Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1840-12-05

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Ger at Fort Pitt, for ammunition, boats,
and all necessary equipments. Recruits
ing officers were then sent forth. The
western parts Of Pennsylvania and Vir-
ginia, and the new settlements of Ken
lucky furnished recruits Of hardy, da-
ring and enterprising character. Alter
encountering, difficulties of no ordinary
kind, and much delay in procuring sup
plies, Clark arrived at the falls of the
Ohio in June, and encamped and threw
up slight fortifcation on Corn Island,
opposite Louisville, where he was
Joined by Capt. Bowman, and one
company from Kentucky under Capt.
Dillard. His principal men were Capts.
Bowman, Helm, Harrod, Montgomery,
and billiard, and he daily expected a
reinforcement of four companies, raised
in the Holston country by Maj. Smith.
He now disclosed TO his troops that their
point of destination Kaskaskia, in the
Illinois country. The plan met the en-
thusiasic appreciation of his men, ex>
cept the company from Kentucky, un-
der Capt. billiard; large part of
which, with the lieutenant, on the NOR
ming appointed for starting, the worthy
captain had the modification to find,
had waded the river and deserted.
They were pursued in the morning,
overtaken in the woods about twenty
miles from the falls, and eight taken
back, the rest afterwards wandered in
the woods for some weeks, where they
suffered greater privation and hard
ships than their comrades who had
gone on the expedition, before they
could get into fort.
"On the 2Sth Of June, 1878, and du-
ring total eclipse Of the sun, Colonel
Clark, with four companies, command
ed by Captains Montgomery, Helm,
Bowman, and Harrod, left the Falls of
the Ohio, on their forlorn enterprise.
Near the mouth of the Tennessee river,
he found Jonn Duff, with a party OF
hunters, who had recently come from
Kaskaskia, and who could give impor-
tant information. They reported that
M. Rocheblave still commanded that
the militia were kept in good discipline
that spies were stationed along the Mis-
sssippi; that rumor had reached
there that the Long-knives' had pro-
iected an attack, and that the hunters
and Indians had received orders TO keeE
watch, and report if any American
troops were coming that way. They
also reported that the fort was kept il
good order, as a place Of retreat, bu
was without a regular garrison. These
hunters offered to return with the inva
ders. The party landed near For
Massac, and secured their boats in {;
small creek.
Whoever has travelled by lanc
from Fort Massac to Kaskaskia, in tn,
early settlement of that district, cal
understand the difficulties to be encoun
tered, and the hardships to be endured
by the gallant band. The whole dis
tance was wilderness without a path
Ponds, swamps, and water courses hat
to be waded. Clark, who acted unde
a colonels commission, had left all hi
: baggage and provisions at Corn lslanc
g except such as were absolutely y neces
: sary, and such as his men could carr
{ on foot.
s Under these circumstances, Colont
f Clark took up the line of march acros
:, the intervening wilderness. Let I
: pause moment, and calculate tn
Y chances of discovery by the Indiar
e and spies who were on the watch--b
O a consequent ainbuscade, and by fint
d ing the forts he intended to conque
e prepared to give his troops a warm r.
: ception, and dictate terms Of capitul;
e ton. For the most part of their rout
n they found the game upon which the
depended for subsistence and the wat
as scarce. On the third day, John Sau
I'd ders, their principal guide, got so b
ye wildered that he could not direct the
le course. Suspicion of design to b
o. tray them instantly arose among t
en- men, and they earnestly demanded I'll
on he should be put to death. After wa
ce dering over the prairies for few hol
re he recollected the course, and on I
ed fourth of July, l77s, they arrived wit
nc in a short distance of Kaskaskia, a
,e. concealed themselves in the woo
until night, when they again march
wo Colonel Clark now divided
by force into three parties. Two of tn
ub- crossed the river and repaired to diff
ops ent parts of the town, while the II
ky took possession of the fort. Kaskas
di- then contained about $50 houses. /
ing sons who could speak the French
at guage were ordered to pass thro
nds the streets and make nrocIamat