the principal." I never saw a man in the moment of execution so struck as he appeared to be-pale and trembling, scarcely able to stand. Hamilton blushed—and, I observed was much affected at his behavior. Major Bowman's countenance sufficiently explained his disdain for the one and his sorrow for the other. *** Some moments elapsed without a word passing on either side. From that moment my resolutions changed respecting Hamilton's situation. I told him that we would return to our respective posts; that I would reconsider the matter, and let him know the result; no offensive measures should be taken in the mean time. Agreed to; and we parted. What had passed being made known to our officers, it was agreed that we should moderate our resolutions,"

In the course of the afternoon of the 24th, the following articles were signed, and the garrison capitulated:

*

"I.-Lieutenant Governor Hamilton engages to deliver up to Colonel Clark, Fort Sackville, as it is at present, with all the stores, &c.

II.—The garrison are to deliver themselves as prisoners of war; and march out with their arms and accoutrements, &c. III. The garrison to be delivered up at ten o'clock to

morrow.

IV. Three days time to be allowed the garrison to settle their accounts with the inhabitants and traders of this place. V. The officers of the garrison to be allowed their necessary baggage, &c.

Signed at Post St. Vincent, [Vincennes,] 24th Feb’y., 1779. Agreed for the following reasons: The remoteness from succor; the state and quantity of provisions, &c.; unanimity of officers and men in its expediency; the honorable terms allowed; and lastly, the confidence in a generous enemy. HENRY HAMILTON,

[Signed,]

Lt. Gov. and Superintendent." "The business being now nearly at an end, troops were posted in several strong houses around the garrison, and patroled during the night to prevent any deception that might be

Major Bowman's MS. Journal.

*

attempted. The remainder on duty lay on their arms; and, for the first time for many days past, got some rest. During the siege I got only one man wounded: not being able to lose many, I made them secure themselves well. Seven were badly wounded in the fort, through ports. * * * Almost every man had conceived a favorable opinion of Lieutenant Governor Hamilton-I believe what affected myself made some impression on the whole—and I was happy to find that he never deviated, while he stayed with us, from that dignity of conduct that became an officer in his situation. The morning of the 25th approaching, arrangements were made for receiving the garrison; [which consisted of seventy-nine men,] and about ten o'clock it was delivered in form; and every thing was immediately arranged to the best advantage. * * * On the 27th our galley arrived, all safe-the crew much mortified, although they deserved great credit for their diligence. They had on their passage taken up William Myres, express from government. The despatches gave much encouragement: our own battalion was to be completed, and an additional one to be expected in the course of the spring."

1

CHAPTER IX.

On the day after the surrender of the British garrison at Post Vincennes, Colonel Clark sent a detachment of sixty men up the river Wabash to intercept some boats which were laden with provisions and goods from Detroit. The detachment, under the command of Captain Helm, Major Bosseron, and Major Legras, proceeded up the river, in three armed boats, about one hundred and twenty miles, when the British boats, seven in number, were surprised and captured without firing a gun. These boats, which had on board about ten thousand pounds worth of goods and provisions, were manned by about forty men, among whom was Philip Dejean, a magistrate of Detroit.

"The provisions," says Clark, "were taken for the public, and the goods divided among the whole, except about £800 worth to clothe the troops we expected to receive in a short time. This was very agreeable to the soldiers, as I told them that the state should pay them in money their proportions, and that they had great plenty of goods. * * * We yet found ourselves uneasy. The number of prisoners we had taken, added to those of the garrison, was so considerable when compared to our own numbers, that we were at a loss how to dispose of them, so as not to interfere with our future operations. Detroit opened full in our view. In the fort at that place there were not more than eighty men- a great part of them invalids -and we were informed that many of the principal inhabitants were disaffected to the British cause. The Indians on our route we knew would now more than ever be cool towards the English. We could now augment our forces in this

quarter to about four hundred men, as near half the inhabitants of Post Vincennes would join us. Kentucky, we supposed, could immediately furnish two hundred men, as there was a certainty of receiving a great addition of settlers in the spring. With our own stores, which we had learned were safe on their passage, added to those of the British, there would not be a single article wanting for an expedition against Detroit. We privately resolved to embrace the object that seemed to court our acceptance, without delay-giving the enemy no time to recover from the blows they had received: but we wished it to become the object of the soldiery and the inhabitants before we should say any thing about it. It immediately became the common topic among them; and in a few days they had arranged things, so that they were, in their imaginations, almost ready to march. They were discountenanced in such conversation, and such measures were taken as tended to show that our ideas were foreign from such an attempt; but at the same time we were taking every step to pave our way.

"The quantity of public goods brought from Detroit added to the whole of those belonging to the traders of Post Vincennes, that had been taken, was very considerable. The whole was divided among the soldiery, except some Indian medals that were kept, in order to be altered for public use. The officers received nothing, except a few articles of clothing that they stood in need of. The soldiers got almost rich. Others envied their good fortune, and wished that some enterprise might be undertaken, to enable them to perform some exploit. Detroit was their object. The clamor had now got to a great height: to silence it, and to answer other purposes, they were told that an army was to march the ensuing summer from Pittsburgh to take possession of Detroit. *

On the 7th of March, Captains Williams and Rogers set out by water with a party of twenty-five men, to conduct the British officers to Kentucky; and, farther to weaken the prisoners, eighteen privates were also sent. After their arrival at the Falls of the Ohio, Captain Rogers had instructions to superintend their route to Williamsburgh, to furnish them

with all necessary supplies on their way, and to await the orders of the Governor.*

"Poor Myres, the express, who set out on the 15th, got killed on his passage, and his packet fell into the hands of the enemy; but I had been so much on my guard that there was not a sentence in it that could be of any disadvantage to us for the enemy to know: and there were private letters from soldiers to their friends, designedly wrote to deceive in case of such accidents. This was customary with us as our expresses were frequently surprised. I sent a second despatch to the Governor, giving him a short but full account of what had passed, and our views. I sent letters to the commandant of Kentucky, directing him to give me a certain but private account of the number of men he could furnish in June."

Early in the month of March "I laid before the officers my plans for the reduction of Detroit, and explained the almost certainty of success, and the probability of keeping possession of it until we could receive succor from the states. If we awaited the arrival of the troops mentioned in the despatches from the Governor of Virginia, the enemy in the meantime might get strengthened; and probably we might not be so capable of carrying the [post] with the expected reinforcement, as we should be with our present force, in case we were to make the attempt at this time: and in case we should be disappointed in the promised reinforcement, we might not be able to effect it at all. There were various arguments made use of on this delicate point. Every person seemed anxious to improve the present opportunity; but prudence appeared to forbid the execution, and induced us to wait for the reinforcement. The arguments that appeared to have the greatest weight were, that with such a force we might march boldly

On the advice of his Council, the Governor of Virginia, on the 18th of June, 1779, ordered Hamilton, Lamotte, and Dejean, to be "put into irons, confined in the dungeon of the public jail, debarred the use of pen, ink, and paper, and excluded all converse except with their keeper." On the 29th of September, 1779, an order was issued by the Gov. ernor to send the said prisoners to Hanover Court House, there to remain, on their parole, within certain reasonable limits. Orders were also issued to send Major John Hay, under parole, to the same place.--[Jefferson's Correspondence, i, 455.