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barked in suitable boats on the Monongahela, and descended, to the falls of Ohio, where he halted a short time, to refresh his men; and where he was joined by some volunteers from Kentucky. At this place, he left thirteen familles, who had descended the Ohio with him, and whose object was a perma nent settlement in the country. No such settlement had yet been made at the falls; and so much exposed was the situa tion, that the first cabins were built, and corn raised, by these families in an island, of the falls, since called Corn island.

As well the state of the war, as the nature of the expedition in which Colonel Clark was engaged, forbade his delay; while his own sanguine anticipations of success, hurried him on to the destined object. From the falls, he proceeded with his regiment in boats, as before, to a point on the Ohio, about sixty miles above the mouth; where he landed his men, and hid their transports. The route to be pursued from this place, lay in a direction somewhat to the north of west, through a low, uncultivated region, interspersed with ponds, of various dimensions: with the geography, and general character of which, Colonel Clark was not unacquainted. At the head of his regiment he took up his line of march, on foot; with a rifle in his hand, and his provisions on his back. After wading such ponds as he could not conveniently avoid, and sustaining two days' march after the provisions were exhausted, he arrived by night, before the town of Kaskaskias. Here the colonel halted, formed his regiment-and after a short consultation, was pleased to find that his men were in fine spirits, and per fectly accorded with him in opinion-"that the place was to be taken, at all events." About two hundred and fifty houses composed the town; which was sufficiently fortified, to have resisted with effect a much more formidable enemy, had the garrison been apprized of its approach. But the distance from any known foe, having excluded all apprehension of dan ger, from the minds of the inhabitants; confidence, of course, superseded all precautions, against surprise. A situation of all others, the most exposed to attack. And so Clark thought, For his approaches had been so silent, and rapid, that assault

gave the first intelligence of his arrival. Not a scattering hunter had espied his march; not a roving Indian had seen his trail. The evil genius of the place predominated—the watchman was abandoned to sleeep. For neither town, nor fort, were alarmed, until both were in the power of the assailants. It was then too late to resist; while the astonishment, and mortification, of the vanquished, were equal to their former negligence. The utmost care was taken, that none should escape to spread the news: and detachments being sent out, the open settlements, and villages, in the vicinity, fell into the hands of the invaders in a similar course of unresisted, and easy conquest. Colonel Clark, required of the inhabitants in town and country, that they should take the oath of allegiance to the United States; and the fort at Kaskaskias, became his head quarters. The right of property was not molested; no pillage was permitted, or attempted: On the contrary, the humane and friendly treatment shewn to the people, afforded them the consolation of security to their persons, and effects, under the new order of things. In the mean time, a detachment, mounted on the horses of the country, was pushed forward to surprise and take the villages higher up the Mississippi; which was done without loss, or injury. Thus fell the British authority in that quarter; an easy, but most important conquest.

Exclusive of the justification which these measures found in the general principles of war, they were abundantly warranted, by the particular circumstances of the parties, immediately concerned. Written instructions from Detroit, were found in the possession of the commandant, Rochelblave; directing him to invite the Indians to commit depredations on the citizens of the United States, and to promise them rewards for scalps. While the conduct of the savages, conforming to these instructions, left no doubt of their having been complied with.

With an account of his success, Colonel Clark sent the late commandant of Kaskaskias, to the city of Richmond--and immediately adjusted means to his new situation. The inhabiants, although lately hostile, felt no great repugnance at the

change; and were not disposed to give him much trouble. While the Indians, struck with fear, and astonishment, on seeing a victorious enemy in the country, without knowing whence, or how, they came, fled to the woods, or to their distant towns, for safety; or else repaired to St. Vincennes, as the next strong post in possession of the British, for protection.

"Post Vincennes, is on the Wabash; the lowest northern branch of magnitude, of the Ohio. At this place resided Commandant Hamilton-sometimes styled, governor; with a garrison of regular British troops, and about six hundred Indians. With this force, Governor Hamilton contemplated the reduction of Kaskaskias, then occupied by Colonel Clark. Who, no less enterprising, had despatched a reconnoitring party, to make observations, on Hamilton's position, and the intervening route. The return of his spies, gave him intelligence of what they had seen; and he immediately determined on reducing the post, if practicable; as the best means of defending himself. Yet he had taken such measures to strengthen the defences of Kaskaskias, as were in his power: resolved to maintain his possession, at all hazards. While he was diges ting the plan of his future operations, he received undoubted information from an itinerant Spanish merchant, who had recently left St. Vincennes, that Hamilton, reposing himself on the security, which he derived from the superiority of his force, contemplated a leisurely execution of his projects,which were, first, to retake Kaskaskias; and next, to cut off the inhabitants of the Ohio, up to fort Pitt: after which he intended to desolate the remaining frontiers of Virginia. Other arrangements having been made between the British, and the more northwardly Indians, for destroying the remote inhabitants of New York, and Pennsylvania. That the approach of winter, had induced a postponement of the campaign, till the opening of the next spring-and that in the interim, the gover nor, to keep his Indian auxiliaries employed, had detached them to obstruct the passage of the Ohio, and to harass the frontiers of Kentucky: keeping with himself in garrison about eighty regular soldiers, three pieces of cannon, and some swivels.

Colonel Clark, at once saw his own situation, and compared it with that of his enemy. To a mind less stored with resources, less ardent, or less active, it might have been appalling; on him, it had a contrary effect. He cast his views around for means, and found himself too remote from the inhabited part of Virginia, to draw succour from her-Kentucky was invaded-he could not rely on the aid of his new fellow citizens and he knew himself too weak, to hold, Kaskaskias, detached as it was, against the regular force of Hamilton, supported by the whole body of Indians from the lakes, to the Mississippi; by whom he was to be attacked, as soon as the warm season returned. It was now, more than ever before, that his military talents, and mental resources, were put in requisition; nor did they fail him. His information shewed, that Hamilton and his regulars, were alone at St. Vincennes― that the Indians were on the frontiers of Kentucky—of course out of his way he had surprised Kaskaskias, and so he might the 'post-the commandant had occluded from his calculations, the approach of danger. He saw that the circumstances were made for his purpose; or he instantly adapted his purpose, to the circumstances. No time was to be lost-the Indians might return-or the commanndant, of the Opost, might awake from his dream of security.

Colonel Clark, had fitted up a small galley which lay in the Mississippi, for defensive purposes-this was armed with two four pounders, and four swivels-manned with a company of his soldiers--a large quantity of provisions put on board-and the captain, ordered to proceed down the river to the mouth of Ohio, to ascend it, to the Wabash; and that, disregarding difficulties, except to conquer them, he was to force his vessel up that river, and to take a station a few miles below St. Vincennes; and to permit nothing to pass him. The resolve had been made-the blow was now to be struck. The winter, by this time, prevailed.

But Clark, having made these, and other dispositions, and disregarding the frost, set out, with one hundred and thirty men, being the whole he could raise; leaving a very few only,

to keep garrison; to march across the country, and to take Vincennes. On this march, sometimes without a path, through rough woods, and high waters, sixteen days were employed, and consumed. Five of these, were the party, crossing the swamps, and drowned lands, in the neighbourhood of the fort, they were to attack-and for five miles, were they forced to wade through water, frequently up to the breast. This, it is true, might have been in a great degree avoided, by keeping the public way,--which, besides, that it was circuitous, was exposed to observation-when concealment, and secrecy, were of the first importance. But Colonel Clark, was capable of sacrificing every consideration of personal accommodation, to the success of his enterprise. After subduing the difficulties which lay in his way, theretofore by ordinary minds thought insuperable, he appeared emerging from the flood, in the van of his determined followers, before the town of St. Vincennes; which he completely surprised: and which, upon summons to repair to his standard, as the ensign of Virginia--readily agreed to change its master. Hamilton, defended the fort, for a short time, and then surrendered himself and garrison prisoners of war; and which were treated accordingly, by the conqueror. But the governor of Virginia, hearing how Hamil ton had encouraged the Indians ed committing barbarities on the inhabitants, ordered him, and a few of his agents, to be confined in jail; which was done for a short time.

These expeditions, and conquests, of Colonel Clark, were highly important and beneficial in their consequences. They broke and deranged the plan of operations, intended to pour destruction on the whole population west of the Allegheny mountains--they detached from the British interest, several of the Indian tribes, south of the great lakes-their influence on Kentucky, was immediate, extensive, and salutary. And in all probability, they contributed essentially, to fix the limits of the United States, ultimately by the Mississippi; as those of Virginia, were extended to that river, immediately after, as one of the certain consequences.

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