Dearborn County IN Archives History - Books .....Page 38 1915
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Book Title: History Of Dearborn County Indiana

38	DEARBORN  COUNTY,  INDIANA.
the Catholic priest stationed at Kaskaskia, in making his people see that their
best interests would be served by aligning themselves with the Americans. Father
Gibault not only was of invaluable assistance to General Clark at Kaskaskia, but
he also offered to make the overland trip to Vincennes and win over the French
in that place to the American side. This he successfully did and returned to
Kaskaskia in August with the welcome news that the inhabitants of Vincennes were
willing to give their allegiance, to the Americans.
    However, before Clark got his troops together for the trip to Vincennes,
General Hamilton, the lieutenant-governor of Detroit, descended the Wabash and
captured Vincennes (December 15, 1778). At that time Clark had only two men
stationed there, Leonard Helm, who was in command of the fort, and a private by
the name of Henry. As soon as Clark heard that the British had captured
Vincennes, he began to make plans 'for retaking it. The terms of enlistment of
many of his men had expired and he had difficulty in getting enough of them to
re-enlist to make a body large enough to make a successful attack. A number of
young Frenchmen joined his command and finally, in January, 1779, Clark set out
from Kaskaskia for Vincennes with one hundred and seventy men. This trip of one
hundred sixty miles was made at a time when traveling overland was at its worst.
The prairies were wet, the streams were swollen and the rivers overflowing their
banks. Notwithstanding the difficulties which confronted him and his men, Clark
advanced rapidly as possible and by February 23, 1779, he was in front of
Vincennes. Two days later, after considerable parleying and after the fort had
suffered from a murderous fire from the Americans, General Hamilton agreed to
surrender. This marked the end of British dominion in Indiana, and ever since
that day the territory now comprehended in the state has been American soil.

VINCENNES, THE OLDEST SETTLEMENT OF INDIANA.

    Historians have never agreed as to the date of the founding of Vincennes.
The local historians of that city have always claimed that the settlement of the
town dates from 1702, although those who have examined all the facts and
documents have come to the conclusion that 1732 conies nearer to being the
correct date. It was in the latter year that George Washington was born, a fact
which impresses upon the reader something of the age of the-city. Vincennes was
an old town and had seen several generations pass away when the Declaration of
Independence was signed. It was in


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