The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-24

| Virginia. Again, when writing TO Mr..
jefferson in regard to the difficulty Of
enlistiBg men for that campaign, he used
the following language: ~ found also
opposition to our interests in the Pitts
burg country. As the whole people were
divided into violent parties between the
Virginisns and Pennsylvanians respect
ing territories, the idea OF men being
raised for the State of Virginia affected
the vulgar of one party, &c, &c" In
his second edition OF the history OF the
United States, Mr.. Bancroft cor
rccted the error into which he
had fallen, and admitted that the credit
OF the conquest of the Northwest was
due TO Virginians entirely. This we can
not entirely agree TO, because although
most of his troops were from Virginia,
he had with him some ardent French
men and few volunteer kentuckians.
| Proof of this is found in letter Clarke
wrote from Kaskaskia TO Governor JET
ferson in February. 1913, after the first
capture of Vincennos, and just when he
was about to undertake the second expe-
dition against that place. Alter giving
reasons why ii would be impossible TO
hold the country without reinforcements,
which, he said, he had no hope OF receiv-
ing, he expresses his determination TO
risk all upon one effort, adding " shall
march across by land myself with the
rest OF my boys, the principal persons
that follow me on this forlorn hope are
Captain Joseph Bowman, John Williams,
Ed W0rthiBg, Richard McCarty, and
Francois Charlovielle Lieutenants Rich
ard {Brashear, William kellar, Abraham
Chaplin, John Terault, and John Bayley,
and several other brave subalterns. gu
must be sensible of the feeling that |
have for those brave officers and soldiers
that are determined to share my fate, let
il be what it will. | know the case is
desperate, but, sir We must either quit
the country or attack MIR. Hamilton.
Who knows what fortune will
do for u.s. Great things have been eff
fected by few men well conducted.
Perhaps we may be fortunate. We have
this consolation. that our cause is just,
and that our country will be grateful and
not condemn our conduct in case we fall
through, if 50, this country, as well as Ken
lucky. ! believe. is lost, ETC. In the
same letter he gives just credit to the
services of Nigo, the Spanish gentleman
VITO had apprised him of Hamilton's
small force At Nincennes
The question as TO who were the men
who served and suffered in these unriy-
allied campaigns being settled, It's proper
to add something mere Of the man who
lead them We have seen how CLARK
went cut as youth TO Kentucky, with
out patronage Or prestige. Ihat he
reached that country at time when us
affairs, indeed its very existence were IN
desperate condition, and hung upon the
varying fortunes Of fierce and bloody
border warfare The territory OF Ken
lucky had been already occupied by
scattered settlements of sturdy and self
reliant men A Douglas and Floyd,
the noted Indian fighters, Girty and
Harrod, and Captain Bullet had already
established themselves in the community
as men of mark and character Closely
following them came the renowned and
heroic Boone and Logan, than whom no
bolder or adventurous spirits ever lived;
and last but not least was the famous
simon Butler, vino had gone out from
FauQuier county, Va, and whose name
was originally KentOn. All these were
experienced backwOOdsmen, Indian
fighters. and well versed in all that per
tanned TO the circumstances by which
they were surrounded. With all this
there had not been found, up to the time
of Clarke's appearance among them, a
sing man upon whom the people had
learned to depend, or upon whom they
could call when the day of trial should
come. Benjamin Logan was bold and
enterprising, but he had not the gift OF
leadership. Floyd, who had gone out as
surveyor quite early, was striking
figure in the history OF those times. lie
was tall and swartny, with dark piercing
eyes, an animated cOuntenance, and had
the manners of polished gentleman
He was an active and enterprising citi-
zen of the country, ever ready TO ueiend
her interests, whether on the held OF
battle or at the council board. There
was much to be expected from him, but
unfortunately he was slain by the say
ages.
From the moment that Clarke appeared
in public, his personality seemed at once
established. What was the peculiar at
traction, which at once placed him at the
fore front of such an array OF veterans
as We have described above we cannot
say. But, from careful consideration
of his remarkable career its vicissitudes,
lis unparalleled trials of mind and
body, Of its brilliant, and at times un-
expected successes, and even of It's
final decline of fortune, We are brought
10 The conclusion that an unseltish devo
ton TO the interests Of others was, through
it all, the dominating principle of his con
| duct In ali his correspondence with the
Government at Richmond not a complaint
is made in his own behalf, not u claim Is
put forward for the credit due him on
account of what he may have achieved
Every line he wrote and every word he
uttered was "for the country" or i'll be
half of "his boys Clarke was hero,
but he was an unconscious one. His gen
erosity and unselfshness won the hearts
of his countrymen. No love of greed
ever sOiicd his reputation, no unworthy
ambition ever cast shade OF doubt as to
the motives which inspired his public
conduct Thus it was that the terror
stricFen inhabitants learned TO depend
upon him for protection. True, they