The Dolores star., 1923-09-14

ror of the Long knives" By concerted action
they could wipe out his scanty force In twin
king Clark met them in council at Cahokia with
stern and lofty dignity. He showed no fear He
gave no indication of desire for friendship. He
laid before them warbelt and n peace-bet and
told them to take their choice In short this young
leader of backwoods militia bluffed the great crowd
OF restless, bloodthirsty, proBritsh savages to a
sandstill. One chief after another arose and made
submissive speeches. Clark refused to smoke the
peacepipe with any till he had heard from all and
the treaties were concluded. These proceedings
lasted five weeks and their influence extended to
all the tribes around the Great Lakes. Clark had
no further trouble with the Illinois Indians
Virginia, which then claimed all this region i'm
mediately cllnched Clark's victory by creating the
County of Illinois," Col. John Todd, as County
Lieutenant took possession, set up a capital at
kaskaskia in May of 1873 and established q com.
plete civil government
Cahokia also figures large in an ambitious plan
by the British cabinet in 17SO to capture New Or.
leans, the Spanish posts west Of the Mississippi
and the Illinois Country War had been declared
May g. 17I9, between Spain and Great Britain
May 70, liSo. a raid was made St Louis the
Spanish headquarters, by force of 40 English
and Canadian traders and 800 Indians fitted out
by Lieutenant Colonel Sinclair OF MichIlImacInoc
Mackinac) and led by Sioux chief named Wa.
basha. portion Of the party crossed the river
and raided Cahokia SinclaIrs official report saws
blacks and white people taken prisoners 43 scalps
were brought in. The rebels lost an officer ond
three men at Cahokia. and five prisoners"
suddenly, without pressing the assault the en-
tire party decamped and scattered They had
discovered that Clark had returned In haste from
Kentucky and was at hand prepared to aid the
Spanish. The very name of Clark was n terror
to the Indians high wind prevented signals
from being heard otherwise Clark would have had
a hand in the hostllltles.
ms attack was part Of general plan devised
by Lord George Germaln for the comnlete CON.
quest of the West. Features of this pIan were IN
bring down force of Northwestern Indians on st
LOUIS 10 send an expedition from Detroit to in.
wade Kentucky and keep Clark busy; to bring n
fleet and army up the Mississippi under General
Campbell to unite with the northern expedtion
Inc plan was good II failed In part he
chuse Governor Galvez Of New Orleans got busy
iicked the British and captured their posts along
the io"er Mississippi and at Mobile and Penso.
cola. II also failed because Clark blocked the nroy
resS OF the northern expedition and also brought
70 hhuRht the expedition from Detroit to Kentucky
under Captain Byrd
III ms Brltgh plan Of conquest had be.n suc
cessfui the country north Of the Ohio and ,v.s,
OF the Mississippi would have thereupop become n
part Of the Province Of Quebec
Clark's brilliant exploits I'm 177a and ,77o ,,...
i"re nave place Of Importance In American bix
tory that cannot be overestirastcd The, .n,t,.s
ue ne" nation Of the United States In the ne.c.
"esouaH'hs successfully to insist upon the Mi.
'sipb' ~ lts western boundary M ngaInst ths
brltlsh contention of the AIIeghanies "
WIN the hississiDrd and the Ohio carrvin, that,
uh"e 10 be Guf, the American people couid No,
rszt until New Orleans vas an on., -. a, a, m "o'
I"s hezlfe NJ the frontier brought .h,,, A.,
'""iSiahh purchase NJ 1sT3 And with m. ,.,,
hent tbeirs from the Atlantic to the RocL,,,. ~.
- "'s racine became matter of course