Leonard Helm Leonard Helm was an early pioneer of Kentucky , and a Virginia officer during the American Revolutionary War . Born around 1720 probably in Fauquier County , Virginia , he died in poverty while fighting Native American allies of British troops during one of the last engagements of the Revolutionary War around June 4 , 1782 in Jefferson County , Virginia ( now Kentucky ) . Illinois Campaign . Helm was commissioned a captain and asked to raise and lead a company of Virginians by the newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark . On January 2 , 1778 , Governor Patrick Henry gave Clark the authority to raise a regiment and secret orders to attack British forces and their allies on Virginia ' s frontier . Leonard Helm , who had served with Clark during Dunmore ' s War and had spent a lot of time in Kentucky , was given command of one of the initial four companies created to form this regiment . Captain Helm recruited soldiers from the Virginia militia from both Prince William and Fauquier Counties . Clark ' s unit was later known as the Illinois Regiment and participated in the Northwest Campaign . Clark and his men captured Kaskaskia , Illinois on July 4 , 1778 and Cahokia , Illinois July 6 , 1778 . During the capture of Kaskaskia , Clark split his force , commanding one half himself with Captain Helm commanding the other . A series of relatively peaceful conquests took place , with Helm reaching as far as Fort Ouiatenon . Vincennes . Vincennes decided to support the Americans at the urging of Father Gibault , and Captain Helm was sent to command Fort Sackville ( renamed Fort Patrick Henry ) , with a group of local French speaking militiamen and 20 soldiers from Virginia . He requested and received support from the local Piankeshaw tribe , especially the chief known as Young Tobacco . The British retook the fort on 17 December 1778 , after Helm ' s local militia had deserted and he had too few men to attempt resistance . When the British formed within yards of the fort , Captain Helm opened the gate and pointed a cannon at the British formation , with an artillery match in one hand and a bottle of whiskey with the other . He invited Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton to share wiskey and discuss terms as gentlemen . Knowing that the British did not fully understand his tactical situation , he demanded and received favorable terms of surrender . Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton was later shocked to find only three people within the fort but honored his agreement . When Colonel Clark heard about the surrender several weeks later , he and his force made a bold march through icy winter weather and laid siege to Fort Sackville . Captain Helm was inside Fort Sackville as a prisoner during the siege , and Clark notes in his memoir that he " amused himself very much during the siege , and , I believe , did much damage . " Helm came with the British party to the 24 February negotiations to end the siege , and tried to negotiate Clark ' s harsh terms of surrender . Clark countered that Helm could not negotiate because he was a British prisoner , at which point Hamilton released Helm . Whether he meant to reinforce his hardline negotiations or reprimand Helm for his impropriety in seemingly negotiating for Hamilton , Clark refused to receive the captain , and informed Helm that he must return to Fort Sackville and " await his fate . " Hamilton surrendered 25 February 1779 , and Fort Sackville was again renamed Fort Patrick Henry . Wabash Expedition . On 5 March 1779 , Helm led a small force of 3 boats and 50 men up the Wabash River from Vincennes and captured a fleet of 7 boats , 40 prisoners ( among whom , Clark notes in a letter to George Mason , was ' Dejeane , Grand Judge of Detroit ' ) , supplies , and trade goods that was sent to reinforce Hamilton at Fort Sackville . The battle occurred just West of Pointe Coupee , Indiana , and is locally referred to as the western most naval battle of the American Revolution , despite the account of the capture in George Rogers Clark ' s memoir : March 5th , Captain Helm , Majors Bosseron and Legras , returned from their journey up the river with great success . They came up with the enemy in the night , discerning their fires at a distance ; waited until all was quiet ; surrounded and took the whole prisoners , without the firing of a gun . Those ( British ) gentlemen were off their guard , and so little apprehensive of an enemy in that part of the world that they could hardly persuade themselves that what they saw and heard was real . This was a valuable ( prize ) seven boats loaded with provisions and goods to a considerable amount . Battle of the White River Forks . When Clark left Vincennes for Kaskaskia on 20 March 1779 , he again appointed Captain Helm as commandant of the town , as well as Superintendent of Indian Affairs . While in command , a party of five traders left Vincennes for the Falls of the Ohio , along the ancient Buffalo Trace . A small band of Delaware from a village called " Lechauwitank " , between the forks of the White River , ambushed the traders , killed them , and plundered their goods . Helm ' s reaction from Vincennes was strong . Helm called up the Vincennes militia and the garrison under Lt . Brashears , and they attacked the village at night . The entire village was destroyed , the surviving men were tomahawked to death in Vincennes , and the women and children were sold into slavery . Fort Nelson and death . Clark later appointed Helm as commander of the fort in present day Louisville , Kentucky . Captain Helm was killed while serving as the commander of this fort . Helm had sold some of his land for continental currency under the belief that the value of it would increase . Instead , the continental dollar became almost worthless and Helm died in poverty , his personal estate consisting only of his clothes . Many years later his heirs received 4 , 666 acres ( 19 km² ) from Virginia for his service in the Illinois Regiment .