I had a different sentiments; as an Although we had scheme to get me into their possession. opinion, and no idea of his possessing such act of that kind would infallibly ruin him. the greatest reason to expect a reinforcement in less than three days, that would at once put an end to the siege, I yet did not think it prudent to agree to the proposals, and sent the following answer: "Colonel Clark's compliments to Lieutenant-governor Hamilton, and begs leave to inform him that he will not agree to any terms other than Mr. Hamilton's surrendering himself and garrison prisoners at discretion. If Mr. Hamilton is desirous of a conference with Colonel Clark, he will meet him at the church, with Captain Helm. FEBRUARY 24TH, 1779.' [Signed,] G. R. C. "We met at the church,* about eighty yards from the fort, -Lieutenant-governor Hamilton, Major Hay, Superintendent of Indian affairs, Captain Helm, their prisoner, Major Bowman and myself. The conference began. Hamilton produced terms of capitulation, signed, that contained various articles, one of which was that the garrison should be surrendered, on their being permitted to go to Pensacola on parole. After deliberating on every article, I rejected the whole. He then wished that I would make some proposition. I told him that I had no other to make than what I had already made-that of his surrendering as prisoners at discretion. I said that his troops. had behaved with spirit-that they could not suppose that they would be worse treated in consequence of it-that if he chose to comply with the demand, though hard, perhaps the sooner * During the conference at the church, some Indian warriors who had been sent to the falls of the Ohio, for scalps and prisoners, were discovered on their return, as they entered the plains near post Vincennes. A party of the American troops, commanded by Captain Williams, went out to meet them. The Indians, who mistook this detachment for a party of their friends, continued to advance "with all the parade of successful warriors." "Our men," says Major Bowman, "killed two on the spot; wounded three; took six prisoners, and brought them into town. Two of them proving to be whites, we released them, and brought the Indians to the main street, before the fort gate-there tomahawked them, and threw them into the river."-MAJOR BOWMAN'S MS. JOURNAL. the better that it was in vain to make any proposition to me -that he, by this time, must be sensible that the garrison would fall-that both of us must [view?] all blood spilt for the future, by the garrison, as murder-that my troops were already impatient, and called aloud for permission to tear down and storm the fort: if such a step was taken, many, of course, would be cut down; and the result of an enraged body of woodsmen breaking in, must be obvious to him: it would be out of the power of an American officer to save a single man. Various altercation took place for a considerable time. Captain Helm attempted to moderate our fixed determination. I told him he was a British prisoner, and it was doubtful whether or not he could, with propriety, speak on the subject. Hamilton then said that Captain Helm was from that moment liberated, and might use his pleasure. I informed the Captain that I would not receive him on such terms-that he must return to the garrison, and await his fate. I then told Lieutenant-governor Hamilton that hostilities should not commence until five minutes after the drums gave the alarm. We took our leave, and parted but a few steps, when Hamilton stopped, and politely asked me if I would be so kind as to give him my reasons for refusing the garrison on any other terms than those I had offered. I told him I had no objections in giving him my real reasons, which were simply these: that I knew the greater part of the principal Indian partizans of Detroit were with him—that I wanted an excuse to put them to death, or otherwise treat them, as I thought proper-hat the cries of the widows and the fatherless, on the frontiers, which they had occasioned, now required their blood, from my hands, and that I did not choose to be so timorous as to disobey the absolute commands of their authority, which I looked upon to be next to divine: that I would rather lose fifty men, than not to empower myself to execute this piece of business with propriety: that if he chose to risk the massacre of his garrison for their sakes, it was his own pleasure; and that I might, perhaps, take it into my head to send for some of those widows to see it executed. Major Hay, paying great attention, I had observed a kind of distrust in his countenance, which in a great measure influenced my conversation during this time. On my concluding, "Pray, sir," said he, "who is it that you call Indian parti zans?" "Sir," I replied, "I take Major Hay to be one of 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 meantime. 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, etc. "II.—The garrison are to deliver themselves as prisoners of war; and march out with their arms and accouterments, etc. "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, etc. "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, etc.; unanimity of officers and men in its expediency; the honorable terms allowed; and lastly, the confidence in a generous enemy. HENRY HAMILTON, [Signed,] Lieut.-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 *Major Bowman's MS. Journal. be 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 dispatches gave much encouragement: our own battalion was to be completed, and an additional one to be expected in the course of the spring." CHAPTER XV. CAPTURE OF BRITISH GOODS ON THE WABASH. 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 toward 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 delaygiving 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 |