The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-05
yINCENNES In THE REVOLUTION.
professor SINNERS Talk to the Young Folks
About Question Of Historical Interest.

There was an audience of nearly a thousand
xoung people at Plymouth Church, yesterday af.
ternoon to hear the third lecture in the histori-
al eourge which was delivered by Dir. a. M.
simmer the Assistant Superintendent of Pub
,;c Instruction. on the subject, ''Vincennes in
the Revolution"
Literature does not contain Mr.. Skinner
s.;d ssmore beautiful home scenes or sad story
roofe touchingly told than we find in the Evan
,aline' of Longfellow The pictures of the poet
onnly as well to old Vincennes on the Wabash
=. 10 the village SSf Grand Pre- On the Basin of
rs;nas If the tragic events are not duplicated
in the story of the old French town Oh the river,
Il is only because of the heroic deeds Of Spar
tsn band of American soldiers. The rescue OF q
rillage from destruction is of itself sufficient for
the interest of respectable story. But such is
not the measure of the story of Vincennes. The
fate of all the vast region between the Alleghe-
MES and the Wabash hung upon the success of
Clark, who secured it to the young republic, and
thus insured to the United States from the start
The supremacy in America.
The year 1175, the opening year of the Revo-
kution found Vincennes, already an old French
town, in the hands of the British. Kentucky
was new part of Virginia. st. Louis and all
Spain. The British commander made of Fort
Sackville lat Vincennes) a hellish rendezvous
for white and red assassins, and treasury Office
for the purchase of American scalps. He re-
eeived no prisoners; nothing but human hair
hair of babes, hair of mothers, hair of men. He
devastated Kentucky, and hung the chambers Of
his hcrrid fort with CORY locks.
George Rogers Clark, a young man of Ken
lucky, undertook not only the defense of his
neighborhood, but the conquest of the entire
Northwest. He had to depend almost alone
upon his own resources. In 1778 he advanced,
amid indescribable perils, secretly upon Kas-
kaska, near the Mississippi, and captured the
town. By kindness he won the French there to
his support He sent Major Bowman to take
Kaboka, which surrendered like Kaskaskia.
The people Of Vlncennes, learning of these
events, took advantage of the absence of their
Governor to revolt against the British. Clark
sends Captain Helm to command them. The
British Governor returns from Detroit with an
empowering force, and finds only two men in
the fort. These prepare to sell their lives as
dearly as possible, and to fight the five hundred.
The fort is taken, but the two men are accorded
the honors Of war.
Vengeance on the French waits for season.
Vengeance on Clark and his Vireinians is
planned for the early spring All the Indian
tribes are allied with the British. The Governor
sends word to the Spanish at ST. Louis that any
attempt at protecting Clark will be declaration
of war, aud cannot succeed. Clark has not
one chance in a thousand, but pluckily
goes ahead. He plans surprise. With
ITO men he sets out to cross the Illinois country
in the dead of winter His men have no pro
visions and little clothing The whole country
Ia overlooked with water It rises always to the
ankles, often to the knees to the waists, and
at last to the necks of the troops. They are
scarcely able to stand when they reach the
Wabash. They rest and recruit, secure horses
and provisions, and dash on the fort AS uneX-
pectedly though they had fallen from the skies.
Their audacity frightens the Governor into g
surrender, and the American flag rises over Vim
eennes to remain forever, and the great North
west is ours.
The fourth lecture of the course will be de
llvered on next Friday afternoon by John A
Finch.