The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-11-13

enL-pdSSlVe Tdtnef LNdn active. IHey
wanted peace and good trade condi-
tions, and they did not actively care
for anything else.
Clark judged that by a due exer-
else Of force and diplomacy he might
be able 10 keep the French neutral,
or. possibly, in case his attempt
should be successful, might even win
them TO his own cause. AS for the
British and Indians, he was confident
OF his ability TO deal with them IL
only he could secure official permis-
sion and men enough.
Accordingly be set out for Virginia
and after painful and very danger
Gus journey laid his plans before Pat
rick Henry, who was then Governor
OF Virginia. He explained the i'm
portance OF the mission he was about
to undertake, and the lasting effect
It's success must have upon the future
fortunes OF the republic which was
struggling desperately for independ-
ence.
| The British were closely pressing
the Americans at that time, and no
troops could be spared TO aid In this
enterprise. But Patrick Henry gave
| Clark permission to enlist four com
| panes OF volunteers, OF fifty men
each, for the expedition.
This had TO be done secretly. Even
| the men enlisted must not know upon
what service they were intended TO
go. For II Hamilton, at Detroit,
should suspect Clark's purpose, he
might easily and certainly defeat 1t
by throwing re-enforcements into the
posts likely to be attacked.
With some difficulty Clark man
| aged TO raise his four companies, al
though not one OF them had its full
! force OF fifty men. In all, he secured
considerably less than 200 men for
an enterprise for which 1000 would
not have been an excessive number.
There were three French towns in
! the region to be conquered, which
: constituted the principal British posts
! and the possession OF which practi-
cally determined the control Of the
! entire territory. One OF them was
! Kaskaskia, in Illinois, not far from
! the Mississippi, about thirty miles or
! so below the Spanish town OF st.
! Louis. Another was CahOkia, which
! lay just across the Mississippi River
from ST. Louis. The third, and most
! important, was Vinccnnes, on the
! Wabash, I'm what is now Indiana.
Clark decided to assail Kaskaslia
J and Cahokia first, although those
| towns lay 200 or 800 miles further
| west than Vincenncs. Accordingly, he
! embarked his little force Of fighting
men on hatboats and went down the
! Ohio River TO an island near the
mouth OF the Tennessee.
There he landed and hid lis boats.
and there he was joined by a little
company OF Tennessee hunters who
had recently visited the towns he
purposed to assail. From them he
! learned that at Kaskaskia the fort
was strong, the militia was drilled
and well armed. with Indian allies all
about, and that the force which would
oppose his attack was much larger
| than his own.
But George Rogers Clark faltered
not nor failed. Knowing himself to
be outnumbered by the enemy. he
saw clearly that his only hope OF sue
cess lay in effecting surprise. He
therefore decided Instead OF going
up the Mississippi I'm boats and thus
inviting discovery--to march secretly
through the woods and swamps and
fall upon kaskaskia Unexpectedly.
On the night of July 4 Clark,
whose approach had not been sus-
pected, quietly slipped into Kaskas-
., kia. He quickly disposed his men so
as TO prevent the assembling OF the
militia. lie ordered all the French
people to betake themselves TO their
homes aud 20 stay there o. pain Of
instant death.
These French people had heard
terrible stories of the cruelty and bru-
tality OF the Kentucky Long Knives,
so they oheyed the command. glad OF
even chance to escape with their
lives.
The commandment OF the place n
Frenchman named Rocheblaye. who
was devoted TO the English cause,
was holding a dance in the fort at
the time. with not a hint or suspi-
cion that force OF Long Knives was
approaching the town he was set TO
guard. Thus even the fort itself was
without a sentinel on duty, and the
evening was given up 10 merrymak-
ing.
Having posted his men In such
fashion as TO forbid the firing OF an
alarm or the mastering OF the defen-
sive force, Clark slipped into the fort
and stood i'm the doorway OF the dane
ing hall looking on at the dance. Sud
denly an Indian who had seen him
before recognized him and gave the
!, alarm. Instantly confusion seized
upon the assemblage, but Clark
, quietly bade the people so on with
, the dance. adding: But remember
, you now dance under Virginia. not
under Great Britain.