island in the mouth of that river, in order to prepare for the march. In a few hours after, one John Duff and a party of hunters coming down the river, were brought to by our boats. They were men formerly from the states, and assured us of their happiness in the adventure. **** They had been but lately from Kaskaskia, and were able to give us all the intelligence we wished. They said that Governor Abbott had lately left Post Vincennes, and gone to Detroit on some business of importance that Mr. Rochblave commanded at Kaskaskia, J &c.—that the militia was kept in good order, and spies on the Mississippi-and that all hunters, both Indians and others, were ordered to keep a good look out for the Rebels-that the fort was kept in good order, as an asylum, &c.-but they believed the whole to proceed more from the fondness of parade than the expectation of a visit-that, if they received timely notice of us, they would collect and give us a warm reception, as they were taught to harbor a most horrid idea of the barbarity of Rebels, especially the Virginians; but, that if we could surprise the place, which they were in hopes we might, they made no doubt of our being able to do as we pleased that they hoped to be received as partakers in the enterprise, and wished us to put full confidence in them, and they would assist the guides in conducting the party. This was agreed to, and they proved valuable men.

"The acquisition to us was great, as I had no intelligence from these posts, since the spies I sent twelve months past. But no part of their information pleased me more than that of the inhabitants viewing us as more savage than their neighbors, the Indians. I was determined to improve upon this, if I was fortunate enough to get them into my possession; as I conceived the greater the shock I could give them at first, the more sensibly would they feel my lenity, and become more valuable friends. This I conceived to be agreeable to human nature, as I had observed it in many instances. Having every thing prepared, we moved down to a little gully a small distance above Massac, in which we concealed our boats, and set out a northwest course. The weather was favorable: in

some parts water was scarce, as well as game; of course we suffered drought and hunger, but not to excess. On the third day John Saunders, our principal guide appeared confused; and we soon discovered that he was totally lost, without there was some other cause of his present conduct. I asked him various questions, and from his answers I could scarcely determine what to think of him; whether or not that he was lost, or that he wished to deceive us. *** The cry of the whole detachment was that he was a traitor. He begged that he might be suffered to go some distance into a plain that was in full view to try to make some discovery whether or not he was right. I told him he might go; but that I was suspicious of him from his conduct-that from the first day of his being employed he always said he knew the way well-that there was now a different appearance-that I saw the nature of the country was such that a person once acquainted with it, could not in a short time forget it-that a few men should go with him to prevent his escape-and that if he did not discover and take us into the Hunter's Road that led from the east into Kaskaskia, which he had frequently described, I would have him immediately put to death; which I was determined to have done: but after a search of an hour or two he came to a place that he knew perfectly; and we discovered that the poor fellow had been, as they call it, bewildered.

"On the 4th of July, in the evening, we got within a few miles of the town, where we lay until near dark, keeping spies ahead, after which we commenced our march, and took possession of a house wherein a large family lived, on the bank of the Kaskaskia river, about three quarters of a mile above the town. Here we were informed that the people a few days before were under arms, but had concluded that the cause of the alarm was without foundation; and that at that time there was a great number of men in town, but that the Indians had generally left it, and at present all was quiet. We soon procured a sufficiency of vessels, the more in ease to convey us across the river. **** With one of the divisions I marched to the Fort, and ordered the other two into different quarters

of the town. If I met with no resistance, at a certain signal a general shout was to be given, and certain parts were to be immediately possessed; and men of each detachment, who could speak the French language, were to run through every street and proclaim what had happened; and inform the inhabitants that every person that appeared in the streets would be shot down. This disposition had its desired effect. In a very little time we had complete possession; and every avenue was guarded, to prevent any escape, to give the alarm to the other villages in case of opposition. Various orders had been issued not worth mentioning. I don't suppose greater silence ever reigned among the inhabitants of a place than did at this at present: not a person to be seen, not a word to be heard by them for some time; but, designedly, the greatest noise kept up by our troops through every quarter of the town, and patroles continually the whole night round it; as intercepting any information was a capital object; and in about two hours the whole of the inhabitants were disarmed, and informed that if one was taken attempting to make his escape he should be immediately put to death."

When Colonel Clark, by the use of various bloodless means, had raised the terror of the French inhabitants to a painful height, he surprised them and won their confidence and friendship, by performing, unexpectedly, several acts of justice and generosity. On the morning of the 5th of July, a few of the principal men were arrested, and put in irons. Soon afterwards, M. Gibault, the priest of the village, accompanied by five or six aged citizens waited on Clark, and said that the inhabitants expected to be separated, perhaps never to meet again, and they begged to be permitted to assemble in their church, and there to take leave of each other. Clark mildly told the priest that he had nothing to say against his religion; that it was a matter which Americans left for every man to settle with his God: that the people might assemble in their church, if they would; but that they must not venture out of town. Nearly the whole French population assembled at the church. The houses were deserted by all who could leave

them; and Clark gave orders to prevent any soldiers from entering the vacant buildings. After the close of the meeting at the church, a deputation, consisting of M. Gibault and several other persons, waited on Clark, and said "that their present situation was the fate of war, and that they could submit to the loss of their property; but they solicited that they might not be separated from their wives and children; and that some clothes and provisions might be allowed for their support." Clark feigned surprise at this request, and abruptly exclaimed, "Do you mistake us for savages? I am almost certain you do, from your language! Do you think that Americans intend to strip women and children, or take the bread out of their mouths?" "My countrymen," said Clark, "disdain to make war upon helpless innocence. It was to prevent the horrors of Indian butchery upon our own wives and children, that we have taken arms and penetrated into this remote strong hold of British and Indian barbarity; and not the despicable prospect of plunder. That now the king of France had united his powerful arms with those of America, the war would not, in all probability, continue long; but the inhabitants of Kaskaskia were at liberty to take which side they pleased, without the least danger to either their property or families. Nor would their religion be any source of disagreement; as all religions were regarded with equal respect in the eye of the American law, and that any insult offered it, would be immediately punished. And now, to prove my sincerity, you will please inform your fellow citizens, that they are quite at liberty to conduct themselves as usual, without the least apprehension. I am now convinced, from what I have learned since my arrival among you, that you have been misinformed, and prejudiced against us by British officers; and your friends who are in confinement shall immediately be released."* In a few minutes. after the delivery of this speech, the gloom that rested on the minds of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia had passed away. The news of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States, and the influence of the magnanimous conduct of Clark,

*Clark's Memoir.

induced the French villagers to take the oath of allegiance to the state of Virginia. Their arms were restored to them, and a volunteer company of French militia joined a detachment under Captain Bowman, when that officer was despatched to take possession of Cahokia. The inhabitants of this small village, on hearing what had taken place at Kaskaskia, readily took the oath of allegiance to Virginia.

The memoir of Clark proceeds: -"Post Vincennes never being out of my mind, and from some things that I had learned I had some reason to suspect that Mr. Gibault, the priest, was inclined to the American interest previous to our arrival in the country. He had great influence over the people at this period, and Post Vincennes was under his jurisdiction. I made no doubt of his integrity to us. I sent for him, and had a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes. In answer to all my queries, he informed me that he did not think it worth my while to cause any military preparation to be made at the Falls of the Ohio, for the attack of Post Vincennes, although the place was strong and a great number of Indians in its neighborhood, who, to his knowledge, were generally at war-that Governor Abbott had a few weeks before left the place on some business to Detroit-that he expected that when the inhabitants were fully acquainted with what had passed at the Illinois, and the present happiness of their friends, and made fully acquainted with the nature of the war, that their sentiments would greatly change-that he knew that his appearance there would have great weight, even among the savages-that if it was agreeable to me he would take this business on himself, and had no doubt of his being able to bring that place over to the American interest without my being at the trouble of marching against it—that his business being altogether spiritual, he wished that another person might be charged with the temporal part of the embassy; but that he would privately direct the whole; and he named Doctor Lafont as his associate.

"This was perfectly agreeable to what I had been secretly aiming at for some days. The plan was immediately settled,