History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 12

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037

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Thus Gallic rule came to an end in North America. Its downfall was the result of natural causes, and was owing largely to the differ- ence between the Frenchmen and the Englishmen. The former, as a rule, gave no attention to agriculture, but found occupation in hunting and trading with the Indians, acquiring nomadic habits that unfitted them for the cultivation of the soil; their families dwelt in villages separated by wide stretches of wilderness. While the able men were hunting and trading, the old men, women and children produced scanty crops sown in "common fields," or inclosures of a

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENGLISH AND THE FRENCH.

piece of ground which were portioned off among the families of a village. The Englishman, on the other hand, loved to own land, and pushed his improvements from the coast line up through all the valleys extending westward. Reaching the summit of the Allegha- nies, the tide of emigration flowed into the valleys beyond. Every cabin was a fort, every advancing farm a new line of intrenchment. The distinguishing characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon is consistency and firmness in his designs, and, more than all, his love for a home. In the trials and hardships necessarily connected with the opening up of the wilderness these traits come prominently into play. The result was, that the English colonies prospered in a degree hitherto unknown in the annals of the world's progress. And by way of contrast, how little did the French have to show in the way of lasting improvements in the northwest after it had been in their possession for nearly a century !

However, the very traits that disqualified the Gaul as a successful colonist gave him a pre-eminent advantage over the Anglo-Saxon in the influence he exerted upon the Indian. He did not want their lands ; he fraternized with them, adopted their ways, and flattered and pleased them. The Anglo-Saxon wanted their lands. From the start he was clamorous for deeds and cessions of territory, and at once began crowding the Indian out of the country. "The Iroquois told Sir William Johnson that they believed soon they should not be able to hunt a bear into a hole in a tree but some Englishman would claim a right to the property of it, as being found in his tree."

The happiness which the Indians enjoyed from their intercourse with the French was their perpetual theme; it was their golden age. "Those who are old enough to remember it speak of it with rapture, and teach their children to venerate it, as the ancients did the reign of Saturn. 'You call us your children,' said an aged chief to General Harrison, ' why do you not make us happy, as our fathers the French did? They never took from us our lands, which, indeed, were in common between us. They planted where they pleased, and cut wood where they pleased, and so did we; but now, if a poor Indian attempts to take a little bark from a tree to cover him from the rain, up comes a white man and threatens to shoot him, claiming the tree as his own.'"

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CHAPTER XI.

GENERAL CLARK'S CONQUEST OF "THE ILLINOIS."

After the Indians had submitted to English rule the west enjoyed a period of quiet. When the American colonists, long com- plaining against the oppressive acts of the mother country, broke out into open revolt, and the war of the revolution fairly began, the English, from the westward posts of Detroit, Vincennes and Kas- kaskia, incited the Indians against the frontier settlements, and from these depots supplied their war parties with guns and ammunition. The depredations of the Indians in Kentucky were so severe that in the fall of 1777 George Rogers Clark conceived, and next year executed, an expedition against the French settlements of Kaskaskia and Vin- cennes, which not only relieved Kentucky from the incursions of the savages, but at the same time resulted in consequences which are without parallel in the annals of the Northwest.

The account here given of Clark's campaign in "the Illinois" is taken from a manuscript memoir composed by Clark himself, at the joint request of Presidents Jefferson and Madison. We prefer giving the account in Gen. Clark's own words, as far as practicable.

The memoir of Gen. Clark proceeds : "On the (24th) of June, 1778, we left our little island, and run about a mile up the river in order to gain the main channel, and shot the falls at the very moment of the sun being in a great eclipse, which caused various conjectures among the superstitious. As I knew that spies were kept on the river below the towns of the Illinois, I had resolved to march part of the way by land, and of course left the whole of our baggage, except as much as would equip us in the Indian mode. The whole of our force, after leaving such as was judged not competent to [endure] the expected fatigue, consisted only of four companies, commanded by Captains John Montgomery, Joseph Bowman, Leonard Helms and William Harrod. My force being so small to what I expected, owing to the various circumstances already mentioned, I found it necessary to alter my plans of operation.

"I had fully acquainted myself that the French inhabitants in

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CLARK'S CAMPAIGN.

those western settlements had great influence among the Indians in general, and were more beloved by them than any other Europeans; that their commercial intercourse was universal throughout the west- ern and northwestern countries, and that the governing interest on the lakes was mostly in the hands of the English, who were not much beloved by them. These, and many other ideas similar thereto, caused me to resolve, if possible, to strengthen myself by such train of conduct as might probably attach the French inhabit- ants to our interest, and give us influence in the country we were aiming for. These were the principles that influenced my future conduct, and, fortunately, I had just received a letter from Colonel Campbell, dated Pittsburgh, informing me of the contents of the treaties between France and America. As I intended to leave the Ohio at Fort Massac, three leagues below the Tennessee, I landed on a small island in the mouth of that river, in order to prepare for the march. In a few hours after, one John Duff and a party of hunters coming down the river were brought to by our boats. They were men formerly from the states, and assured us of their happiness in the adventure. . They had been but lately from Kaskaskia, and were able to give us all the intelligence we wished. They said that Governor Abbot had lately left Port Vincennes, and gone to Detroit on business of importance ; that Mr. Rochblave commanded at Kaskaskia, etc. ; that the militia was kept in good order, and spies on the Mississippi, and that all hunters, both Indians and others, were ordered to keep a good look-out for the rebels; that the fort was kept . in good order as an asylum, etc., but they believed the whole to proceed more from the fondness for parade than the expectation of a visit ; that if they received timely notice of us, they would collect and give us a warm reception, as they were taught to harbor a most horrid idea of the rebels, especially the Virginians; but that if we could surprise the place, which they were in hopes we might, they made no doubt of our being able to do as we pleased; that they hoped to be received as partakers in the enterprise, and wished us to put full confidence in them, and they would assist the guides in con- ducting the party. This was agreed to, and they proved valuable men.

"The acquisition to us was great, as I had no intelligence from those posts since the spies I sent twelve months past. But no part of their information pleased me more than that of the inhabitants viewing us as more savage than their neighbors, the Indians. I was determined to improve upon this if I was fortunate enough to get

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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.

them into my possession, as I conceived the greater the shock I could give them at first the more sensibly would they feel my lenity, and become more valuable friends. This I conceived to be agreeable to human nature, as I had observed it in many instances. Having everything prepared, we moved down to a little gully a small distance above Massac, in which we concealed our boats, and set out a north- west course. The weather was favorable. In some parts water was scarce, as well as game. Of course we suffered drought and hunger, but not to excess. On the third day John Saunders, our principal guide, appeared confused, and we soon discovered that he was totally lost, without there was some other cause for his present conduct.

"I asked him various questions, and from his answers I could scarcely determine what to think of him-whether or not that he was lost, or that he wished to deceive us. . . The cry of the whole detachment was that he was a traitor. He begged that he might be suffered to go some distance into a plain that was in full view, to try to make some discovery whether or not he was right. I told him he might go, but that I was suspicious of him, from his con- duct ; that from the first day of his being employed he always said he knew the way well; that there was now a different appearance ; that I saw the nature of the country was such that a person once acquainted with it could not in a short time forget it; that a few men should go with him to prevent his escape, and that if he did not dis- cover and take us into the hunter's road that led from the east into Kaskaskia, which he had frequently described, I would have him immediately put to death, which I was determined to have done. But after a search of an hour or two he came to a piace that he knew per- fectly, and we discovered that the poor fellow had been, as they call it, bewildered.

"On the fourth of July, in the evening, we got within a few miles of the town, where we lay until near dark, keeping spies ahead, after which we commenced our march, and took possession of a house wherein a large family lived, on the bank of the Kaskaskia River, about three-quarters of a mile above the town. Here we were informed that the people a few days before were under arms, but had concluded that the cause of the alarm was without foundation, and that at that time there was a great number of men in town, but that the Indians had generally left it, and at present all was quiet. We soon procured a sufficiency of vessels, the more in ease to convey us across the river.

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CLARK'S CONQUEST.

" With one of the divisions I marched to the fort, and ordered the other two into different quarters of the town. If I met with no resist- ance, at a certain signal a general shout was to be given and certain parts were to be immediately possessed, and men of each detach- ment who could speak the French language, were to run through every street and proclaim what had happened, and inform the inhab- itants that every person that appeared in the streets would be shot down. This disposition had its desired effect. In a very little time we had complete possession, and every avenue was guarded to prevent any escape to give the alarm to the other villages in case of opposi- tion. Various orders had been issued not worth mentioning. I don't suppose greater silence ever reigned among the inhabitants of a place than did at this at present ; not a person to be seen, not a word to be heard by them, for some time, but, designedly, the greatest noise kept up by our troops through every quarter of the town, and patrols continually the whole night around it, as intercepting any information was a capital object, and in about two hours the whole of the inhabitants were disarmed, and informed that if one was taken attempting to make his escape he should be immediately put to death."

When Col. Clark, by the use of various bloodless means, had raised the terror of the French inhabitants to a painful height, he surprised them and won their confidence and friendship, by performing, unex- ,pectedly, several acts of justice and generosity. On the morning of the 5th of July a few of the principal men were arrested and put in irons. Soon afterward M. Gibault, the priest of the village, accom- panied by five or six aged citizens, waited on Col. Clark, and said that the inhabitants expected to be separated, perhaps never to meet again, and they begged to be permitted to assemble in their church, and there to take leave of each other. Col. Clark mildly told the priest, that he had nothing to say against his religion ; that it was a matter which Americans left for every man to settle with his God ; that the people might assemble in their church, if they would, but that they must not venture out of town.

Nearly the whole French population assembled at the church. The houses were deserted by all who could leave them, and Col. Clark gave orders to prevent any soldiers from entering the vacant buildings. After the close of the meeting at the church a deputation, consisting of M. Gnibault and several other persons, waited on Col. Clark, and said "that their present situation was the fate of war, and that they could submit to the loss of their property, but they solicited that they

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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.

might not be separated from their wives and children, and that some clothes and provisions might be allowed for their support." Clark feigned surprise at this request, and abruptly exclaimed, "Do you mistake us for savages? I am almost certain you do from your lan- guage! Do you think that Americans intend to strip women and children, or take the bread out of their mouths? My countrymen," said Clark, "disdain to make war upon helpless innocence. It was to prevent the horrors of Indian butchery upon our own wives and children that we have taken arms and penetrated into this remote stronghold of British and Indian barbarity, and not the despicable prospect of plunder; that now the king of France had united his powerful arms with those of America, the war would not, in all proba- bility, continue long, but the inhabitants of Kaskaskia were at liberty to take which side they pleased, without the least danger to either their property or families. Nor would their religion be any source of disagreement, as all religions were regarded with equal respect in the eye of the American law, and that any insult offered to it would be immediately punished."

" And now," Clark continues, "to prove my sincerity, you will please inform your fellow-citizens that they are quite at liberty to conduct themselves as usual, without the least apprehension. I am now convinced, from what I have learned since my arrival among you, that you have been misinformed and prejudiced against us by British officers, and your friends who are in confinement shall imme- diately be released." In a few minutes after the delivery of this speech the gloom that rested on the minds of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia had passed away. The news of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States, and the influence of the magnanimous conduct of Clark, induced the French villagers to take the oath of allegiance to the state of Virginia. Their arms were restored to them, and a volunteer company of French militia joined a detachment under Capt. Bowman, when that officer was dispatched to take possession of Caho- kia. The inhabitants of this small village, on hearing what had taken place at Kaskaskia, readily took the oath of allegiance to Virginia.

The memoir of Clark proceeds: "Post Vincennes never being out of my mind, and from some things that I had learned I suspected that Mr. Gibault, the priest, was inclined to the American interest previous to our arrival in the country. He had great influence over the people at this period, and Post Vincennes was under his juris- diction. I made no doubt of his integrity to us. I sent for him, and had a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes. In

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BECURES VINCENNES.

answer to all my queries he informed me that he did not think it worth my while to cause any military preparation to be made at the Falls of the Ohio for the attack of Post Vincennes, although the place was strong and a great number of Indians in its neighborhood, who, to his knowledge, were generally at war; that the governor had, a few weeks before, left the place on some business to Detroit; that he expected that when the inhabitants were fully acquainted with what had passed at the Illinois, and the present happiness of their friends, and made fully acquainted with the nature of the war, their sentiments would greatly change; that he knew that his appearance there would have great weight, even among the savages; that if it was agreeable to me he would take this business on himself, and had no doubt of his being able to bring that place over to the American interest without my being at the trouble of marching against it; that the business being altogether spiritual, he wished that another person might be charged with the temporal part of the embassy, but that he would privately direct the whole, and he named Dr. Lafont as his associate.

" This was perfectly agreeable to what I had been secretly aiming at for some days. The plan was immediately settled, and the two doctors, with their intended retinue, among whom I had a spy, set about preparing for their journey, and set out on the 14th of July, with an address to the inhabitants of Post Vincennes, authorizing them to garrison their own town themselves, which would convince them of the great confidence we put in them, etc. All this had its desired effect. Mr. Gibault and his party arrived safe, and after their spend- ing a day or two in explaining matters to the people, they universally acceded to the proposal (except a few emissaries left by Mr. Abbot, who immediately left the country), and went in a body to the church, where the oath of allegiance was administered to them in a most solemn manner. An officer was elected, the fort immediately [gar- risoned], and the American flag displayed to the astonishment of the Indians, and everything settled far beyond our most sanguine hopes. The people here immediately began to put or. a new face, and to talk in a different style, and to act as perfect freemen. With a garrison of their own, with the United States at their elbow, their language to the Indians was immediately altered. They began as citizens of the United States, and informed the Indians that their old father, the king of France, was come to life again, and was mad at them for fighting for the English ; that they would advise them to make peace with the Americans as soon as they could, otherwise they might expect the land to be very bloody, etc. The Indians began to think seriously ;

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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.

throughont the country this was the kind of language they generally got from the ancient friends of the Wabash and Illinois. Through the means of their correspondence spreading among the nations, our batteries began now to play in a proper channel. Mr. Gibault and party, accompanied by several gentlemen of Post Vincennes, returned to Kaskaskia about the 1st of August with the joyful news. During his absence on this business, which caused great anxiety to me (for without the possession of this post all our views would have been blasted), I was exceedingly engaged in regulating things in the Illi- nois. The reduction of these posts was the period of the enlistment of our troops. I was at a great loss at the time to determine how to act, and how far I might venture to strain my authority. My instruc- tions were silent on many important points, as it was impossible to foresee the events that would take place. To abandon the country, and all the prospects that opened to our view in the Indian depart- ment at this time, for the want of instructions in certain cases, I thought would amount to a reflection on government, as having no confidence in ine. I resolved to usurp all the authority necessary to carry my points. I had the greater part of our [troops] re-enlisted on a different establishment, commissioned French officers in the country to command a company of the young inhabitants, established a gar- rison at Cahokia, commanded by Captain Bowman, and another at Kaskaskia, commanded by Captain Williams. Post Vincennes remained in the situation as mentioned. Colonel William Linn, who had accompanied us as a volunteer, took charge of a party that was to be discharged upon their arrival at the Falls, and orders were sent for the removal of that post to the mainland. Captain John Montgomery was dispatched to government with letters. . . I again turned my attention to Post Vincennes. I plainly saw that it would be highly necessary to have an American officer at that post. Captain Leonard Helm appeared calculated to answer my purpose ; he was past the meridian of life, and a good deal acquainted with the Indian [dispo- sition]. I sent him to command at that post, and also appointed him agent for Indian affairs in the department of the Wabash. .

About the middle of August he set out to take possession of his new · command. Thus," says Clark, referring to Helin's success, " ended this valuable negotiation, and the saving of much blood. . . In a short time almost the whole of the various tribes of the different nations of the Wabash, as high as the Quiatanon, came to Post Vin- cennes, and followed the example of the Grand Door Chief ; and as expresses were continually passing between Captain Helm and myself

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CLARK'S INFLUENCE WITH THE INDIANS.

the whole time of these treaties, the business was settled perfectly to my satisfaction, and greatly to the advantage of the public. The British interest daily lost ground in this quarter, and in a short time our influence reached the Indians on the River St. Joseph and the border of Lake Michigan. The French gentlemen at the different posts we now had possession of engaged warmly in our interest. They appeared to vie with each other in promoting the business, and through the means of their correspondence, trading among the Indians, and otherwise, in a short time the Indians of various tribes inhabiting the region of Illinois came in great numbers to Cahokia, in order to make treaties of peace with us. From the information they generally got from the French gentlemen (whom they implicitly believed) respecting us, they were truly alarmed, and, consequently, we were visited by the greater part of them, without any invitation from us. Of course we had greatly the advantage in making use of such lan- guage as snited our [interest]. Those treaties, which commenced about the last of August and continued between three and four weeks, were probably conducted in a way different from any other known in America at that time. I had been always convinced that our general conduct with the Indians was wrong; that inviting them to treaties was considered by them in a different manner from what we expected, and imputed by them to fear, and that giving them great presents confirmed it. I resolved to guard against this, and I took good pains to make myself fully acquainted with the French and Spanish methods of treating Indians, and with the manners, genius and disposition of the Indians in general. As in this quarter they had not yet been spoiled by us, I was resolved that they should not be. I began the business fully prepared, having copies of the British treaties."

At the first great council, which was opened at Cahokia, an Indian chief, with a belt of peace in his hand, advanced to the table at which Col. Clark was sitting; another chief, bearing the sacred pipe of the tribe, went forward to the table, and a third chief then advanced with fire to kindle the pipe. When the pipe was lighted it was figuratively presented to the heavens, then to the earth, then to all the good spirits, to witness what was about to be done. After the observance of these forms the pipe was presented to Clark, and afterward to every person present. An Indian speaker then addressed the Indians as follows : " Warriors-You ought to be thankful that the Great Spirit has taken pity on you, and cleared the sky and opened your ears and hearts, so that you may hear the truth. We have been deceived by bad birds flying through the land. But we will take up the bloody hatchet no

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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.

more against the Big Knife, and we hope, as the Great Spirit has brought us together for good, as he is good, that we may be received as friends, and that the belt of peace may take the place of the bloody belt."

"I informed them," says Clark, "that I had paid attention to what they had said, and that on the next day I would give them an answer, when I hoped the ears and hearts of all people would be opened to receive the truth, which should be spoken without deception. I advised them to keep prepared for the result of this day, on which, perhaps, their very existence as a nation depended, etc., and dismissed them, not suffering any of our people to shake hands with them, as peace was not yet concluded, telling them it was time enough to give the hand when the heart could be given also. They replied that 'such sentiments were like men who had but one heart, and did not speak with a double tongue.' The next day I delivered them the following speech :

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History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 12

Author: R. S. Dills Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1037

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037