Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26

american farmers earned for him the
name of The Hair Buyer" Bands OF his
ihuIans sWooped down into Kentucky
gu nlng homes, torturing prisoners. and
committing numerous horrors. So wide
spread were their raids that all but 500 or
700 whites fed from the territory, and
these people we within easy reach of
me little frontier forts at Harrodsburg,
This was the condition when, I'm Au-
gust. 177. George Rogers Clark left Ken
lucky and went to Williamsburg, then the
capital of Virginia. to lay plan before
Patrick Henry, the governor, which he
believed not only would relieve the from
tier OF the Indian menace, but break the
power OF England throughout the north
west In effect he told Patrick Henry
ms: The British have posts at De-
troit Macklnac, Vincennes. kaskaskia
ana Cahokia. have reliable advices that
with the exception Of Detroit the posts
a not strongly guarded They have no
.nousht OF being attacked. With force
all, OF these posts. But all depends on
secrecy. Furnish the powder and bail
for the expedition. give me the money to
raise rails E. theemen. and will attend to the
1t must be appreciated that at this
time even Virginia did not have a clear
claim mt to the the Kentucky territory. Penn
yond the Alleghanies. and so did North
Carolina. There even was a private
project to set up an Independent state to
be called Pennsylvania. But neither
Patrick Henry nor George Rogers Clark
thought SO much of state claims az they
did Of the national welfare. They re-
allied fully that the success Of the enter
prise would mean not only the suppress
sion OF the Indian raids. but the estab-
lishment of possession Of the whole north
west, which, in the event Of the recoKni-
ton of independence. would add all that
territory to the thirteen original states
Henry entered into the project heart
and soul. The utmost secrecy was neces-
sary to success. If ever secret was
well kept, that one was. 1t Is doubtful
II the members of the general assembly
who voted for the supplies knew what
they were intended for Clark was com
missioned lieutenant colonel in January.
ITS, and in May Of that year he left
the Allegheny river with party Of about
If any. Of the men knew the real Dur.
pose In which they were enlisted It had
been difficult. indeed. for Clark to get re-
crufts. There was vigorous opposition
from many quarters Soldiers were need
tic people saw good material going west
that 1t seemed to them should 60 east.
Others thought the frontiersmen were
needed to defend the mountain valleys.
who suspected some political or private
design in the trip Of the men. So much
of an uproar was created that vigorous
efforts were made to get the men to de-
sert.
When Clark finally got his little army
aboard fatboats it made queer appear
ance. There were no uniforms. Many of
the volunteers were Scotch-Irish and
some Of them were in Highland costume
Others wore buckskin or homespun out
fits. with moccasins instead Of shoes. All
were well armed and nearly all were
fine marksmen.
War parties of Indians were plentiful
in the Ohio river country. but Clarks
dotilla went down to the falls OF the
Ohio Iouisville) without molestation
There Clark made his headquarters on a
bit of land called Corn Island He Sc
lected this for safety and convenience
some Of his men having become mutinous
owing to the secrecy he had to maintain.
Here he was Joined by few Kentucki-
ans, and after building a rude fort and
leaving the faint-hearted of his followers
behind he set out June 26 shot the falls
Massacre, about four miles below the
mouth of the Tennessee. where he hid
his boats and started overland to Kas-
kasha He was reluctant to go down the
Ohio to It's mouth and then up the Mis-
sissirpi to Kaskaska, because spies or
scouts would warn the people in the fort.
Across country it was a journey OF 40
miles A hunter one of party of four
that Clark had met near Fort Massacre.