History of George Rogers Clark
Extracted from Wikipedia and other sources.
There are no authentic images of Clark from the Revolutionary era.
This portrait of an older Clark was painted by Matthew Harris Jouett in 1825, after Clark's death.
George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was a soldier from Virginia
and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the
American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky (then part of Virginia)
militia throughout much of the war. Clark is best known for his celebrated captures of Kaskaskia
(1778) and Vincennes (1779), which greatly weakened British influence in the Northwest
Territory. Because the British ceded the entire Northwest Territory to the United States in the
1783 Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, Clark has often been hailed as the
"Conqueror of the Old Northwest."
Early Years:
George Rogers Clark was born on November 19th, 1752 in Charlottesville, Virginia, not far from
the home of Thomas Jefferson. He was the 2nd of 10 children of John Clark and Ann Rogers
Clark, who were Anglicans of English and Scots ancestry. Five of their six sons became officers
during the American Revolutionary War. Their youngest son, William Clark, was too young to
fight in the Revolution, but later became famous as a leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
In about 1756, after the outbreak of the French and Indian War (part of the worldwide Seven
Years' War), the family moved away from the frontier to Caroline County, Virginia, and lived on
a 400-acre plantation that later grew to over 2,000 acres.
Little is known of Clark's schooling. He lived with his grandfather so he could attend Donald
Robertson's school with James Madison and John Taylor of Caroline and received a common
education. He was also tutored at home, as was usual for Virginian planters' children of the
period. Becoming a planter, he was taught to survey land by his grandfather.
At age 19, Clark left his home on his first surveying trip into western Virginia. In 1772, as a 21
year-old surveyor, Clark made his first trip into Kentucky via the Ohio River at Pittsburgh.
Thousands of settlers were entering the area as a result of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768. In
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1774, Clark was preparing to lead an expedition of 90 men down the Ohio River when war broke
out with the American Indians. Although most of Kentucky was not inhabited by Indians,
several tribes used the area for hunting. The tribes living in the Ohio country had not been party
to the treaty signed with the Cherokee, which ceded the Kentucky hunting grounds to Britain for
settlement. They attacked the European-American settlers to try to push them out of the area,
conflicts that eventually culminated in Lord Dunmore's War (1774-1775). Clark served in the
war as a captain in the Virginia militia.
Revolutionary War (1775-1783):
As the American Revolutionary War began in the East in 1775, settlers in Kentucky were
involved in a dispute over the region's sovereignty. Richard Henderson, a judge and land
speculator from North Carolina, had purchased much of Kentucky from the Cherokee in an
illegal treaty. Henderson intended to create a proprietary colony known as Transylvania, but
many Kentucky settlers did not recognize Transylvania's authority over them. In June 1776,
these settlers selected Clark and John Gabriel Jones to deliver a petition to the Virginia General
Assembly, asking Virginia to formally extend its boundaries to include Kentucky. Clark and
Jones traveled via the Wilderness Road to Williamsburg, where they convinced Governor Patrick
Henry to create Kentucky County, Virginia. Clark was given 500 lb (230 kg) of gunpowder to
help defend the settlements and was appointed a major in the Kentucky County militia. Clark
was just 24 years old, but older settlers such as Daniel Boone, Benjamin Logan, and Leonard
Helm looked to him as a leader.
Illinois campaign (July 1778 – February 1779)
Clark’s route and campaign from Virginia (Redstone, PA) to Illinois (Kaskaskia & Vincennes)
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Background for the Illinois Campaign:
When the American Revolutionary War began, the Ohio River marked the border between the
Illinois country and Kentucky, an area recently settled by American colonists. The population
of the Illinois country consisted of people of European descent, mostly French-speaking, and
African-American slaves. Thousands of American Indians also lived in villages concentrated
along the Mississippi, Illinois, and Wabash Rivers. The British military presence was sparse:
most of the troops had been withdrawn in 1776 to cut back on expenses. Philippe-François de
Rastel de Rocheblave, a French-born soldier and official, was hired by the British to be the local
commandant. Stationed at Kaskaskia (IL), Rocheblave reported to the British Lieutenant
Governor Henry Hamilton (the “Hair Buyer”) at Fort Detroit (MI), and frequently complained
that he lacked the money, resources, and troops needed to administer the region.
In 1777, the American Revolutionary War intensified in Kentucky. The British had originally
sought to keep American Indians out of the war, but in 1777 British Lieutenant Governor
Hamilton received instructions to recruit and arm Indian war parties to raid the Kentucky
settlements, opening a western front in the war with the rebel colonists. "From 1777 on," wrote
historian Bernard Sheehan, "the line of western settlements was under almost constant assault by
white-led [Indian] raiding parties that had originated at Detroit."
Armed and encouraged by Henry Hamilton at Fort Detroit, the Native Americans, waged war
and raided the Kentucky settlers in hopes of reclaiming the region as their hunting ground. The
Continental Army could spare no men for an invasion of the Northwest or the defense of distant
Kentucky, so defense was left entirely to the local men.
At this point (1777) George Rogers Clark was a 24 year-old major in the Kentucky County,
Virginia, militia. Clark believed that he could end the raids on Kentucky by capturing the
British posts in the Illinois country and then moving against Detroit. Clark participated in
several skirmishes against the Native American raiders. As a leader of the defense of
Kentucky, Clark believed that the best way to end these raids was to seize British outposts north
of the Ohio River, thereby destroying British influence with the Indians. In April 1777, Clark
sent 2 spies into the Illinois country. They returned after 2 months and reported that the fort at
Kaskaskia was unguarded, that the French-speaking residents were not greatly attached to the
British, and that no one expected an attack from Kentucky.
Planning the Illinois Campaign:
Because the Kentucky settlers lacked the authority, manpower, and supplies to launch the
expedition themselves, in October 1777 Clark traveled to Williamsburg (VA) via the Wilderness
Road to meet with the Virginia Governor Patrick Henry, joining along the way a party of about
100 settlers who were leaving Kentucky because of the Indian raids. On December 10, 1777,
Clark presented his plan to lead a secret expedition to capture the nearest British posts, which
were located in the Illinois country. To maintain secrecy, Clark's proposal was only shared with
a small group of influential Virginians, including Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and George
Wythe. Although Henry initially expressed doubts about whether the campaign was feasible,
Clark managed to win the confidence of Henry and the others. The plan was approved by the
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members of the Virginia General Assembly, who were only given vague details about the
expedition. This campaign is the best-known action of the western theater of the war and the
source of Clark's reputation as an early American military hero.
Governor Henry commissioned Clark as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia and
authorized him to raise seven militia companies, each to contain 50 men. Clark received two (2)
sets of orders from the Governor: one was his public orders stating that Clark was authorized to
raise men for his regiment which was for the defense of Kentucky. The other, Clark's private
(secret) order, stated that he was to capture Kaskaskia (IL) and its surrounding towns, along with
all artillery and stores and then proceed as he saw fit.
The original title of Clark's unit was the Corp of Volunteers and it was much like the World War
II unit Merrill’s Marauders. Both units were raised for just one operation, to strike deep behind
enemy line and secure the enemy lines of communication and supply, and kill as many of the
enemy as possible in the process. This unit, later known as the Illinois Regiment, was a
Virginia state unit and thus not a part of the Continental Army, the national army of the United
States during the Revolutionary War. The men were enlisted to serve for 3 months after they
reached Kentucky. To maintain secrecy, Clark did not tell any of his recruits that the purpose of
the expedition was to invade the Illinois country. To raise men and purchase supplies, Clark was
given £1,200 in Continental currency, which was badly depreciated at the time.
All of Clark's companies were raised from the Militia. This basically means that each of the
Company commanders went to the County Lieutenant in the county they were recruiting in. The
County Lieutenant sent out an order to form the militia of the county.
Clark’s “Long Knives” established his headquarters at Redstone Old Fort (PA) on the
Monongahela River, while the three (3) of Clark's associates from Lord Dunmore's War (17741775), Joseph Bowman, Leonard Helm, and William Harrod, each began to recruit men. Clark
commissioned Captain William Bailey Smith and gave him £150 to recruit four (4) companies in
the Holston River valley (VA) and then meet Clark in Kentucky. The four (4) companies were
initially commanded by (1st or A Co) Captain Helm, (2nd or B Co) Captain Bowman, (3rd or C
Co) Captain Harrod, (4th or D Co) and Captain John Montgomery.
Captain Joseph Bowman:
Captain Joseph Bowman (c. 1752 – c. 14 August 1779) was a Virginia militia officer during the
American Revolutionary War. He was 2nd -in-command during George Rogers Clark's famous
campaign to capture the Illinois country, in which Clark and his men seized the British-controlled
towns of Kaskaskia, Vincennes, and others. Bowman kept a daily journal during the trek from
Kaskaskia to Vincennes, which is one of the best primary accounts of the event.
The original unit that Bowman was commissioned to raise on January 23, 1778 had 38 soldiers in
it and was recruited in Frederick County, Virginia. In April 1778 Bowman marched his company
to Redstone (now Brownsville, PA) where he met Clark and Captain Helm. After Captain
Harrod’s company arrived at Redstone, Clark’s Corp of Volunteers marched to Fort Pitt (now
Pittsburg, PA) and eventually fought with Clark during the capture of Kaskaskia and Vincennes.
Bowman was injured in an accidental gunpowder explosion after the campaign, and subsequently
died of his wounds. He was the only American officer killed during the Illinois campaign.
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When the county militia was formed the militia captain would then allow the company
commander (such as Joseph Bowman) to speak to the militia. The commander (Bowman) would
then proceed to tell the soldiers what they were being asked to volunteer for in regards to length
of service and where they would serve (service in Kentucky, at this time even Clark's company
commanders didn't know the real reason of the operation), and he also told them of the State's
promise of 300 acres of land that each man would receive upon completion of the mission.
For a variety of reasons, Clark was unable to raise all 350 men authorized for the Illinois
Regiment. His recruiters had to compete with recruiters from the Continental Army and from
other militia units. Some believed that Kentucky was too sparsely inhabited to warrant the
diversion of manpower, and recommended that it should be evacuated rather than defended.
Settlers in the Holston valley were more concerned with Cherokees to the south than with
Indians north of the Ohio River, and were reluctant to enlist in operations to the north. Although
some Pennsylvanians enlisted in the Illinois Regiment, the longstanding boundary dispute
between Pennsylvania and Virginia meant that few Pennsylvanians volunteered for what was
perceived as a campaign to protect Virginia territory.
Clark's journey down the Ohio River (entry into the Northwest Territory):
After repeated delays to allow time for more men to join, on May 10, 1778 Clark's army left
Redstone (PA) and Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA) by boat with about 150 recruits, organized in 3
companies under captains Bowman, Helm, and Harrod and 20 families that wanted the
protection of Clark's army and who were going to Kentucky to settle. Clark expected to
rendezvous with 200 Holston river valley men under Captain W.B. Smith.
On the journey down the Ohio River, Clark and his men picked up supplies at Fort Pitt and Fort
Henry (Wheeling, WV) that were provided by General Edward Hand, the Continental Army
Western Department commander. They reached Fort Randolph (Point Pleasant, WV) soon after
it had been attacked by an Indian war party. The fort commander asked for Clark's help in
pursuing the raiders, but Clark declined, believing that he could not spare the time.
Clark's little flotilla traveled down the Ohio River until they reached the Falls of the Ohio
(opposite modern day Louisville) on May 27. There, he set up a base camp on a small island in
the midst of the rapids, later known as Corn Island. When the additional recruits from
Kentucky and the Holston river valley (Captain Smith) finally arrived, Clark added 20 of these
men to his force, and sent the others back to Kentucky to help defend the settlements.
When Clark arrived at Corn Island, Captain John Montgomery from Kentucky was waiting for
him. The new recruits were placed in a 4th company under Captain Montgomery. In
Montgomery's company was a scout named Simon Kenton, who was on his way to becoming a
legendary Kentucky frontiersman.
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Corn Island & Falls of the Ohio (River)
On Corn Island, Clark began to train his army. He built a blockhouse to store supplies and
protect the settlers that had come with Clark. After the men were nearing the end of the training,
Clark finally revealed the read purpose of the expedition and read his secret orders to them; this
way they would all know what they had been training for. The news was greeted with
enthusiasm by many, but some of the Holston men deserted that night; 7 or 8 were caught and
brought back, but others eluded capture and returned to their homes.
While Clark and his officers drilled the troops in preparation for the Kaskaskia (IL) expedition,
the families who had traveled with the regiment down the Ohio River settled on the island,
cleared the land and planted a corn crop. This is how the island got its name. These settlers
moved to the mainland the following year, founding the settlement which became Louisville.
While on the island, Clark received an important message from Pittsburgh: France had signed a
Treaty of Alliance with the United States against the British. Clark hoped that this information
would be useful in securing the allegiance of the French-speaking inhabitants of the Illinois
country.
Assault into and occupation of the Illinois country:
Clark and his men set off from Corn Island and proceeded down the Ohio River on June 24,
1778, leaving behind 7 soldiers who were deemed not hardy enough for the journey. These men
stayed with the families on the island and guarded the provisions stored there. Clark's force
numbered about 175 men, organized in the four (4) companies under Captains Bowman, Helm,
Harrod, and Montgomery. They passed over the whitewater of the falls of the Ohio during a
total solar eclipse, which some of the men regarded as a good omen.
On June 28, 1778 the Illinois Regiment reached the mouth of the Tennessee River, where they
landed on an island and prepared for the final stage of the journey. Normally, travelers going to
Kaskaskia (IL) on the Mississippi River would continue onto the Mississippi River, and then
paddle upstream to the village. Because Clark hoped to take Kaskaskia by surprise, he decided to
march his men across what is now the southern tip of Illinois and approach the village by land, a
journey of about 120 miles (190 km). Clark's men captured a boatload of American hunters led
by John Duff who had recently been at Kaskaskia; they provided Clark with intelligence about
the village and agreed to join the expedition as guides. That evening, Clark and his troops
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landed their vessels on the north side of the Ohio River and hid them near the ruins of Fort
Massac (which is still there today), a French fort abandoned after the French and Indian War
(near present Metropolis, Illinois). The next day the army left to capture Kaskaskia.
The men marched 50 miles (80 km) through forest before emerging into prairie. When a guide
announced that he was lost, Clark suspected treachery and threatened to kill the man unless he
found the way. The guide regained his bearings, and the trek resumed. They arrived outside
Kaskaskia on the night of July 4. Thinking they would have arrived sooner, the men had carried
only 4 days worth of rations; they had gone without food for the last 2 days of the 6-day march.
"In our hungry condition," wrote Joseph Bowman, "we unanimously determined to take the town
or die in the attempt."
The Capture of Kaskaskia and Cahokia:
On the night of the 4th of July, they crossed the Kaskaskia River about midnight and quickly
secured the city without firing a shot. At Fort Gage, they captured commandant Rocheblave,
who was sleeping in his bed when the Americans burst into the lightly guarded fort. They
captured the town in 15 minutes. The next morning, Clark worked to secure the allegiance of the
townspeople, a task made easier because Clark brought news of the Franco-American alliance.
Clark offered the French inhabitants “all of the privileges of American citizenship” in return for
their oath of allegiance of safe conduct out of the area. Residents were asked to take oath of
loyalty to Virginia and the United States. Father Pierre Gibault, the village priest, was won over
after Clark assured him that the Catholic Church would be protected under the laws of Virginia.
Rocheblave and several others deemed hostile to the Americans were kept as prisoners and later
sent to Virginia.
Clark soon extended his authority to the nearby French settlements. On July 6th, Clark sent
Captain Joseph Bowman and his company of 30 men along with several predominate French
citizens of Kaskaskia north to capture Cahokia (IL), 60 miles further north (near St. Louis) where
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Bowman captured St. Philip, Prairie du Rocher, and finally Cahokia. The towns offered no
resistance, and within 10 days more than 300 people had taken the American oath of allegiance.
Turning towards Vincennes (Fort Sackville):
Now Clark turned his attention to Vincennes and Father Gibault offered to help. On July 14,
Father Gibault and a few companions set out on horseback for Vincennes. They had letters of
introduction from Clark to the people of Vincennes. After reading the letter and upon hearing
Clark’s word, most of the citizens agreed to take the oath of allegiance and to join the American
cause against the British, and the local militia garrisoned Fort Sackville.
Father Gibault returned to Clark in early August to report that Vincennes had been won over and
that the American flag was now flying at Fort Sackville. Captain Helm gave up his command
when Clark dispatched Captain Helm to Vincennes to take command of the French militia at the
fort. Clark now garrisoned at the fort in Kaskaskia (Ft. Gage) with the 3 companies of soldiers
who received the word that Vincennes had been captured. The Illinois Country now secured,
Clark’s men’s enlistments were up and many wanted to go home.
Clark knew that the Illinois Country had to stay secured, so he offered the men an enlistment for
6 or 9 months. Out of 175 men 107 reenlisted under Clark’s new command. Captain Bowman
was still stationed up north in Cahokia with his company. Captain Harrod left and returned to
Kentucky, and some of his men reenlisted. Captain Montgomery left for Virginia with
dispatches for Governor Henry and the Assembly. Some of Montgomery’s men reenlisted under
a new command (S Company). Now Clark needed some new Company Commanders so
Lieutenant Edward Worthington of Captain Harrods Company was promoted to Captain and
took command of Harrod’s Company. Lieutenant John Williams of Montgomery’s company
was also promoted to Captain and took command of Montgomery's 4th Company.
Captain Edward Worthington:
Captain Edward Worthington (1775-1818) was an 18th century American pioneer and soldier
who explored and later helped settle the Kentucky frontier. A veteran of the American Revolution
and the Indian Wars, he also served as a paymaster under George Rogers Clark during the Illinois
campaign. His grandson, William H. Worthington, was an officer with the 5th Iowa Volunteer
Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War.
Possibly from Maryland, Worthington is first recorded as a surveyor marking land on Beargrass
Creek, near the Ohio River, as early as 1775. He may have also taken part in Lord Dunmore's
War serving as a private. Shortly after being wounded in an Indian attack at McClelland’s
Station (1776), he traveled to Harrod's Town with George Rogers Clark the following month and,
in late 1778, he left his wife in Harrod's Town and joined the Kentucky Militia as a captain under
Clark and was a later participant of the capture of Vincennes.
He was later granted 3,234 acres of land for his service as a paymaster during the Illinois
campaign. In 1779, he established Worthington's Fort four miles (6 km) southeast of Danville,
Kentucky. Although records are vague after this point, he was one of the first settlers to arrive in
Corn Island and may also have served as a representative of Mercer County in the Kentucky
Legislature in his later years.
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Because Clark had new company commanders he continued to send out patrols and have his
soldiers drill. In August, Captain Bowman was elected sheriff of Cahokia, and sat on the local
court. He tried civil cases while he was there. In December Bowman was promoted to Brevet
Major, and Lieutenant Abraham Kellar took command of Bowman’s Company.
Meanwhile, at Kaskaskia, Clark used August and September to gather Indian tribes from as far
as 500 miles away. He offered them the red belt of war or the white belt of peace and by his
understanding of the Indian concept of manhood and some skillfully applied “bluff” he
succeeded in winning their neutrality during the coming campaign.
The British (Hamilton) retake Vincennes (Fort Sackville):
By August of 1778, British Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton at Ft. Detroit heard of Clark
capturing and occupying the Illinois Country. He immediately planned and led an expedition to
retake the Illinois Country. On October 7, gathering his forces of 30 British regulars, 145
French-Canadian militia and 60 Indian allies under Equshawa, Hamilton's main contingent began
the journey of more than 300 miles (480 km) to Vincennes moving south from Lake Erie, down
the river systems of the Ohio and Indiana (Maumee and Wabash Rivers). Coming down the
Wabash, they stopped at Ouiatanon and recruited Indians who had declared allegiance to the
Americans after Clark's occupation of the Illinois country. By the time Hamilton entered
Vincennes on December 17 (in 71 days), so many Indians had joined the expedition that his
force had increased to 500 men.
As Hamilton approached Fort Sackville, the French-Canadian militia under Captain Helm
deserted, leaving the American commander and a few soldiers to surrender. The townsfolk
promptly renounced their allegiance to the United States and renewed their oaths to the British
King George. After the recapture of Vincennes, most of the Indians and Detroit militia went
home. Because it was now December, Hamilton settled in at Fort Sackville for the winter with
a garrison of about 90 soldiers, including British regulars, planning to retake the remaining
Illinois towns in the spring. This eventually became a fatal decision. He allowed most of his
force to return to their homes for the winter, which was common practice in 18th century warfare.
Clark’s route from Ft. Massac to Kaskaskia (Cahokia) & Vincennes
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Clark's march to retake Vincennes (Fort Sackville):
On January 29, 1779, Francis Vigo, an Italian fur trader, came to Kaskaskia to inform Clark
about Hamilton's reoccupation of Vincennes. Clark called an officer’s council at Kaskaskia.
The general decision was that only an immediate strike against Vincennes would keep the
Illinois Country secured. Clark decided that he needed to launch a surprise winter attack on
Vincennes before Hamilton could recapture the Illinois country in the spring. He wrote to
Governor Henry:
I know the case is desperate; but, sir, we must either quit the country or attack Mr.
Hamilton. No time is to be lost. Were I sure of a reinforcement, I should not attempt it. Who
knows what fortune will do for us? Great things have been effected by a few men well
conducted. Perhaps we may be fortunate. We have this consolation, that our cause is just,
and that our country will be grateful and not condemn our conduct in case we fall through.
If we fail, the Illinois as well as Kentucky, I believe, is lost.
So on February 6, 1779, Clark launches the winter campaign and set out for Vincennes with
probably about 170 volunteers, nearly half of them French militia from Kaskaskia. Brevet
Major Bowman was second-in-command on the expedition, which Clark characterized as a
"forlorn hope." While Clark and his men marched across country, Clark sent 40 men in an
armed row-galley (the “Willing”) which was to be stationed on the Wabash River below
Vincennes to prevent the British from escaping by water and to provide supplies and
ammunition.
Clark led his men across what is now the state of Illinois, a journey of about 180 miles (290 km).
It was not a cold winter, but it rained frequently, and the plains were often covered with several
inches of water. Provisions were carried on packhorses, supplemented by wild game the men
shot as they traveled. They reached the Little Wabash River on February 13, and found it
flooded, making a stream about 5 miles (8 km) wide. They built a large canoe to shuttle men and
supplies across. The next few days were especially trying: provisions were running low, and the
men were almost continually wading through water. They reached the Embarras River
(Francisville, IL) on February 17. The army camped here from February 18-21, 1779. They
were now only 9 miles (14 km) from Fort Sackville, but the river was too high to ford. They
followed the Embarras down to the Wabash River, where the next day they began to build boats.
Spirits were low: they had been without food for last 2 days, and Clark struggled to keep men
from deserting.
Clark's march to Vincennes has been depicted in many paintings, such as this illustration by F. C. Yohn.
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On February 20, five hunters from Vincennes were captured while traveling by boat. They told
Clark that his little army had not yet been detected, and that the people of Vincennes were still
sympathetic to the Americans. Clark sent the man ahead with a letter to the inhabitants of
Vincennes, warning them that he was just about to arrive with an army, and that everyone should
stay in their homes unless they wanted to be considered an enemy. The message was read in the
public square. No one went to the fort to warn Hamilton.
The next day (February 21), Clark and his men crossed the Wabash by canoe, leaving their
packhorses behind. They marched towards Vincennes, sometimes in water up to their shoulders.
The last few days were the hardest: crossing a flooded plain about 4 miles (6 km) wide, they
used the canoes to shuttle the weary from high point to high point.
The next morning the army arose to the sound of the morning gun at Vincennes. Again the men
marched back into the icy water and following a trail, arrived at Sugar Camp late on February
22, 1779. The men spent the night cold and chilled on the muddy hill; the small army was also
running short of food. The morning of the 23rd, the morning gun at Vincennes again wakened
the army. Late in the afternoon of February 23rd the army reached Warriors Island 13 miles
from Vincennes. The men were able to rest, recoup and get ready for the coming action. That
evening the army left Warriors Island and began to march towards Vincennes. At nightfall, the
army came into town and Lieutenant Baily was sent to the fort with 14 men. When Lt. Bialy
arrived at the fort the siege began, Clark and the rest of the army were following close behind.
Clark immediately deployed his army to surround the fort. Breast works were erected and
Clark's army continued to tighten the noose around the fort.
The Siege of Fort Sackville:
Clark and his men marched into Vincennes at sunset on February 23, entering the town in 2
divisions, one commanded by Clark and the other by Bowman. Clark's men surrounded the fort
and gave the impression of having a much larger army. Flags sufficient for an army of 500 had
been brought from Kaskaskia and now were unfurled and carried within view of the fort. The
American soldiers, who were experienced woodsmen, could maintain a rate of fire that
convinced the British that the army indeed was large in number. These woodsmen were armed
with the famed long rifle. And their aim was accurate.
To further unnerve the garrison, Clark ordered tunneling operations to begin from behind the
riverbank a short distance from the fort. Such tunnels were used to plant explosive charges under
fort walls or beneath powder magazines. Barricades were thrown up and entrenchments were
dug to provide additional cover. Taking advantage of a slight elevation of land which concealed
his men but allowed their flags to be seen, Clark maneuvered his troops to create the impression
that 1,000 men were approaching. While Clark and Bowman secured the town, a detachment
was sent to begin firing at Fort Sackville after their wet black powder was replaced by local
resident François Busseron. Despite the commotion, Hamilton did not realize the fort was under
attack until one of his men was wounded by a bullet coming through a window.
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The fall of Vincennes & Fort Sackville
Clark had his men build an entrenchment 200 yards in front of the fort's gate. While men fired at
the fort throughout the night, small squads crept up to within 30 yards of the walls to get a closer
shot. The British fired their cannon, destroying a few houses in the city but doing little damage
to the besiegers. Clark's men silenced the cannon by firing through the fort's portholes, killing
and wounding some of the gunners. Meanwhile, Clark received local help: villagers gave him
powder and ammunition they had hidden from the British, and Young Tobacco, a Piankeshaw
chief, offered to have his 100 men assist in the attack. Clark declined the chief's offer, fearing
that in the darkness his men might mistake the friendly Piankeshaws and Kickapoos for one of
the enemy tribes that were in the area.
At about 9:00 a.m. on February 24, Clark's army had all of the soldiers pinned down in the fort
by suppressing fire. Clark sent a message to the fort demanding Hamilton's surrender. Hamilton
declined, and the firing continued for another two hours until Hamilton sent out a flag of truce
and his prisoner, Captain Helm, to offer terms. Helms and Clark met in front of the fort to
discuss terms of surrender. Clark refused Hamilton’s terms and sent Helm back with a demand
of unconditional surrender within 30 minutes, or else he would storm the fort. Helm returned
before the time had expired and presented Hamilton's proposal for a 3-day truce. This too was
rejected, but Clark agreed to meet Hamilton at the village church.
Contemplating his predicament with increasing foreboding, Hamilton finally became resigned to
surrendering. The Englishman requested Clark meet with him at the nearby church, St. Francis
Xavier Catholic Church. Hamilton attempted to obtain liberal conditions while Clark insisted
upon unconditional surrender. After a lengthy and heated discussion they failed to agree upon
acceptable terms and each commander returned to their respective posts. The truce talks had
broken down and both men returned to their lines and the siege began again.
Before the meeting at the church, the most controversial incident in Clark's career occurred.
Unaware that Clark had retaken Vincennes, as Clark returned to his headquarters, a war party of
Indians and French-Canadians came into town. Clark sent Captain Williams with some men to
meet the Indians and ambush them. There was a skirmish, and Clark's men captured six. Two of
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the prisoners were Frenchmen and were released at the request of the villagers and one of Clark's
French followers. Clark decided to make an example of the remaining 4 Indian prisoners. In
retaliation for Indian raids in which numerous men, women and children had been slaughtered,
Clark ordered the captured warriors to be tomahawked in full view of the fort. The bodies were
scalped and then thrown into the river. The executions were intended to heighten the
psychological pressure upon the British, while also illustrating to Indian observers that the
redcoats no longer could protect those tribes who made war on the Americans.
Although Hamilton did not witness the executions, he later wrote that Clark had killed one or
more of the Indians with his own hands. Some historians believe that Hamilton exaggerated
because, after being imprisoned by the Americans for war crimes, he had motivation to make his
captors seem even worse. Clark did not claim to have been one of the executioners, but he wrote
about the killings without apology, believing them to be justifiable revenge for murdered
Kentucky settlers and a means to intimidate Indians into stopping their raids.
Following this grim scene, the lieutenant governor reluctantly agreed to Clark's final terms which
were just short of unconditional surrender. Clark again set out the flag of truce and Hamilton
met Clark at the church opposite the fort. At the church, Clark and Bowman met with Hamilton
and signed terms of surrender. This time Hamilton agreed to surrender, but Clark said that he
would accept Hamilton's surrender on the morning of February 25, 1779. Hamilton described
his thoughts at having to surrender. "The mortification, disappointment and indignation I felt,
may possibly be conceived..." The defeated British army marched out of Fort Sackville and laid
down their muskets before their victors. The surrender occurred 10 a.m., Thursday, February 25,
1779. Clark gave the honor of raising the American flag over the fort to Captain Helm and Clark
renamed it Fort Patrick Henry. When the British surrendered, Major Bowman and Captain
Worthington, along with other soldiers, were firing the 6-pound cannon in saluting the victory.
Sparks landed in the powder box and set off 26 cartridges for the cannon; both Bowman and
Worthington were badly burned. Six months later Bowman died and was buried in the church
cemetery adjacent to the fort.
The Fall of Fort Sackville, Frederick C. Yohn, 1923
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Lt Governor Henry Hamilton surrenders to George Rogers Clark, 24 February 1779
Aftermath:
Clark had high hopes after his recapture of Vincennes and Ft. Sackville. "This stroke", he said,
"will nearly put an end to the Indian War." With the Illinois Country now secured again, Clark
attempted to organize a campaign against Detroit, but each time the expedition was called off
because of insufficient men and supplies. Meanwhile, settlers began to pour into Kentucky after
hearing news of Clark's victory. In 1779, Virginia opened a land office to register claims in
Kentucky, and settlements such as Louisville were established.
Clark kept a garrison at Vincennes, and sent the rest of the troops back to their respective
garrisons in the Illinois country. Clark settled the accounts of the Illinois Regiment and the
State. Early in May Lt. Col. Montgomery arrived, but the number of troops he had was not
enough to attack Detroit. Clark now decided to consolidate his gains and keep the Illinois
Country secure.
The Illinois Regiment continued to carry the fight to the British and their Indian allies, protecting
the frontier until the end of the Revolutionary War and an uneasy peace declared. The Illinois
Regiment was officially disbanded in December 1784.
After learning of Clark's initial occupation of the Illinois country, Virginia had claimed the
region, establishing Illinois County, Virginia in December 1778. In early 1781, Virginia
resolved to hand the region over to the central government, paving the way for the final
ratification of the Articles of Confederation. These lands became the Northwest Territory of the
United States.
The Illinois campaign was funded in large part by local residents and merchants of the Illinois
country. Although Clark submitted his receipts to Virginia, many of these men were never
reimbursed. Some of the major contributors, such as Father Gibault, François Riday Busseron,
Charles Gratiot, and Francis Vigo, would never receive payment during their lifetime, and would
be reduced to poverty. However, Clark and his soldiers were given land across from Louisville.
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This Clark's Grant was based from what is now Clarksville, Indiana (across the Ohio River from
Louisville) and formed much of what would become Clark and eastern Floyd County, Indiana.
In 1789, Clark began to write an account of the Illinois campaign at the request of John Brown
and other members of the United States Congress, who were then deliberating how to administer
the Northwest Territory. The Memoir, as it usually known, was not published in Clark's lifetime;
although used by historians in the 19th century, it was not published in its entirety until 1896, in
William Hayden English's Conquest of the Northwest. The Memoir formed the basis of 2
popular novels, Alice of Old Vincennes (1900) by Maurice Thompson, and The Crossing (1904)
by American novelist Winston Churchill. The Illinois campaign was also depicted in Long
Knife, a 1979 historical novel by James Alexander Thom. The United States Navy has named
four ships USS Vincennes in honor of that battle.
Final years of the Revolutionary War:
Clark's ultimate goal during the Revolutionary War was to seize British-held Detroit, but he
could never recruit enough men to make the attempt. The Kentucky militiamen generally
preferred to defend their homes by staying closer to Kentucky rather than making a long and
potentially perilous expedition to Detroit. In June 1780, a mixed force of British and Indians,
including Shawnee, Delaware, Wyandot and others, from Detroit invaded Kentucky, capturing
two fortified settlements and carrying away scores of prisoners. In August 1780, Clark led a
retaliatory force that won a victory at the Shawnee village of Peckuwe, at the now George
Rogers Clark Park near the current location of Springfield, Ohio.
The next year Clark was promoted to brigadier general by Governor Thomas Jefferson, and was
given command of all the militia in the Kentucky and Illinois counties. He prepared again to
lead an expedition against Detroit. Although Washington transferred a small group of regulars to
assist Clark, the detachment was disastrously defeated in August 1781 before they could meet up
with Clark, ending the campaign.
In August 1782, another British-Indian force defeated the Kentucky militia at the Battle of Blue
Licks. Although Clark had not been present at the battle, as senior military officer, he was
severely criticized in the Virginia Council for the disaster. In response, Clark led another
expedition into the Ohio country, destroying several Indian towns along the Great Miami River
in the last major expedition of the war.
The “Debate”:
The importance of Clark's activities in the Revolutionary War has been the subject of much
debate among historians. As early as 1779 he was called the Conqueror of the Northwest by
George Mason. Because the British ceded the entire Old Northwest Territory to the United
States in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, some historians, including William Hayden English, credit
Clark with nearly doubling the size of the original Thirteen Colonies by seizing control of the
Illinois country during the war. Clark's Illinois campaign—particularly the surprise march to
Vincennes—was greatly celebrated and romanticized. Other historians, such as Lowell Harrison,
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History of George Rogers Clark
have downplayed the importance of the campaign in the peace negotiations and the outcome of
the war, arguing that Clark's "conquest" was little more than a temporary occupation.
Northwest Indian War (1785–1795):
Clark was just 30 years old when the Revolutionary War ended, but his greatest military
achievements were already behind him
Afterwards he led militia in the opening engagements of the Northwest Indian War (1785–1795).
According to a 1790 U.S. government report, 1,500 Kentucky settlers had been killed in Indian
raids since the end of the Revolutionary War. In an attempt to end these raids, Clark led an
expedition of 1,200 drafted men (including Benjamin Logan, the second ranking officer in the
Virginia militia for Kentucky County, who later served as the local representative in the Virginia
House of Delegates, from 1781 until 1787, where he first agitated for statehood for Kentucky)
against Indian towns on the Wabash River in 1786, one of the first actions of the Northwest
Indian War. The campaign ended without a victory: lacking supplies, about 300 militiamen
mutinied, and Clark had to withdraw, but not before concluding a ceasefire with the Indians.
It was rumored, however, most notably by James Wilkinson, that Clark had often been drunk on
duty. Many years later, Wilkinson was found to be working as a secret agent of the Spanish
Government. When Clark learned of the rumors he demanded an official inquiry be made, but
his request was declined by Governor of Virginia, and Virginia Council condemned Clark's
actions. Despite his demand for a formal investigation into the accusations, he was disgraced
and forced to resign. He left Kentucky to live on the Indiana frontier. Never fully reimbursed
by Virginia for his wartime expenditures, Clark spent the final decades of his life evading
creditors, and living in increasing poverty and obscurity.
Clark’s Final Years and Death:
Clark's reputation was tarnished; he never again led men in battle and left Kentucky, moving
into the Indiana frontier near Clarksville. Clark, once the largest landholder in the Northwest
Territory, was left with only a small plot of land in Clarksville, where he built a small gristmill
which he worked with two African American slaves. Clark lived on for another 2 decades, and
continued to struggle with alcohol abuse, a problem which had plagued him on-and-off for many
years. He was very bitter about his treatment and neglect by Virginia, and blamed his misfortune
on them.
In 1809, Clark suffered a severe stroke. Falling into an operating fireplace, he suffered a burn on
one leg so severe as to necessitate the amputation of the limb. It was impossible for Clark to
continue to operate his mill, so he became a dependent member of the household of his brotherin-law, Major William Croghan, a planter at Locust Grove (KY) farm eight miles from the
growing town of Louisville and his younger brother William, one of the leaders of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition. During 1812, the Virginia General Assembly granted Clark a pension of $400
per year, and finally recognized his services in the Revolution by granting him a ceremonial
sword. After a second stroke, Clark died at Locust Grove, February 13, 1818, and was buried at
Locust Grove Cemetery two days later.
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Clark's body was exhumed from Locust Grove Cemetery along with the rest of his family
members on October 29, 1869, and reburied at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
Grave site of Clark at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville
Several years after Clark's death, the state of Virginia granted his estate $30,000 as a partial
payment on the debts that they owed him. The government of Virginia continued to find debt to
Clark for decades, with the last payment to his estate being made in 1913. Clark never married
and he kept no account of any romantic relationships, although his family held that he had once
been in love with Teresa de Leyba, sister of Don Fernando de Leyba, the Spanish Governor of
Louisiana.
Clark’s Legacy:
On May 23, 1928, President Calvin Coolidge ordered a memorial to George Rogers Clark to be
erected in Vincennes. Completed in 1933, the George Rogers Clark Memorial, built in Roman
Classical style, stands on what was then believed to be the site of Fort Sackville, and is now the
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. It includes a statue of Clark by Hermon Atkins
MacNeil.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park marks Clark's victory at Vincennes
On February 25, 1929, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Fort Sackville,
the U.S. Post Office Department issued a 2-cent postage stamp that depicted the surrender. In
1975, the Indiana General Assembly designated February 25 George Rogers Clark Day in
Indiana. Built in 1929, the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge) carries
U.S. Highway 31, over the Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky.
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Other statues of Clark can be found in:
 Metropolis, Fort Massac, Illinois, by sculptor Leon Hermant, placed by the Daughters of
the American Revolution in the early 1900s.
 Louisville, Kentucky, by sculptor Felix de Weldon, at Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, next to
the wharf on the Ohio River.
 Springfield, Ohio, by Charles Keck at the site of the Battle of Piqua.
 Charlottesville, Virginia, by Robert Aitken on the grounds of the University of Virginia.
 Quincy, Illinois, in Riverview Park, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River.
 Indianapolis, Indiana, by sculptor John H. Mahoney, on Monument Circle.
Statue by MacNeil at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Places named for Clark include:
 Clark County, Illinois
 Clark County, Indiana
 Clark County, Kentucky, which is the home of George Rogers Clark High School.
 Clark County, Ohio, which is the home of Clark State Community College.
 Clarke County, Virginia
 Clarksburg, West Virginia
 Clarksville, Indiana
 Clarksville, Tennessee
 Clark Street (Chicago)
 George Rogers Clark, a campsite at Woodland Trails Scout Reservation, Camden, Ohio
Schools named after Clark include:
 George Rogers Clark College in Indianapolis, Indiana (closed 1992)
 George Rogers Clark Elementary School in Clarksville, Indiana (closed 2010)
 George Rogers Clark Middle/High School in Hammond, Indiana,
 George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky
 Clark Middle School in Winchester, Kentucky
 Clark Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia
 George Rogers Clark Middle School in Vincennes, Indiana
 George Rogers Clark Elementary School of Chicago.
 George Rogers Clark Elementary School in Paducah, Kentucky
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