USA > Massachusetts > Our western border : its life, combats, adventures, forays, massacres, captivities, scouts, red chiefs, pioneer women, one hundred years ago, containing the cream of all the rare old border chronicles > Part 53
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EXTRAORDINARY SCENES AT A GRAND INDIAN COUNCIL.
Clark says he watched the swarthy faces of the assembly keenly and narrowly while these bold and haughty words were spoken and that the whole, finding their hostile designs well known, looked like a pack of convicted criminals.
The principal chiefs now arose and made many submissive and ex- planatory excuses, alleging that they were persuaded to take up the hatchet by the English, but they now believed the Americans to be men and warriors, and would like to take them by the hand and treat them
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EXTRAORDINARY SCENES AT A GRAND INDIAN COUNCIL.
as brothers, and they hoped their blindness would be excused and their women and children spared.
Clark replied that he was instructed by the great men among the Big Knifes not to ask peace from any people, but to openly offer them peace or war ; that as the English could no longer fight the Americans, it was most likely the young warriors of the Big Knives would grow into! squaws unless they could find some one else to fight. He then offered the two belts-one red for war, the other white for peace, when they gladly took the latter. Clark then said that he would not treat with the late invaders of his lodgings at all, and would not smoke the pipe of peace, even with them, until they had consulted all their war- riors, &c.
The chiefs now interceded for their guilty friends, but Clark remained obdurate, and was, he writes, "pleased to see them all sit trembling, as persons frightened at the apprehension of the worst fate. When they had tried their eloquence again to no purpose, they pitched on two young men to be put to death as an atonement for the rest, hoping that would pacify me. It would have amazed you to have seen how sub- missively those two young men presented themselves for death, ad- vancing into the middle of the floor, sitting down by each other, and covering their heads with their blankets to receive the tomahawk. Peace was what I wanted with them, if I got it on my own terms, but this stroke prejudiced me in their favor, and for a few moments I was so agitated that I don't doubt but that I should, without reflection, have killed the first man that would have offered to have hurt them."
So much for Clark, but this dramatic scene, as well as Clark's treat- ment of the Meadow Indians, is given in more detail by others. We quote : When the American commander ordered the irons of the chiefs who had attempted to abduct him to be stricken off, he thus scornfully addressed them: "Everybody thinks you ought to die for your treacher- ous attempt upon my life. I had determined to inflict death upon you for your base attempt, but on considering the meanness of watching a bear and catching him asleep, I have found out that you are not war- riors, only old women, and too mean to be killed by the Big Knife. But as you ought to be punished for putting on the breech-clothes of men, they shall be taken from you ; plenty of provisions-since squaws know not how to hunt-shall be given for your journey home, and during your stay you shall be treated in every respect like squaws." The Colonel turned away to others, but his cutting words stirred the offenders to the very cores of their proud, though humbled hearts. They took counsel together, and presently a chief came forward with a belt and pipe, which, with proper words, he laid upon the table. With
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flashing eye and curling lip, the American said he didn't wish to hear them, and lifting a sword which lay before him, he shattered the offered pipe, with the biting expression that " he did not treat with women."
The bewildered Meadow Indians then asked the intercession of other red men, but the only reply vouchsafed from Clark was: "The Big Knife has made no war upon these people; they are of a kind that we shoot like wolves which we meet in the woods lest they eat the deer."
All this wrought more and more upon the offending tribe; again they took counsel, and then two young men came forward, and, covering their heads with blankets, sat down before the impenetrable commander; then two chiefs arose, and stating that these two young warriors offered their lives for the misdoings of their guilty brethren, again they presented the pipe of peace. Silence reigned in the assembly while the fate of the proffered victims hung in suspense. All watched the countenance of the American leader, who could scarce master the emotion which the incident excited. Still all sat noiseless-nothing heard but the deep breathing of those whose lives thus hung by a thread.
Presently, he upon whom all depended arose and approaching the young men, he bade them be uncovered and to stand up. They sprang to their feet. "I am glad to find," said Clark, warmly, "that there are men among all nations. With you, who alone are fit to be chiefs of your tribe, I am willing to treat; through you, I am willing to grant peace to your brothers; I take you by the hands as chiefs, worthy of being such."
Here, again, the fearless generosity of Clark proved perfectly success- ful, and while the tribe in question became the allies of America, the fame of this occurrence, which spread far and wide through the north- west, made the name of the white commander everywhere respected.
Gov. HAMILTON RETAKES VINCENNES-CLARK IN GREAT PERIL.
In October a detachment, under Lieutenant Bailey, proceeded from Kaskaskia, and one under Captain Helm, from Vincennes, to Ouiate- non, on the upper Wabash, and took the post with about forty men. The whole British power in Detroit and Canada was very much agitated at the reports of these American successes, and the very injurious influ- ence they were having among the confederated tribes, hitherto so active In their own employ.
Henry Hamilton, the British Governor of Detroit, accordingly assem- bled a large force and appeared before Vincennes on December 15th, 1778. The French people made no effort to defend the place. The
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SWINTON. ENG
Two victims are offered to appease Gen. Clark. SEE PAGE 488.
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CLARK IN GREAT PERIL.
gallant Captain Helm and a Mr. Henry were the only Americans in the fort. The latter had a cannon well charged, placed in the open gate- way, while the commandant, Helm, stood by it manfully with a lighted match. When the British Governor Hamilton approached with his troops within hailing distance, Helm cried out, with a stentorian voice: " Halt !" This show of resistance caused the doughty English officer to stop and demand a surrender of the garrison. Helm exclaimed, with an oath, "No man shall enter here until I know the. terms." Hamilton responded, "You shall have all the honors of war," and so the fort was duly given up, its one officer and one private receiving the customary marks of respect for their brave defence.
A part of Hamilton's force was now promptly dispatched against the border settlements on the Ohio river. Captain Helm was detained as prisoner and the French inhabitants were disarmed. Colonel Clark's position now became perilous in the extreme. Bands of depredators commenced to appear in the Illinois country. He had heard that Gen- eral McIntosh had left Fort Pitt with a large force against Detroit, and presumed all the British forces would cluster about it for its defence. But McIntosh was much like the far-famed French king who " first marched up the hill and then-marched down again." His showy promenade amounted to nothing, and his ignominious retreat left the British free for an effort to recover their prestige among the savages so rudely disturbed by the Kentucky leader.
While quietly waiting, therefore, to hear daily news of Detroit's cap- ture by McIntosh, Clark suddenly learned that Hamilton was marching towards Illinois. Supposing Kaskaskia to be his object, Bowman was at once ordered to evacuate Cahokia and meet him at Kaskaskia. The number of his men was so ridiculously small and his position so remote and the probability of speedy assistance so hopeless, that he scarce dared expect to maintain his post, but he did all he could, even burning down some houses to perfect his defences. For many days, hearing no fur- ther news, did Clark remain in the most anxious state of suspense. His situation was, indeed, desperate.
On the last day of January, 1779, however, light broke in upon his troubled mind. A Spanish merchant arrived straight from Vincennes and informed the astonished Kentuckian of its recapture by Hamilton, as also that he had sent away nearly all his Indians on different war par- ties. Almost any other than Clark would have been in utter despair at the impotence of his present situation, but the thought of losing the country so lately and so valorously conquered, was much worse than death to him, and the resolution at once leaped to his heroic soul to march directly against Vincennes.
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As he writes in his quaint and oddly-spelt diary, "I would have bound myself seven years a slave to have had five hundred troops," but he had no five, but only two hundred. It was the dead of Winter. The march would be horrible, lying straight through what were called " the drowned lands " of Illinois. But still this dauntless and unquailing man never faltered for one moment, but conducted himself so gaily and con- fidently, that he not only inspired every man of his little band, but also the French citizens of the town, with his own lofty courage and hope- fulness. He had a strong batteaux, or row galley, mounting two four- pounders and four large swivels, immediately prepared and equipped. This, with one company of forty-six men, was put in charge of Lieutenant Rogers, with specific instructions to go up the Wabash within ten leagues of Vincennes and lay there until further orders.
THE STRANGEST AND MOST DARING MARCH ON RECORD.
On the 7th of February, having added to his own Spartan band two companies of Kaskaskia volunteers, the indomitable Clark, at the head of only one hundred and seventy men, set out on his desperate expedition of over two hundred miles, through a country almost all flooded and im- passable at that inclement season. It looked like "a forlorn hope," in- deed, but the secret of the invincible Kentuckian's whole life lies in the sentence written at that time in his report to Governor Henry : "I can- not account for it, but I still had inward assurance of success, and never could, when weighing every circumstance, doubt it."
It was just this calm and imperturbable confidence, when environed by perils that would have completely paralyzed or overwhelmed a common soul, which proclaimed the inborn grit and greatness of the man. In fact, Hamilton had wholly undervalued and misunderstood his opponent's character. Instead of sitting down content in the recap- tured Vincennes and wasting his strength and opportunities in petty raids and harassing forays which ended in nothing, he should have ad- vanced directly on Clark and driven him from Kaskaskia and after- wards from the whole country. Clark appreciated the situation far better, when he pithily exclaimed : " I knew if I did not take Hamilton that he would take me."
We wish we could give the details of that extraordinary expedition. It has, for daring, obstinacy, endurance and unflinching valor, no par- allel in history. It deserves to be immortalized. The Winter was un- usually wet and the streams all high. It was rain, mud, swamp and water almost the whole way. Clark's greatest care was to direct and inspirit his men. After incredible hardships, this peerless band of
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STRANGEST AND MOST DARING MARCH ON RECORD.
heroes arrived at "the two Wabashes" on the 13th, which, although, in ordinary times, three miles asunder, now made but one stream, spread out like an impassable lake. The water was generally three feet deep, and in many places four or five. The distance through this wide waste of water to the nearest high grounds, was full five miles. This, truly, as Clark writes in his report-which is as remarkable for its grammar as for its orthography-"would have been enough to have stopped any set of men that was not in the same temper that we was. If I was sen- sible that you would let no person see this relation, I would give you a detail of our sufferings for four days in crossing these waters, and the manner it was done, as I am sure that you would credit it, although almost incredible."
When Clark saw his soldiers gazing with blank dismay at this broad expanse of waters before them, he said but little, but his "actions spoke louder than words." Stepping briskly to the front, he was the very first to plunge in. The right chord had been struck, and, echoing the cheering cry of their trusted leader, the whole body of men who had just before stood shrinking and hesitating on the brink, followed their leader. It was a desperate undertaking-almost too much for human endurance. The march became slower and more toilsome. The shout and song soon died away, and nothing could be heard on all sides but the splash, splash, splash of panting and struggling men.
The course was by no means over a bottom of smooth sand or of graded shells and pebbles, but over mud-holes, sunken logs or brush, and unknown depressions, where a single misstep would submerge one to the neck, or a stumble cover him with the turbid waters. Here some swam or paddled; there others held up against the current by projecting timber while they recovered strength or breath. There was an Irish drummer of the party, who possessed an uncommon talent for singing comic Irish songs. He was kept by Clark hard at that work, and served greatly to enliven the drooping spirits of the amphibious command. Another little drummer caused much amusement by floating over the deeper places straddled across his drum.
The progress was still on-slowly and painfully on. At length a small island was reached that afforded a little rest. It would not do, how- ever, to remain there long, so Clark again led the way with a shout, but his example did not so much thrill and magnetize as before. Many were so exhausted and hesitating that it was with the greatest difficulty they kept along at all.
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MORE MARCHING THROUGH DEEP WATERS-CLARK'S STRATAGEMS.
At last the eastern shore was reached, and, on the 17th, the lowlands of the Embarrass river, that enters the Wabash on the west, a little below Vincennes, was reached. It was now nine miles from the fort, which stood on the east side of the Wabash; and every foot of the deso- late way was covered with deep water, and there were no provisions. Here was a terrible outlook? They could not afford to wait for the boat. We will let Clark, himself, tell the end of the whole wonderful story :
" This last day's march (February 2Ist) through the water was far superior to anything the Frenchmen had any idea of. A canoe was sent off and returned without finding that we could pass. I went in her myself, and sounded the water, and found it up to my neck. I re- turned but slowly to the troop, giving myself time to think. 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 a 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, fell in one after another without saying a word, like a flock of sheep. I ordered those near me to give a favorite song. 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 it kept on the highest ground, which it did, and by taking pains to fol- low it, got to the sugar camp without the least difficulty, where there was about half an acre of dry ground.
" The Frenchmen whom we had taken on the river appeared uneasy, and begged that they might go in the two canoes into town that night ; that it was impossible we could march from that place till the waters fell. Some of the officers thought it might be done. I would not suffer it. I never could well account for my obstinacy, but something seemed to tell me that it should not be done, and it was not done. This was the coldest night we had. The ice in the morning, near the shores, was three-quarters of an inch thick.
" A little after sunrise I lectured the whole. What I said I forget, but concluded by informing them that passing the plain, then in full view, and reaching the opposite woods, would put an end to their
.
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MORE MARCHING THROUGH DEEP WATERS.
fatigues, and I immediately stepped into the water without waiting for any reply. A huzza took place. As we generally marched through the water in a line, before the third entered I halted, and call- ing to Major Bowman, ordered him to fall in the rear with twenty-five men, and put to death any man who refused to march, as we wished no such among us. The whole gave a cry of approbation, and in we went .*
" This was the most trying time of all. I generally kept fifteen or twenty of the strongest men next myself, and judged from my own feelings what must be those of others. Getting about the middle of the plain, the water about mid-deep, I found myself sensibly failing, and as there were no trees or bushes for the men to support themselves by, I feared that many of the weak would be drowned. I ordered the canoes to make the land, discharge their loading, and ply backward and forward to pick up the men. To encourage the party, I sent some of the strongest men forward with orders when they got to a certain distance to pass the word back that the water was getting shallow, and when getting near the woods to cry out-Land ! Land !
" This stratagem had the desired effect. The men, thus encouraged, exerted themselves almost beyond their abilities-the weak holding by the stronger. The water never got shallow, but continued deepening. Getting to the woods where the men expected to land, the water was up to my shoulders, but gaining the woods was of great consequence ; all the low and weakly men hung to the trees or floated on the old logs until they were taken off by the canoes. The strong and tall got on shore and built fires. Many would reach shore and fall with their bodies half in the water, not being able to support themselves without it.
" This was a delightful, dry spot of ground of about ten acres. We soon found that fires answered no purpose, but that two strong men, taking a weaker one by the arms, was the only way to recover him, and being a beautiful day, it did. Fortunately, a canoe of Indian squaws and children was coming up to town. Our canoes gave chase and took it, aboard of which was nearly half a quarter of buffalo, some corn, tallow, kettles, &c. This was a grand prize. Broth was immediately
*Without food, benumbed with cold, up to their waists in water, covered with broken ice, Clark's troops at one time mutinied and refused to march. All his persuasions had no effect on the half- starved, half-frozen soldiers. In one of his companies was a small boy who acted as drummer. In the same company was a sergeant, standing six feet two and devoted to his leader. Clark now mounted the little drummer on the shoulders of the stalwart sergeant and gave orders to plunge into the half-frozen water. He did so, the little drummer beating his charge from his lofty perch, while Clark, sword in hand, followed, giving the command, as he thrust aside the floating ice-" FOR- WARD !" Elated and amused with the scene, the men promptly obeyed, holding their rifles above their heads .- Law's Vincennes, p. 32.
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made and served out to the most weakly. Most got a little, but many gave their share to the weakly, jocosely saying something cheering to their comrades.
" Crossing now a narrow, deep lake in the canoes, we came to a copse of timber called Warrior's Island; we were now in full view of town and fort-not a shrub between us, at two miles distance. Every man feasted his eyes and forgot he had suffered. It was now we had to dis- play our abilities. The plain between us and the town was not a per- fect level. The sunken grounds were covered with water, full of ducks. We ol served several out on horseback shooting them and sent out many of our active young Frenchmen to decoy and take one prisoner, which they did. Learned that the British had that evening completed the wall of the fort and that there were a good many Indians in town ; our situa- tion was now truly critical ; no possibility of retreat in case of defeat, and in full view of a town with upwards of six hundred men in it- troops, Indians and inhabitants.
"We were now in the situation that I had labored to get ourselves in. The idea of being made prisoner was foreign to almost every man, as they expected nothing but torture. We knew that nothing but the most daring conduct would insure success. I knew that a number of the inhabitants wished us well ; that the Grand Chief, Tobacco's son, had openly declared himself a friend to the Big Knives. I therefore wrote and sent the following placard:
" To the inhabitants of Post Vincennes :
"GENTLEMEN-Being now within two miles of your village, with my army, determined to take your fort this night, and not being willing to surprise you, I take this method to request such as are true citizens to remain still in your houses. Those, if any there be, that are friends to the King, will instantly repair to the fort, join the " hair-buyer General, and fight like men. If any such do not go,and are found afterwards, they may depend on severe punishment. On the contrary, those who are true friends to liberty, may depend on being well treated, and I once more request them to keep out of the streets. Every one I find in arms on my arrival, I shall treat as an enemy.
ยท " G. R. CLARK."
"A little before sunset we moved and displayed ourselves in full view of the town. Crowds gazing at us. We were plunging ourselves into certain destruction or success. There was no midway thought of."
What an extraordinary march ! How simple and graphic the narra- tive describing it ! We scarce know which to wonder at most, the com- mander who could inspire all his men-and many of them, too, gay, delicate and nerveless Frenchmen-with such spirit and endurance ; or the men themselves who, environed with such appalling perils, would implicitly obey the orders and follow the lead of a man who must have appeared but little else than a rash and crack-brained zealot. But the sequel was quite as marvelous as the preface, and we are lost in aston- ishment at Clark's brilliant and unrecking valor. Truly, considering
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OTHER STRATAGEMS.
his desperate situation and the smallness of his following, his impudence was almost sublime. But rashness and audacity frequently attain mag- nificent results, where a halting prudence would fall pusillanimously by the way, and so it proved in this most notable instance.
OTHER STRATAGEMS-KENTUCKY SHARP-SHOOTING_FORT ASSAULTED.
Clark now spoke a few stern words to his men inculcating the abso- lute necessity of implicit obedience and received assurances that they would follow him to death. The astute and crafty commander now re- sorted to a stratagem worthy of his genius. All the colors, amounting to ten or twelve pair, which would denote a large force, were displayed to the very best advantage, and as the low, water-covered plain they were traversing was not a perfect level, but had frequent risings of eight or ten feet, running in an oblique direction to the town, advantage was taken of one of these, by marching and counter-marching through the water under or behind it, which prevented any count of the men. The colors, however, being fixed conspicuously on long poles made a brave and deceptive showing, and as several French duck hunters with their horses had just been captured, Clark's officers now mounted on these horses and rode to and fro rapidly, the more to deceive the ene- my. "In this manner," says Clark, " we moved and directed our march in such a way as to suffer it to be dark before we had advanced more than half way to the town. We then suddenly altered our direc- tion, crossed ponds where they could not have suspected us, and about eight o'clock gained the heights back of the town."
Clark immediately followed up his success with his usual promptness and boldness. The strongest posts of the town were seized and a noisy firing was commenced. The enemy in the fort were so astounded that they could not believe the noise was from an enemy, but credited it to some drunken Indians, until one of their men was wounded through a port hole. A large number of British Indians made haste to escape. A hundred others declared in favor of the strangers, and marched with Clark to attack the fort. That singular and self-confident character thanked the chief, told him the two parties might become mixed and re- quested him to rest quiet until the morning .*
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