The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-11-11
A BIT OF HISTORY.

was one under a Metropolis, ILL.,, heat
line to the following effect:
s, ga monument to the memory o
e George Rogers Clark was dedicate,
!, at Fort Massac near here, today
a was erected under the auspices of tn,
Illinois branch of the Daughters o
the American Revolution, and com
memorates the first landing of Clarl
, on Illinois soil and the probable
: first hoisting of the American flag ovel
: Massac on June "a ITS. The fort has
r been recently restored with an ap
: preparation of $4,000 granted by the
a Illinois legislature. 1t Is on the banks
of the Ohio river and commands an
extensive view up and down the
stream"
The incident recalls one OF the
most important and far-reachine
events in the early history of this
country. In 177S all the vast region
northwest of the Ohio river was as
much foreign land as was Canada
1t was the seat of powerful and war
like Indian confederacies, and of clus.
tiers of ancient French hamlets which
had been founded for many genera
lions. 1t also contained posts
that were garrisoned and held
| by the soldiers of the Brit.
ish king. Clark had long plan
ned its conquest. He knew that the
French villages, the only settlements
in the land, were the seats of British
| power, the headquarters whence their
commanders stirred up, armed and
guided the hostile Indians. He foresaw
that If these settled French districts
were conquered, and the British posts
that guarded them captured, the whole
territory would thereby be won for the
American republic.
The previous year Clark had sent
| two young hunters as spies to the Illi-
nois country and to the neighborhood
Of Vincennes. They brought back
word that the bulk of the French
population were lukewarm in their al
legiance to the British flag and were
somewhat awed by what they had
had heard of Clark. In October of
l177 Clark left Harrodsburg, Ky. by
the Wilderness road and after travel
Ing 620 miles reached his fathers
house in Virginia. He at once set
about recruiting seven companies OF
fifty men each from the frontier
counties west of the Blue Ridge. His
operations were limited to this region
so as not to weaken the people of the
seacoast region in their struggle
against the British. His purpose,
ostensibly, was to go to the relief OF
Kentucky. Various causes prevent
ed him from securing more than four
small companies of frontiersmen from
the clearings and the scattered hunt
er's camps With these he made his
way, with varying fortunes, to the
Falls of the Ohio, now Louisville OF
which he may fairly be called the
founder. Here he disclosed to his
men the real object of his expedition.
His men had not reckoned On an ex.
petition so long and SO dangerous,
and some of them left camp in the
night and fed into the woods. few
daring Kentuckians who had Joined
him at the Falls remained true to him
and with these and the remainder of
his troops he proceeded down the riv-
err to small island below the mouth
OF the Tennessee river. the site of old
Fort Massac named for former
French commander, then deserted.
This point was reached June "a, 177S. 1
hn
of American hunters who had recent
ly been in the French settlements
who eagerly entered into Clark's
plans, joined him for the campaign and
gave him valuable information. with |
these hunters as guides the little par-
ty of two hundred men started north !
across the wilderness. On the even /
ing of the Fourth of July the party
reached the river Kaskaskia. within /
three miles of the town of the same
Eame. They kept in the woods until |
after 1t grew dusk and then marched
to within mile of the town where
they captured a family from whom
clark learned that there were alarms
of possible attack and that the
French We're frightened by reports of
the ferocity of the American back
woodsmen. The British commander
had force two or three times as
large as Clark's and was prepared to |
make strong fight But Clarke stole
up on the town under cover of dark. |
ness and surrounded it. The officers
OF the post were giving ball and the |
sentinels had left their posts to wit !
ness the festivities. Piloted by one
OF his captiyes Clark gained entrance
into the fort through postern on the {
river side. Advancing to the great /
hall where the revel was held, he |
leaned silently with folded arms
against the doorpost, looking at the
dancers. An indian lying on the floor
of the entry, gazed intently on the (
strangers face as the light from the |
torches within fickered across it, and I
suddenly sprang to his feet uttering /
the unearthly war-whoop. Instantly /
the dancing ceased: the women
screamed while the men ran towards I
4 no (,Jz