Clark's Orders

After petitioning the Virginia governor for aid for the wilderness settlements in Kentucky, George Rogers Clark got his orders from Congress and they were twofold:  one commissioned him to raise seven companies of 50 men each for militia duty in Kentucky, the other was a secret order to use this force in an expedition to capture the British post of Kaskaskia.

To meet the costs of these orders only 1200 pounds could be raised but the Governor did promise to try to secure 300 acres of land as a reward for each soldier.  Secrecy was paramount, even being kept from the Virginia Assembly.  Men and supplies were gathered at Fort Pitt and Wheeling to be carried down the Ohio to "the Falls" opposite St. Louis.  The 175 men were ready on June 24, 1778. 

There were many risks to the mission, one being superstition.  The men believed that an eclipse of the sun was an evil omen and threatened to turn back.  Clark believed none of this nonsense and commanded the men to move forward.  When they approached the Mississippi, it would have betrayed their object to be seen by the post's defenders, so Clark opted for an overland route. 

At the deserted Fort Massac, just below the mouth of the Tennessee River, the army left the Ohio and began a 120 mile trek through the tangled forests and prairies of Illinois.  Six days later they were three miles from Kaskaskia on the banks of the Kaskaskia River.  Moving by night, they crossed in boats, seized a farmhouse and arrived at the palisades undetected.  Half the army formed a barrier so that no one could escape, while the other half followed Clark into the settlement.

The story goes that there was a ball given that night which all of Kaskaskia's elite attended, as well as all those of the neighboring settlements.  Clark entered the ball room and stood in the doorway calmly watching the festivities.   A war cry went up when one of the Indian guests recognized Clark and disorder followed.  Clark got them calmed down and still standing proud, instructed the party goers to continue with their dancing, but no longer as subjects of King George, but of Virginia. 

The story is not actually supported by historians, but it was passed down through generations and makes a great tale!  In any case the settlement was taken and Clark's orders were carried out.

Next time:  the aftermath
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On February 18, 1885. Samuel Clemens publishes the controversial novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn under the pen name Mark Twain.