The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-02-03
WAS ESTABLISHED BY ORDER or
THos. JEFFERSON, THEN
GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.
TO FOIL spANlARDS
Besieged BY Indians and Occupants
Subjected to Terrible Expert
ences Before Aid
Reached Them.

KY, is from the Cairo Weekly Gazett
4 OF January 3, 1862, published by Ha
J. rell & Barton.
The remaining traces of an old fol
on the Kentucky side of the Missi
sippi river, six miles below Cair,
having become an object of increase
interest since the occupation of tn
vicinity by Federal troops, we ar
persuaded that the following histor
of the old fort will be generally az
ceptable. We gather it from a n
liable source, and present it substar
TALLY as furnished to us.
The fort was erected by Georg
Rogers Clark, under the direction o
Thomas Jefferson in the year 177l
Jefferson was then governor of Vii
lginia. and receiving advices that tn,
Spanish crown would attempt to Sc
iur claim to the country east OF tn,
Mississippi he took this step to foi
the attempt
Immediately after the erection O.
the fort, Clark was called away tc
the frontiers of Kentucky but was
succeeded by Capt. James piggott
immigration to the fort was en-
cGuraged, and several families at once
settled in its vicinity, and for a living
proceeded to cultivate the soil For
a time the settlement flourished.
During 1881, however. the Chickasaw
70 In \
|ingly incensed at the encroachments
of the whites ftheir consent for the
erection of the fort not having been
obtained) and commenced an att
tack upon the settlers in the neigh.
borhood. The whole number of war
riors belonging to these tribes at that
time was about 1900 including the
celebrated Scotchman Calhert whose
rcsterity figured as half-breeds.
AS soon as it was decided that an
attack upon the fort would be made
by the Indians. trusty messenger
was dispatched to the Falls of the
Ohio for the further supplies of am
munition and provisions.
The settlement and fort were In
great distress at the point OF starva.
tion indeed and succor could not be
obtained short of the Falls or the
town of Kaskaskia
The Indians approached the settle
ment at first in small parties, and
succeeded in killing a number of the
settlers before they could be moved
to the fort.
Half tho peope both in the fort |
md its vicinity were helpless from
sickness. and the famine was so dis
.ressing that 1t is said that pumpkins
we're eaten as soon as the blossom
lad fallen from the vines The In
iians continued their murdearous
lists in squads for about two weeks h
lefore the main army of braves"
cached the fort, The soldiers aided
md received into the fort all the L
White population that could be moved.
In the skirmishes to which we /
lave alluded. white man was taken |
risoner by the Indians, who to save |
lis life, exposed the true state of the ,
arrison. The information seemed to .
ID fury to the passions of the say. :
ges. After the arrival of the main /
ody of savages. under Calhert. the {
Ort was besieged for three days and '
lights. During this time the suffer &
.g and misery of the garrison were /
great The water had al T
'cst given out The river was fall +
ig rapidly and the water In the wells S
nceded with the river. The supply IL
provisions was quite exhausted h
nd sickness ragged to such an extent In
! the fort that a very large number q
Duld rot be moved from their beds.
he wife OF Capt. Piggott and several
Tiers died and were buried within
lie walls of the fort while the saw
yes were besieging the outside.
II seemed reduced to a certainty. at J
lis juncture that unless relief came
,eedily the garrison would fall into
e hands of the Indians and be muir.
'red. The white prisoner in the
'nds of the Indians now detailed
e true condition of the fort. He
ID his captors that more than half
inmates were sick. that each man
ID not more than three rounds of
and that the garrison
Is quite destitute of water and pro
sions- On receiving this informa-
~ the whole Indian army retired
out two miles to hold council.
few hours calhert and three
iefs with q flag Of truce. were sent
OK to the fort. When the inmates
the fort discovered the flag they
ut out Capt. Piggott. Mr.. Owens and
other man to meet the Indian dele
ton The party was conducted un- 4
: the range Of the gnns at the garri-
D. Calhert demanded a surrender
the fort at Notwithstanding that
: Indians knew its weak and hope
= condition. and that an uncondi-
nal surrender might save much
odshed. lie further said that he
! sent force Of warriors up tae
10 to intercept the succor TO-
ich the whites had sent a messen-