a gun, for the British officer had more men than Clark.

rounds

Clark sent part of his men silently to surround the Surtown, while he led the others to the fort, where they the town heard the merry music of the violin and the voices of the dancers.

Clark himself slipped into the great hall, folded his arms, and looked in silence on the dimly lighted scene.

An Indian lying on the floor saw Clark's face by the light of the torches. He sprang to his feet, and gave the terrible war whoop. Instantly the dancing ceased, the women screamed, and the men rushed toward Clark. But Clark simply said: "Go on with your dance, but Virginia, remember that you dance under Virginia and not under not Great Great Britain!" The British general surrendered, and Britain the French inhabitants trembled, when they learned that the backwoodsmen had captured the town. They

The French settlers alarmed

The

treaty with France

Vin

cennes

surren

ders

General

stirred up

sent their priest, Father Gibault, and other chief men to beg for their lives. Imagine their surprise and joy when Clark told them that not only were their lives safe, but that the new republic made war on no church, and protected all from insult.

He also told them that the King of France had made a treaty with the United States and was sending his great war ships and soldiers to help America. The town of Cahokia also surrendered.

Father Gibault went to Vincennes to tell the French settlers about the doings of Clark and to give them the news that France had taken sides with the Americans. The people rejoiced, and ran up the American flag. Clark sent Captain Helm to command the fort.

General Hamilton at Detroit was busy planning to attack Fort Pitt and to encourage the Ohio Indians to kill and scalp Kentuckians.

How astonished he was when he heard that the forts on the Illinois and the Wabash had fallen! He gathered Hamilton a mixed army of British, Canadians, and Indians, crossed Lake Erie to the mouth of the Maumee, and "poled" and paddled up that river to the portage. Down the Wabash they floated, five hundred strong. Vincennes surrendered without a blow. Hamilton decided to stay there for the winter and march against Clark in the spring. This was a blunder. He did not yet know Clark and his backwoodsmen.

Stays in Vincennes until

spring

"I must take Hamilton or Hamilton will take me," said Clark, when he heard the news. He immediately set to work to build a rude sort of gunboat, which he fitted out with his cannon and about forty men. He sent the Willing, as it was called, down the Mississippi,

around into the Ohio, and up the Wabash to meet him at Vincennes.

All was excitement in the French towns. Forty or Clark fifty French joined Clark's riflemen. Father Gibault begins gave them his blessing, and the march overland to Vin- the cennes began.

Clark divided his men into parties. Each, in its turn,

march

On the

did the hunting, and at night invited the others to sit around great camp fires to feast on "bear ham, buffalo hump, elk saddle, and venison haunch." They ate, march sang, danced, and told stories. No doubt they often talked of their loved ones far away in the cabins of Virginia and Kentucky.

The

On they pushed till they came to the "drowned lands of the Wabash," and there they saw miles and miles drowned of muddy water. They made a rude boat to carry lands

The morning

gun

Terrible suffering

Clark's letter

The

attack

them over the deepest parts. The horses had to swim. Soon they were near enough Vincennes to hear the

"morning gun" at the fort, but they did not dare fire a gun themselves for fear of being discovered by parties of hunters. Food grew scarce, game was hard to find, and starvation threatened them.

Sometimes, after wading all day, they could hardly find a dry spot to camp for the night. Some grew too weak to wade and were carried in boats. The stronger sang songs to keep up the courage of the weak. When they finally reached the opposite shore of the Wabash many fell, worn outsome lying partly in the water. Those who were well built great fires and warmed and fed the faint ones on hot deer broth. But these brave men soon forgot their hardships and again were full of fight.

Clark now decided to take a bold course. He sent a letter to the people of Vincennes telling them that he was about to attack the town. He advised all friends of America to remain quietly in their homes, and asked all friends of the British to go to the fort and join the "hair buyer," as the backwoodsmen called Hamilton.

At dark, Clark's men charged into the town and attacked the fort. The fight went on all night. As soon as it was daylight the backwoodsmen fired through

the portholes and drove the gunners from the cannon. Clark's men begged to storm the fort. Only one American had been wounded, but several British soldiers had been killed and others wounded. In the afternoon Hamilton surrendered and once more the Stars and Hamilton Stripes floated over "old Vincennes."

The Willing appeared in a few days. Her men were deeply disappointed because they were too late to take part in the fight.

Clark put men in the forts at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, and made peace with the Indians round

sur

renders

SOUTH CAROLINA CHEROKEES