Long Knife (44 page)

The scouts soon were all back in, and reported that the only trace of an enemy they had found was a band of about forty Indians three miles up the Kaskaskia—Cahokia road, and that those warriors were in flight now northeastward along the road to Vincennes. George listened to this curious but heartening news and then decided to do something he had not been able to do thus far: trace the origin of the report which had caused all this alarm.

At length a French hunter and a small group of black men were brought to the fort and questioned. The hunter said he had discovered the Indians in their camp on the branch, and had quickly fled back to the fort. That, George reckoned, had been within an hour or two of the time when he and his party had passed the place and been delayed by the swamped carriage. The Indians, knowing they had been seen, apparently had revealed themselves to the Negroes, who had been going up the road on a wood-cutting party, and told them that they were part of a British army of eight hundred about to attack Kaskaskia. They had warned the Negroes not to take that information back to the town, knowing that of course they would. The result had been the alarm which had thrown the town into such a turmoil, and the express rider sent to Prairie du Rocher to summon the commandant home.

George listened to this account, chin in hand, shaking his head, piecing it all together, not sure whether to be joyous with relief or exasperated by the degree of panic that had resulted from so dubious a report. It certainly pointed out to him how edgy his force had become because of the winter’s rumors and lack of news. When everybody had left but the American officers, George sat at his desk, one elbow resting on it, his fingers curved over his mouth, and looked from one to another of the officers, now and then emitting a puff of laughter through his nose and shaking his head ruefully.

“Well, boys,” he said finally. “Let’s us have a drink, and I’m going to make a vow never to leave this danged town again without taking everybody with me!” He burst into a paroxysm of laughter then, followed by all the others, and the brandy was passed around, and they had a long and uproarious party, most of it spent in laughing at themselves.

“But damn it all,” he roared drunkenly late in the evening. “If it hadn’t been for that fiasco, I’d be in the arms of my sweetheart right now!”

And beyond that point he didn’t laugh any more.

T
WO FACTS KEPT
G
EORGE FROM SETTING OUT FOR ANOTHER TRIP TO
Cahokia right away.

The fleeing savages having gone in the direction of Vincennes had made him suspicious that Hamilton might be in that vicinity.

And there had not been one word of communication from Helm for more than a month. Even taking into account the weather and the distance, that long and total a silence was very suspicious. It had been his experience that only a blanket of Indian patrols could keep a place fully isolated. Even these vast and unpeopled wilderness regions were crisscrossed constantly by at least a few traders, military couriers, half-breeds, friendly Indians, bushlopers, or other solitary adventurers. He sent scouts toward Vincennes, but they were turned back by high waters.

These facts played on his imagination, and he suffered even more uneasiness than he had while expecting the attack, as he had more time to reflect on it. It seemed to him that unless reinforcements showed up from Virginia soon, the entire Illinois and Wabash country would be in possession of the British in a few months—except Kaskaskia, which he was determined never to surrender—and this whole campaign, which had been thus
far attended by such incredible good fortune, would have been in vain.

In the height of his anxiety, on the evening of the twenty-ninth of January, the interpreter Girault came in while George was discussing the predicament with Joseph Bowman.

“Good news, Colonel, a long-lost friend of yours is here!”

“Who is it?” George asked, rising from his place before the fire.

“Señor Vigo!”

The trader bustled in, eyes sunken from weariness but a brilliant smile shining through his black whiskers. They had a noisy reunion, toasting each other with brandy, then Vigo grew somber and sat down in the firelight. “I have a great deal of news for you, Don Jorge. Hamilton has Vincennes.”

“What! But I’m not surprised. And Helm?”

“He’s, well, a prisoner, but with freedom within the fort. He spends his time aggravating General Hamilton, who through some perversity seems to enjoy it. But listen. I’ll tell you how it came about, and I have accurate intelligence about the state of their defense, from my observation and from Captain Helm’s. It seems, my friend, that Governor Hamilton descended on Vincennes on December seventeenth, frightening all the Frenchmen out of any resistance …”

He told the entire story, including details of Hamilton’s skillful renovation of the fort. He drew a slip of paper out of his doublet. “Here is a manifest of all Mr. Hamilton’s arms and stores, and a roster of his forces, British and French. He has two or three hundred Indians about the place now, but a larger number of them have gone home for the season or are out on raids against Kentucky. He expects a substantial body of reinforcements and shipment of goods down the Wabash at any time, and anticipates a return of several hundred more Indians when the weather breaks. That, my dear friend, is all the information I was able to obtain; anything I don’t report herewith is probably insignificant.”

George studied the papers, then handed them to Bowman, who whistled.

“Señor Vigo, this information is invaluable to me. I can’t tell you how many doubts it resolves for me. I, personally, and the state of Virginia, and the American Congress, are in your debt. By Jove, I’m amazed that Hamilton let you leave that place!”

“I kept insisting I was a Spanish citizen. Finally, I suppose, he decided that was a valid point. He released me only after
making me swear upon my honor that I would not come to you on my way home and tell you of his presence there.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. A very perplexing dilemma, my honor in jeopardy, until the answer dawned on me: I went home
first
, touched the door, and then, my pledge thus fulfilled, came here as fast as I could!”

George stared open-mouthed for a moment. Then with a loud whoop, he grabbed the sturdy little Spaniard up in a bear hug and whirled him about the room.

K
ASKASKIA
, I
LLINOIS
, 3 F
EBRUARY
1779

To Governor Patrick Henry
Commonwealth of Virginia

D
^r
S
^r

As it is now near twelve months since I have had the least Intelligence from you I almost despair of any Relief sent to me, I have for many Months past had Reports of an Army Marching Against Detroit, but no Certainty. A Late Menuv
^r
of The Famous Hair Buyer General, Henry Hamilton Esqr. Lieut. Governor of Detroit, hath allarmed us much; on the 17th of December last he, with a Body of Six Hundred Men Composed of Regulars French Voluntier and Indians Took possession of St. Vincent on the Waubach what few men that Composed the Garrison not being able to make the least Defence He is Influencing all the Indians he possibly Can to Join him: I learn that those that have Treated with me have as yet Refused his offers. I have for some time Expected an
attact from him he has Blocked up the Ohio R with a party of French and Indians.

Yesterday I fortunately got every peace of Intelligence, that I could wish for, by a Spanish Gent
^l
that made his Excape from M
^r
Hamilton. No Attact to be Made on the Garison at Kaskaskia until the Spring as passage is too difficult at present. Braves sent to war against different parts of the countrey Especially Kentucky. Both presents and Speaches sent to all the Nations South of the Ohio Amediately to meet at a great Council at the Mouth of the Tennessee R to lay the Best plans for Cuting off the Rebels at Illinois and Kentucky & the Grand Kite and his Nation living at Post St Vincent told Mr Hamilton that he and his people was Big Knives and would not give their hands any more to the English for he would shortly see his Father that was at Kaskaskia Ninety Regulars in Garrison a few Voluntiers and about Fifty Tawaway Indians that is Shortly to go to war they are very Busy in Repairing the Fort which will Shortly be very Strong, One Brass Six-pounder two iron four pounders and two Swivels Mounted in the Bastians plenty of Amunition and provitions and all kinds of warlike Stores, Making preparation for the Reduction of the Illinois & has no Suspition of a Visit from the Americans this was Mr. Hamilton’s Circumstance when Mr Vigo left him.

Being sensible that without a Reinforcement which at present I have hardly a right to Expect that I shall be obliged to give up this Countrey to Mr Hamilton without a turn of Fortune in my favour, I am Resolved to take the advantage of his present Situation and Risque the whole on a Single Battle I shall set out in a few Days with all the Force I can Raise of my own Troops and a few Militia that I can Depend on (whole to only one) Hundred (of which goes on) Board a Small Galley turned out some time ago Mounting two four pounders and four large Swivels one nine pounder on Board

this Boat is to make her way good if possible and take her Station Ten Leagues Below St. Vincents until further orders If I am defeated She is to Join Col. Rogers on the Mississippi She has great stores of Ammunition on Board Com
^d
by Lieut. J
^no
Rogers.

I Shall March across by Land my self with the Rest of My Boys, the principal persons that follow me on this forlorn hope is Cap
ⁿ
Joseph Bowman John Williams Ed
^wd
Worthington Rich
^d
MCarty & Fran
^s
Charlovielle Lieu
^t
Rich
^d
Brashears Ab
^m
Kellar Ab
^m
Chaplin J
^no
Jerault And Jn° Bayley and several other Brave Subalterns. You must be Sensible of the Feeling that I have for those Brave officers and Soldiers that are Determined to Share my Fate let it be what it will. I know the Case is Desperate but S
^r
we must Either Quit the Countrey or attack Mr Hamilton No time is to be lost Was I sure of a Reinforcement I should not attempt to Who knows what fortune will do for us. Great things have been affected by a few Men well Conducted perhaps we may be fortunate

We have this Consolation that our Cause is Just and that our Countrey will be grateful and not Condemn our Conduct in Case we fall through if so this western countrey as well as Kentucky I believe is lost

The Expresses that you have sent I Expect has fallen into the hands of Governor Hamilton

I have the Honour to be S
^r
Your Very Humble Serv
^t

G. R. CLARK

After watching the messenger depart through the snowy courtyard with the messages for Williamsburg, George paced the room rapidly to dissipate some of the energy that always seemed to build up unbearably in him whenever a course of action was at hand. He could scarcely contain his desire to act, and, though the odds against the success of the expedition seemed almost overwhelming, he could not keep down an inward assurance that, with the quality of men he had and the element of total surprise, he could succeed in defeating Hamilton at Vincennes.

He smacked his fist into his left palm. “By Heaven, Joseph,” he exclaimed with an intense breathiness in his voice, “at this moment I would gladly bind myself seven years a slave in exchange for five hundred more troops! With that kind of a force we could sweep through St. Vincents and on to Detroit, no question about it! Come, I’m stifling in here. Let’s walk down to the river and see the
Willing
off.”

In cloaks and boots they went aboard the sturdy, broadbeamed row galley and strolled on the swept decks with her commander. Young Lieutenant Rogers was a cousin of Colonel Clark’s, and had been a veteran of two years in the Revolutionary army in lower Virginia before coming on the
Kaskaskia expedition as a lieutenant in Helm’s company. George had absolute faith in him, and had reminded him a dozen times of the crucial importance of the galley’s role in the upcoming attack on Vincennes. Vigo’s report had shown the exact position of Fort Sackville’s well-stocked powder magazine, and there was a distinct possibility that one accurately placed hot cannonball could blow half the fort away. It would be virtually impossible to attack a British fort without cannon, and because of the two hundred forty miles of snow and mud between Kaskaskia and Vincennes, there was no way other than by river to carry the cannon there. Even that would be a hazardous, barely feasible journey, because of the great crushing ice jams in the river this season and Henry Hamilton’s numerous river blockades on the Ohio and Wabash. But the fort at Vincennes stood on the very bank of the Wabash, and a gunboat like this could do invaluable service, first by ferrying the foot troops across the Wabash, by delivering cannon and heavy stores to the ground force, then by bombarding the stockade from the river side, maybe putting that lucky hot shot into the magazine. It could also prevent Hamilton from fleeing down the Wabash if he were dislodged.

George stood with a hand on a stay-rope and gazed up at the mast, around which heavy snow was swirling. Then he watched work parties roll the last powder kegs and barrels of flour and salt pork up the gangway. A line of laborers passed along cannonballs, which disappeared into the hold. Cannon stood mute and black and solid along the gunwales.

“Jove,” he said. “She’s a moveable fortress. Imagine a fleet of these the length of the Ohio, John. What a line of protection for Kentucky!” It was an old dream of his, this of a river navy, and it had been intensified during the process of outfitting the
Willing
. He had named her the
Willing
after the American river guerrilla James Wiling, but also because the name seemed to describe her stalwart and ready character. The French admired the vessel mightily, and there were now, as always, several villagers standing about on the wharf admiring her curving lines and sturdy oaken construction. There were rowlocks for thirty protected oarsmen. A berth was found for Davey Pagan as helmsman and maintenance man, but his comrades insisted on addressing him still as the Forepoop Swabman, and he was virtually in raptures to find himself once again upon a deck.