Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-05-05

friends Go, and enjoy your religion and
worship when you please. Retain your
property-and now please to inform all
your citizens for me that they are quite at
liberty to conduct themselves as usual.
and dismiss all apprehensions of alarm
We are your friends, and come to deliver
you from the British"
This speech produced revulsion of
feeling better imagined than described.
The news soon spread throughout the vii
lage, the bell rang merry peal, the peo-
pie, with the priest, again assembled in the
church, Te Deuna was loudly sung. and
the most uprorious joy prevailed through
the night. The people were allowed all
the liberty they could desire. All now
cheerfully acknowledged Colonel Clark
as the commandant of the country.
An expedition was now planned against
Cahokas, and Maj. Bowman with his de.
tachment, mounted on French ponies, was
ordered to surprise that post. Several
kaskaskia gentlemen offered their services
| to proceed ahead, notify the Cahokians of
he-change of government and prepare
them 10 give the Americans a cordial re-
ception. The plan was entirely success
the disaster of a battle. Indeed there
were not dozen British soldiers in the
garrison.
In their intercourse with the citizens
Col. Clark instructed his men to speak of
large army encamped at the falls of the
Ohio, which would soon overrun and sub
jugate all the British posts in the West,
and that Port Vincent would be invaded
by a detachment from this army. He
soon learned from the French that Gov.
Abbott was gone to Detroit, and that the
defence was left with the citizens. who
were mostly French. NJ GibauIt, the
priest readily undertook an embassy to
the Post, and to bring over the people to
the American interests without the trou-
BILE of an invasion. This was also success
ful, aud IN few days the American flag
was displayed on the fort, and Captain
Helm appointed to the command, much
to the surprise and CONSERVATION of the
neighboring Indians
After organizing civil government, and
providingsfor an election of magistrates
by the people, Col. Clark directed his at
tention to the subjugation of the Indian
tribes In this he displayed the same
tact and shrewdness, the same daring, and
his acts were crowned with the same sue
cess as in the conquest of the British
posts.
He always reprobated the policy of in
viting and urging the Indians to hold trea-
ties, and maintained that such a course
was founded upon mistaken view of their
character. He supposed they always in
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ment as evidence of the fear and conscious
weakness the whites. Hence he avoided
every intimation that he desired peace,
and assumed a line of conduct that would
appear to them he meant to exterminate
them at once. He always waited for them
to apply and beg a treaty.
These and other measures which dis
played great penetration into Indian char
acter and modes of reasoning, were CON-
pletely successful. No commander ever
subjugated as many warlike tribes. in so
short a time, and at so little expense of
life.
His management of the Indians presents
wide field of historical research but the
limits of this address compel us to leave
it unexplored
The British governor. NJ Rocheblave,
Col. Clark sent to Richmond, Virginia by
Captain John Montgomery, who also bore
his dispatches, and the triumphant sue
cess of the expedition, to the Governor,
who laid the subject before the Legisla-
ture. In October, the same year, an act
was passed organizing the County Of IL
E1a0lS embracing within its limits, the
whole territory claimed by Virginia north
west of the Ohio river A government
was organized and Timothy de Mounbrun
appointed Lieut. Governor with extensive
power.
In December l778, Governor Hamilton
marched an expedition from Detroit, where
he commanded, re-captured Port Vincent,
and again hoisted the British flag and
made preparations for an attack on Kas-
kaskia In the spring with force of 400
men. \ portion of this force being des-
patched to attack the settlements on the
Ohio, gave opportunity for Colonel Clark
to recover Fincennes. He employed Col.
Francis Vigo, then a resident of St Louis,
to make an exploration of the circumstan-
ces and strength of the enemy at Port
Vincent Col Vigo though a Spanish
subject, possessed an innate love of liber-
ty an attachment to Republican prlncI-
pies, and an ardent sympathy for an op-
pressed people struggling for their rights.
He disregarded personal consequences
for as soon as he heard of the arrival of
Col Clark at Kaskaskia and the posses
sion of Illinois by the Americans, be went
there and rendered his influence and wealth
to sustain the cause of liberty.
At the request of Col. Clark, Col Vigo,
with single servant, proceeded to Vim
cennes. At the Embarrass he was taken
prisoner by party of Indians, plundered
and brought before Col Hamilton Be
ing Spanish subject, though suspected
of being a spy for the Americans, the
Governor had no power to hold him pris-
oner of war, but forbid him to leave the
fort Entreated BY the French inhabit-
ants to allow him to depart, and threaten
ed with the refusal of all supplies for the
garrison, the Governor reluctantly yielded,
on condition that Col Eigo would sign an
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