, led the uny. The army began to cheer, fiind noil fatigueil ns they were. The narrative proceuls : " As we generally morched through the water in a line, before the third entered I halted and called 19 Major Bou man, ordering him to fall in the rear with twenty-five men and pil to death any munn who refuseil In miurch, os wo uished tu bote no such person among us. The wholo gue A ery of approbation, ond on ue went. This uns the most trying of all the difficulties to bud experienceil. I gen. erally kopt fftoen or tueuty of the wrongeil luon near myself, atil julged

from my own feelingyu lint must be thuse of of hory

Getting about the mid- die of the plain, the water nbout til leep, I found myself sensibly failing; and ns there wore nu trees or bushes for the inen to support themsettes by, I feuren thal many of the most wenk would he ilrou ned. I ordered the cantoes lo make the Inud, discharge their loading, and ply backward nul for- ward with all diligonce, und pick up the men ; wiul, to encourage the parly, sent some of the strongest men forward with orders, when they got tu n cel. tain distance lo pass the word back thul the intry uns gelling shullow, nad, when gelling near the woods, to cry out 'Jand !' This stratagun hall us desireil effect. The men, cocouruged hy it, exorteil themselves ulmust be- yond Their nbilities-the wenk holling hy the stronger. .

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Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 20

Author: Publication date: 1876 Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co. Number of Pages: 472

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472