Table of

s Clark. He was born near Monticello, Virginia, November 19, 1752. He came of a good family and

Roger

o, and did something also at farming. About two years later, with measuring r

he Indians, who had been roused by the British against th

ose to a position of leadership among the settlers, and was chosen one of their l

out from under heavy, shaggy eyebrows. His strong body could endure almost any hardship, and his splendid health was matched by his adventurous s

ot come by them suddenly. They grow by bravely conquering the fears of every-day life and not giving in to di

ish Indian bands. His keen mind had worked out a brilliant plan, which he was eager to carry through. It was nothing less than to conquer

ccupied the land and traded with the Indians for fur. These hamlets had passed into the hands of the English after the Last French War and were made the ce

ered here and there at convenient places along the river courses, the three s

stile Indian tribes, hunting and fighting against

d be conquered the spreading prairi

, one of the Kentucky settlements, to ride through the forests and over the mountains to Williamsburg, then the capital of the State. So urgent was his haste that he stopped on the w

it was needful that the utmost secrecy should be preserved, nothing was said about the matter to the Virginia Assembly. Cla

TS ON HIS

Redstone Settlements, on the Monongahela River. He stopped at both Pittsburg and Wheeling for needed supplies. Then h

ey they had entered, for even to his f

d on an island, where Clark built a fort and drilled his men. Some of the families that had come with him, and w

to turn back. "You may go," said Clark, for he wanted no discontented men among his number. From those remaining h

s Clark in t

ccordingly, the men rowed hard, night and day, until they came to an island off the mouth of the Tennessee River. Here it was their good fortune to meet with a

s of your coming, through boatmen and hunters along the river, and will be ready to defend the fort against you. The f

he Way to

ost his way, and Clark was angry, for he feared treacher

am. Remaining in the woods until dusk, they rested; then, as night fell, they pushed on to a little farmhouse only

two bodies: one to surround the town and prevent the escape of the fugi

rprise at

tive, and Clark stationed his men so as to guard it. Then he went inside

officers of the fort were giving a dance, and young creole men and maidens were spending a m

side the door was an Indian brave. As he raised his eyes to the face of the strange backwoodsman standing out clearly in the light of the torches, he s

t you now dance under Virginia, and not under Great Britain." Scarcely had he uttered these words when his m

der the people to remain within their houses. The

es," they cried, "if by so doing we may save our families." "We do not wish to enslave you," Clark answered, "and if

danced and sang and scattered flowers along the street. By his kind way of dealin

ed to be loyal citizens, and, taking down the English flag,

E OLD FREN

f the settlements we have visited. There are many little hamlets, like Kaskaskia and Vincennes, on the w

mselves, remaining for the most part half-homesick emigrants. Many of them are engaged in the fur trade

my buildings serve as storehouses and strongholds in times of danger. There are also little wine-shops, as

-colored suits, made of Indian blankets. And lounging about in cheap paint or soiled finery are

regarded with awe whenever they appear. For you must remember that after 1763 all the French hamlets

'S HA

of Kaskaskia and Vincennes had been easy, Clark still had a hard task before him. His small force was made up of men who

any advice or help from the government for months, or perhaps for an entire year. He

dthirsty, and ready to slaughter without pity. When they heard what Clark and his backwoodsmen had done, they crowded to Kaskask

always appeared to them quite unafraid and confident that he could take care of himself. His boldness and firmnes

Peace

him men enough to darken the land. The Indians began to fear him and to look upon him as a mighty warrior, and when he held up to them

n company. You remember that when his men started out they did not know that they were to go so far away from home. Now, when their time of service was up, they threa

people, and soon the creoles of the French villages had become so loyal that their young men took the places of the w

s throughout the vast region which Clark was trying to conquer, was a man of great energy. Soon after getting news

he had reached Vincennes so many other Indians had joined him that his entire force numbered about five hundred. The fort a

y to "put off," which had already cost the British many a victory, here again saved the day for the Americans. Because the weather was

o Detroit the greater part of his force. He kept with him about eigh

sure that he did not wait for seasons to change. Quick to realize that this was his chance, he gathered a forc

PTURES V

this season, the weather had grown so mild that the ice and snow had thawed, causing the rivers to overflow, and

idges across the swollen streams, we can imagine something of the hardships

around the blazing logs. There the game killed during the day was cooked and eaten, and while some sang and danced, according to creole custom, others s

rd; but by the end of a week conditions had changed,

between the two streams was entirely under water, and they were facing a mighty river five miles wi

edge of the water-covered plain put up a scaffold. Then the men and the baggage were ferried across in the pirogue, and the baggage was placed on the

dvance on

crossed in the same way. It took three days to build

als away, so that there was no longer any game to shoot. Advance was slow and extremely tiresome, for the men ha

rly two days. Many of the creoles were so downcast that they began to talk of goin

built three canoes, and on the morning of the 22

s stood, they began to feel more cheerful, f

the way was under water, and as they went slowly on they often stepped into hollows where the water came up to their

. In telling about it later, he said: "I received much help from a little antic drummer, a boy with suc

e taken in the canoes. Those who were strong enough to wade came to water too deep to wa

face with gunpowder and, sounding the war-whoop like an Indian brave,

with weariness, and they were well-nigh exhausted from lack of food. To make matters worse, the w

ind him, Clark plunged into the ice-cold water, breast-deep. When they had gone about half-way across some of them were s

y had finally reached the woods bordering the farther side of the lake, they had not strength enough to pull

d in the water. But the stronger ones built fires and fed them broth made from some venison they h

ing a short distance, they reached a tree-covered spot from which they could see the town

the surrender of the fort. Hamilton at first refused, but, as he had only a small number of

est enterprises ever undertaken in America. All the vast region he had set out to conquer remained under A

vice he had done his country, his last years were spent in poverty. For a while he lived alone in a rude dwelling on Corn Island, but l

ngs to T

lark's bri

fort at Kaskaskia, and tell as fully as you can what happene

as that he had such a po

ul march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes and gi

rk's remarkable success? W

g frequent us