Conquest of the Country Northwest of the River Ohio 1778-1783, Volume 1and Kansas City, Mo., The Bowen-Merrill Company, 1895 - Clark's Expedition against Detroit, 1781 |
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Common terms and phrases
acres of land alarm Americans appeared army arrived attack Benjamin O'Fallon big knives boats brother Cahokia canoes Captain Helm Captain Leonard Helm capture church Clark's Grant Colonel Clark command Corn island council creek Detroit doubt enemy English expected expedition fac-simile falls families Father Gibault favor fire force Fort Sackville Francis Vigo friends frontiers garrison George Rogers Clark give Governor Hamilton Harrodstown Henry Hite honor hundred Illinois campaign Illinois country immediately Indians Jefferson John Clark join Joseph Bowman Kaskaskia Kentucky killed knew land in Clark's letter Lieutenant Major Bowman Mason memoir miles military militia Mississippi night officers Ohio Ohio river party peace person possession Post Vincennes prisoners probably provisions received river Rochblave Sackville savages secured sent soldiers soon taken thence tion told took town troops Vigo Virginia Wabash whole William wished
Popular passages
Page 32 - Resurrection I shall Receive the same again by the Mighty Power of God, and as Touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I Give...
Page 570 - GENTLEMEN* : Being now within two miles of your village with my army, determined to take your fort this night, and not being willing to surprise you, I take this method to request such of you as are true citizens, and willing to enjoy the liberty I bring you, to remain still in your houses. And those, if any there be, that are friends to the king, •will instantly repair to the fort and join the hairbuyer general, and fight like men.
Page 333 - SIR : In order to save yourself from the impending storm that now threatens you, I order you immediately to surrender yourself, with all your garrison, stores, etc., etc. For if I am obliged to storm, you may depend on such treatment as is justly due to a murderer. Beware of destroying stores of any kind, or any papers or letters that are in your possession, or hurting one house in town — for, by heavens! if you do, there shall be no mercy shown you.
Page 31 - God for the same, and Calling to mind the mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say...
Page 303 - Getting about the middle of the plain, the water about mid-deep, I found myself sensibly failing; and, as there were no trees nor bushes for the men to support themselves by, I feared that many of the most weak would be drowned. I ordered the canoes to make the land, discharge their loading, and...
Page 306 - Frenchmen to decoy and take one of these men prisoner in such a manner as not to alarm the others, which they did. The information we got from this person was similar to that which we got from those we took on the river, except that of the British having that evening completed the wall of the fort, and that there were a good many Indians in town. "Our situation was now truly critical...
Page 325 - As we could not afford to lose men, great care was taken to preserve them sufficiently covered, and to keep up a hot fire in order to intimidate the enemy as well as to destroy them. The embrasures of their cannon were frequently shut, for our riflemen, finding...
Page 301 - Frenchmen had an idea of. They were backward in speaking; said that the nearest land to us was a small league called the Sugar Camp, on the bank of the [river?]. A canoe was sent off, and returned without finding that we could pass. I went in her myself, and sounded the water; found it deep as to my neck. I returned with a design to have the men transported on board the canoes to the Sugar Camp, which I knew would spend the whole day and ensuing night, as the vessels would pass slowly through the...
Page 570 - And if any such as do not go to the fort shall be discovered afterwards, they may depend on severe punishment. On the contrary, those who are true friends to liberty may depend on being well treated ; and I once more request them to keep out of the streets. For every one I find in arms on my arrival, I shall treat him as an enemy. [Signed,] GR CLARK.
Page 529 - Bayley was ordered, with fourteen men, to march and fire on the fort. The main body moved in a different direction, and took possession of the strongest part of the town. " The firing now commenced on the fort, but they did not believe it was an enemy until one of their men was shot down through a port, as drunken Indians frequently saluted the fort after night.