Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-28
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK
The Nan Who Conquered the Western Ter.
Us D
ritory.
Interesting Historical Facts BroupI,
Out by Mr.. chh-. sttpor. in
nm Address.

| coast have been made familiar to every
school boy and girl, but little Importance
has been placed upon those events thai
| brought the vast and fertile region lyine
north of the Ohio and extending from the
| state of New York to the Mississippi river
| into the Union. This region was the only
portion Of the territory belonging to the
great republic of America that was ac-
CURED by conquest during the revolution
and Virginians point with pride to the con-
| qreror, Clark, a native of the old dominion,
and to their commonwealth which made
His achievements possible.
The story of the conquest of this region
is teeming with interest Detroit was the
capital of this immense region, and in that
city lately Mr.. Charles Moore, clerk of the
Senate committee on the District of Column
bia. took occasion in addressing a gather
ing of the Sons of the Revolution to re-
count the events which led up to and con-
summated in this conquest.
Erect Cross of St. George.
"Of all the considerable cities of the
United States" said Mr.. Moore, in intro
ducing his subject, Detroit alone flew the
red cross of st. George, not only during
the revolution, but for many years after
ward, until Jay by his treaty of 1874. Sc
cured in fact the enlarged boundaries that
he was the one most instrumental in draw
ing on the map made by the treaty of
Client.
so acoustic med have we become to re-
gard the revolution as an affair strictly
pertaining to the Atlantic coast that, in
overlooking the conquest, naturally we
have overlooked the conqueror. If you shall
turn to that latest and justly Landed work
of biography, the Century Book of Names,
you shall find this simple and brief rec
ord: George Rogers Clark Tor Clarke) was
born in Albemarlc county, Virginia. No
vember 10. 1852; he died at Locust Grove.
near Louisville KY, February 3D. 1913; an
American general in the wars against the
Indians, 1772-S2.' The conqueror of a re-
gion out of which six great states have
been carved is passed over with not even
an intimati of his achievement!
During the decade and more that inter-
vened between the close Of the Pontiac war
and the outbreak Of the revolution, the
British had slowly come into possession OF
those forts and settlements in the ILLINOIS
country that had been planted almost
century before by La Sale and his follow
ers."
Mr. Moore recited the coming Of Henry
Hamilton as lieutenant governor at the
post of Detroit by appointment or king
George and the character of country he
found. Continuing, he said:
"Such were the conditions, when one day
In the latter part OF August, TOD an En-
glishman, d Delaware chief called Captain
White Eyes and an educated Indian had
the insolence to appear at Detroit with
letter. q string and a belt from the agent
of the Virginia legislature. soliciting the
confederacy Of western Indians to go to
a conference at Pittsburg. Hamilton, an
gcred by their audacity, tore their letters,
cut their belts in the presence of the as
sembled Indians and sent them out of the
settlement. The messenSers.rhoweVer had
brought with them u copy OF the Pennsyl-
vania Gazette of July %. LIS. containing
the declaration of the colonies, by which
Ill ,I1,,.
the mother country. In SUCH fashion was
the birth Of the new nation announced
in Detroir! n
The Indian atrocities committed on the
white settlers at the instance Of Hamilton,
the captivity of Daniel Boone and his cs-
cape we're recourted by, Mr.. Moore.
George Rogers Clark.
ION the 9th Of August. less than month
after Boone's escape" he continued, Ham
ilton learned that Col. George Rogers Clark
had dared to lead a party of Virginians in
TO the Illinois country, and to supplant the
flag of England with the stars and stripes.
The tickle French at Kaskaskia and Ca
hokia, on the Mississippi, and at Vincennes,
on the Wabash, had renowned their allie
glance to King George. and had sworn
fealty TO Virginia. This was too much for
Governor Hamilton's warlike spirit. He
had been forced to yield to the tanner coun-
clls of his superiors in opposition to his
plan to reduce Fort Pitt; but here was
an insult that he could not brook. To have
a band of rebels invade his own territory.
lay one of his commandments in irons and
conffne him in a pig pen was too much for
British blood.
George Rogers Clark born in the same
county of Virginia that boasts of being the
birthplace of Thomas Jefferson, was nine
years younger than his more illustrious
compatriot. With all the personal bravery
and daring of Robert Rogers, the New
Hampshire ranger, Clark had also In his
make up something of the statesman At
the age of twenty-five Clark had deter
mined to seize the opportunity of the revo-
luton to win for the new nation the terri
tory of Illinois, and ardent was his
spirit and so intelligent were his plans
that Governor Patrick Henry had COM
missioned him to raise the troops neces-.
sary to carry out the daring enterprise.
Clarks force had been too small to allow
him to garrison Vinccnnes, but when he
heard that Hamilton himself occunied the
place his mind was made up. The very
waters that seemingly protected the Brit
ish governor would make 1t possible to sur
prise ard capture him and his command,
and thus by single bold stroke the Amer
leans would win the region north of the
Ohio. How daring the enterprise really was
Clark dared not confide even to his follow
ers; but they had as implicit confidence in
their leader as he had in himself.
Surrender of Detroit.
Among the letters to Washington pre-
served in the Department of State the
story of that terrible march may be read
in the handwriting of one of the expedi-
ton. Amid snow and ice, through floods
sometimes neck-high, they made their way
for two hundred and forty miles. until
they came to the Little Wabash, then five
miles wide. Through this they plunged,
and thirteen days out from Kaskasia they
came within hearing of Hamliton's morn
ing gun. Then came desperate hunger and
pelting rain, but Clark's energy and the
drummer-boy's jokes carried them through
the last of their trials. and on the evening
of February %, 1873, the enterprising
Americans were welcomed by the creoles
of st. Vircennes, and endeavored to give
Hamilton an intimation of their coming by
fusillade of bullets against the palisades.
That over-conf1dent individual thought the
firing nothing more serious than the pass
ing of some drunken Indians, and it was
not until one of his men vas hit that the
governor suspected that his position was
seriously attacked. At daybreak Clark
opened fire from an intrenchment he had
thrown up under the guns of the fort, and
the expert Virginia marksmen quickly 81
d-the cannon fired from port holes SO
large that the gunners were not protected.
ssHamiltOn and tho Rr3ffeh soldiers Wers,