The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-02-07
GEORGE Gil ARK

lie history Of this country. Floods
prevailed 10 Southern 1l1Inios and the
Mississippi and is tributaries were
over the banks in an that country.
The Journey involved . march Of two
hundred miles across what is now the
State, from Kaskaskai, on the Missis-
EsIppl to yincennes, on the east side
of the wabash, which Is now in In.
diana
It was necessary to travel in the
highest order, as the Journey had to.
Ibe made on foot, and in consequence
the men carried a limited allowance Of
food and equipment. The march
through the water was severe one,
with the cold to contend against and
limited rations. The morch lasted
over two weeks; often breast deep in
the swollen foods. The suferings Of
the men were terrible. But the com.
mand of less than two hundred men
reached vlncennes, besieged the
place, and compelled its speedy sur,
render.
This was the climax, for while
Clark continued to extend his juris'
dtction until he held the whole coun.
ltry north OF the Spanish colony Of
FLORIDA, the British were too busy in
the East to contend for possession of
tine West. The Virginia adventurer
Ihad secured nearly as much territory
lin the West as the colonists were
lighting for in the East, and by his
successes had dislodged the enemy
iron the rear, and forever settled the
western extension OF the nation, and
the likelihood of danger from that
source.
Clark was an adyenturer, and re-
markable one. He was only twenty.
six years old when he had completed
Ibis self.appointed task Of freeing the
Invest from British domination, and his
.Ibcldness, sagacity and accurate con.
ceplon Of the Importance Of obtain.
ling control of the Mississippi Valley
and the method of carrying on the
campaign give him claim to a place
|among the great men Of the country.
What this republic might have been
had Great Britain been left in control
of the interior of the Continent is not
hard to guess. From Lake Erie to
1.-THE Gulf Of Mexico a jealous and hos.
title enemy would have been able to
Istring line Of Notifications, and in
that productive British influences
would have erected an empire that
would have been constant menace
until one Of the two governments had
fought and overthrow the other.
"A fair was held at st. Louis to
commemorate the addition to the
i United States of vast tract Of
country west of the Mississippi.
without the territory that the Vir.
ginlan added the Louisiana Purchase
could never have been possible,
Neither could Sam Houston's addition
of Texas, nor any Of the Pacific Coast.
Clark, the Vlrglnian, made this coun-
TRY a nation reaching from ocean TO
ocean, instead Of strip along the
coast like the British, French and
Dutch Guianas, that we used to read
about in our Biographies. He made it
with the sole help Of borrowed monev
and a militia commission from the
Governor Of colony in rebellion, and
achieved his great work when he was
scarcely anything but a boy. Clark
captured the West in the name Of the
colony Of Virginia, and for Virginia.
Virginia, when the republic was or
gpnlzed, turned Its western territory
over to the general government. t
lis not likely that a great exposition
Twill ever be held to famillarlze the
people Of the country which lie made
with the name of this Virglnlan SO
instrumental in making 1t. But yIr-
glnla next year holds an exposition
! lat the mouth Of the James river, and
there George Rogers Clark deserves
something at the hands Of the Amerl-
can people.
And when 1t comes to that 1t is In
Iterestlng to recall how many Virgin.
Iians are entitled to recognition in the
extension Of this big country. John
Smith commenced it at jamestown,
Iva. washington's part is too well
.Ilsnown to need any repeating. Clara
nut the frontier on the Mississippi.
4 Jefferson extended it to the summit
IN the Rocky Mountains, Houston,