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


Mississippi river, George Rogers Clark
has received but Scant recognition from
the republic. He should be ranked among
the greatest figures of revolutionary
days. 1t was unfortunate for him, per-
haps. that he served simply as a mill
tiaman of the state of Virginia and not
an officer of the Continental army. In
the jealousies that developed among the
states soon after the independence Of the
nation was acknowledged by Eng and lit
tie notice was given to his achievements,
and even Virginia did not do justice to
him while he lived. Broken in spirits, in
body and In purse, he passed the last
years of his life sad and embittered.
There Is story that when, in his old
age, commissioners brought to him
richly ornamented sword the state of Vir-
ginia voted to him. he broke the sword
with his crutch and exclaimed: when
Virginia needed a sword l gave her one
Now she sends me a toy. want
bread"
Clark was born November 10, 1852. He
was less than twenty-seyen years old
when at old Vincennes he won what was
tnen the northwest. Like Lafayette he
was red headed, but he was cast in a
ruder and sterner mold than the marquis.
His birthplace was near Monticello Va
ana ne and James Madison were play
mates in boyhood. The ne DIS and the for
ests mad more attraction for him than
the schOolroom. but he picked up a fair
education nevertheless. He was good al
mathematics, but never won prizes as a
speiier Before he was eighteen he was
a surveyor and had crossed the Allie
ghanies and had traversed hundreds of
miles OF what then was the wilderness
beyond.
That land beyond the Alleghanies fas-
clnated him. He pictured the beauties of
Kentucky to his father and urged him to
emigrate. In all kentucky at that time
there were only a few hundred whites,
and these were in constant danger of at
tack by the Indians. King George Ill
did not favor immigration. In fact. he
prohibited II except Dy royal grant. He
wanted all the territory between the AL
ieghanies and the Mississippi left open
as an Indian hunting ground. His royal
majesty was not actuated by motives of
regard ior the red men exactly. but the
Indians sold the skins of the animals they
hunted and trapped to the English and
French traders at Detroit. Mackinac, Vim
cennes and other posts and bought their
supplies there There was an immense
profit in this business. nearly all of which
was handled through the English COM
panies at Montreal that had succeeded
the old French concerns. King George,
100. was not at all pleased with the way
his subjects in the thirteen colonies be-
haved toward him. They were not so
obedient and subservient as his Canadian
subjects. and he did not want them to en-
croach on the territory which brought
such good returns to his more loyal peo-
pie.
The royal mandate was not of much
consideration to the people who saw in
the beautiful valleys beyond the Ale
ghanies homes for those who were strong
n
their hunting grounds were encroached
upon the Indians sought to drive cut the
invaders Massacre followed massacre,
and for time the invasion would be
halted, but only for a time. When, in
1Ii4. the Indian tribes combined and
harried the whole borderland of the col
ony from Lake Erie to Cumberland Gap.
Lord Dunmore. governor of Virginia, led
an army against them. The Indians We're
defeated. Probably 1t puzzled them to
see the representative of the king fighting
them because they were making reprisals
on those who were show ng a contemptu
Gus disregard CT his majesty's commands
about their hunting gr urds. But then
the Indians Of the trans-Alleghany coun-
try never could understand the white
man. First came the Frenchman, and
after him the English. Tren for CEN
fury and half the Frenchman and the
Englishman fought for the land that was
the Indians. And after the Englishman
won the offspring Of the Englishmen
kicked out the victor.
In this Lord Dunmore war George Rog-
ers Clark saw his first military service.
In the peace terms the Indians gave up
their interests in the hunting grounds of
Kentucky. 1t was not long after this
Lord Dunmore war closed that the war
of the revolution began. Then the In
dian had opportunity for retaliation.
At the British post of bet oft there was
stationed Lieut.. Gov Henry Hamilton.
a clever resolute and brutal man, who
had an abiding hatred for the people who
were trying to throw off the British
yoke. He called together the Sioux, the
Chippewas the Sax and the Foxes the
Winnebagoes. the Pottawatomies and 9TH
or Indians, med and provisioned them
and. turning them loose on the colonists
Of the borderland. promised them a Ger
tain reward for every scalp they brough
in. Hamilton practically was acting
within orde.s from Lord George German,
the minister in London. In so doing.
Lord George believed in attacking the
rear as well as the front door of the col
onis.s homes. and he saw in this Indian
warfare a curtaiment of recruits to the
continental army. To show his sympathy
with the Indians. Hamilton is said to
have joined them in their scalp dances
and their blood songs. and to have sat in
council with them while they planned
their various attacks. 1t was not long
1t. OF hn nfvnc Of a