Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-05
NE Winning ST the Northwest.

dependence for they, to man, were his friends.
Along in June word came to him that the French
King was sending his ships and soldiers to help
the worn out troops under Washington and he
made up his mind to make his start then into the
western country, only one hundred and seventy
five men embarling with him.
For days they foated down the Ohio, and then
for days they tramped through the Wilderness
and swamp lands and prairies, tired and starving
until they reached Kaskaskia, just two years from
the day of the Declaration of Independence
Hungry and out they lay in the woods
waiting for the darkness, with rifles prmed ready
Cor the attack.
When the darkness fell stealthily they crept
down the bluff and crossed the little stream by
ferry, one company at time 1t midnight
before theyareached the town and the stockade
which was taken without a single gun shot The
French Governor was asleep in his bed.
Vincennes taken without a blow. They
then crossed over the Mississippi and took Ca
hokia They were housed and fed by these people,
but there was no money in their treasury, and
the began to want to get back to Kentucky,
to their wives and children. There was spirit
of desertion in the camp, and wonder, for with
out money without credit, what could Clark do?
He proved himself of great resource.
By stroke of genius he enlisted the French
in his cause; disbanded his troops, giving them
leave to return to their homes, also the privilege
of reenlisting if they chose One hundred of
them marched out the gates and set their faces
homeward and they left, Clark began the
drilling of his troops, and sent a messenger
back to Virginia, imploring assistance in holding
the country which he had taken for them: assist
ance which came. Other came how
ever The Indians gathering at Cahokia
and demanding an interview with the great Cap
tain.
On this interview hung the fate of every man
of little company, we'll as the lives of the
inhabitants of the chain of the little French vii
lagos who doing Clark homage.
At Cahokia were gathered hundreds of Indians
from their forty tribes with their chiefs. great
council was held and so impressed were they
will tha nd ri Of no he
reports of the of the Colonies with the Eng
fish now in progress that he gained their atten-
ton and made peace with all of the Indians of the
Northwest country. This was a more wonderful
achievement than the bloodless capture of all the
French villages:-particularly when one remem-
bers the character of the people with whom he
dealing
The summer wore away and the autumn and
winter had set in, when came from Vincennes
that Col. Hamilton, Commander of the British
troops, with lot of Indians were at Vincennes,
eight hundred in all, having gone into winter
quarters
The whole country by this time flooded by
the Wabash, that it seemed impossible for Col.
Hamilton to march on to Kaskaska before spring
Clark with his usual dash, decided to go to Vim
cennes, so, on the 4th of February began the most
forlorn, the most cruel march ever chronicled;
Hooded or ice bound pra1r1eS, through rain
and snow, hungry, starving, benumbed, freezing
for days, until the men were too weak to go
further without rest.
Finally they reached their goal one hundred
and seventy chilled starving volunteers by the
terrible hardships of the march. From French
man. taken prisoner near the town, Clark learned
there were six hundred men in the town and fort
History has already chronicled the strategy, the
daring by which Clark and his brave men retook
Vincennes; how Hamilton and the British lion
were humbled, just three weeks from the day
Clark left Kaskaska how this Northwest terri
tory was gained for the Republic and three states
added to the original thirteen. To George Rogers