Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-10-17
Little Journeys in
Americana
Viro,s Bon
BY LESTER B. COLBY

AEO . DSAA
NlGO'S bell Have you ever heard
the story Of Francisco Vigo's
bell? Vigo of Old vincennes and New
orleans and many places up and
down the river; vigo, for whom
county in Indiana is named. Some
day. If you are in Terre Haute you
may hear the golden note of Old
Viso's bell and If you ever do, stand
for a. moment with uncovered head;
you will feel the better for it. This
is the story Of vigo and his bell.
Vigo was a Spaniard. He came to
America via Cuba The Revolutions
ary yar found him trader on the
N!tsissippi He talked Spanish.
French and English and knew quite
hit about the Indians. He was not
~friendly to the English They were
"hnying hair" the fresh. red scalns
Of the settlers. men, women and chill
9ren-and Yigo didn't think well of
the trade.
George Rogers Clark and his ITO
men, Long Knives" they were called
by the Indians came into the valley
and captured Kaskaskia hollow st.
I"ais. farthest outpost of the Brit
ish who held about everything he
tween the Alleghenies and STssissin
ri All west Of that river belonged
TO Spain.
When George Rogers CLARK and his
mon took over Kaskaskia they we're
thrcadhare The long march overland
h"d worn ont their clothes and shoes.
f'aw3ar and lead was about gone
Tex were in distress vigo. the
tHdar came TO their relief.
Vigo outtitted them; gave them ev.
erything he had. Then he went TO
Fincennes to spy ont the situation
there vincennes must he taken or
Kaskaskia would surely fall again to
the British. vigo the trader. spy
for sure, went to the English fort
and offered wares for sale.
Vigo was arrested. The English got
ready to shoot him. But he had
friends among the French in Vim.
cennes. They swore that he was
known to them, an honest trader who
regularly traficked with them and
the Indians. and he was released
But once released vigo carried the
information he bad with all speed to
Clark. Then daring expedition set
out. an expedition that for sacrifice
and courage has seldom been equaled
in History. vincennes fell and the
British lost a vast domain
Vigo? Oh, yes. This was back in
the latter years of the Revolutionary
war George Rogers Clark and his
men had consumed everything Vigo
possessed. And vigo, once prosper
Gus, was broke. Clark gave him an
order on the United States treasury
for $4,000. It was to pay him for
his goods. Was Vigo paid? No,
Poor old vigo was wheeled to
pauper's grave in 1886. In his lat
ter years men had considered him
daft. His mind was turned they
said. by worry over the money he
never could get. Vigo used to talk
of his dollars" that were coming
some day. But, in his patois he. called
them "doleurs" D0leurs in French
means grief and pain. So people who
did not understand, made cruel pun
of the old mans SURROUNDINGS dol
eurs' became a joke
When vigo died, ffty-seven years
after he had pauperized himself to
help Genrge Rogers Clark and George
Washington and his adopted land. his
executors, who examined his estate"
realized that he had had strange
and abiding faith He had always
said proudly. "Some day the govern
mcnt will pay" And in his will he
lett Request
II was this-that when the govern
ment finally paid his "daleurs" a fine
bell vas to be bought The bell was
to he presented to The county of Vigo,
state ot Indiana. The bell was to be
placed in the belfry of the court
house in rerre Haute. And when
this was DONE It should be runa loud
ly to proclaim that Old Vigo was
right-the government paid its debts
Yes, the government paid II paid
in 1873 hut poor old Vigu had been
dead then for thirty-nine years The
government had paid ninety six wears
after establishing the indebtedness.
But il paid. as Vigo said it would If
you ever hear vigos hell ring in
Terre Haute, bare your head mo
ment. You will feel better for doing
this small homage to Vigo.
60 1929. Lester B. cobyl