Soon after
getting news of what Clark had done at Kaskaskia and Vincennes, he began
preparing for an expedition against the latter place.
Early in October (1779) he set out from Detroit with one hundred and
seventy-seven soldiers and sixty Indians. By the time he had reached
Vincennes so many other Indians had joined him that his entire force
numbered about five hundred. The fort at Vincennes, as you remember,
contained only a handful of men, and it easily fell into Hamilton's hands
(December 17, 1779).
If Hamilton had at once marched on to Kaskaskia, he might have captured
Clark or driven him out of the northwest. But that same tendency to "put
off," which had already cost the British many a victory, here again saved
the day for the Americans. Because the weather was so cold, the route so
long, and the other difficulties in his way so great, Hamilton resolved to
wait until spring before going farther.
And not expecting to need his soldiers before spring, he sent back to
Detroit the greater part of his force. He kept with him about eighty of
the white soldiers and about the same number of Indian allies.
About six weeks later Clark learned from an Indian trader how small the
garrison was at Vincennes.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149