by James Otis
CHAPTER IX.
KASKASKIA.
During this evening and the following day we gained all the informationconcerning Kaskaskia which it was necessary Major Clarke should know.
These men who had come upon us so opportunely, were, as I have said,trappers from that outpost, and eager to do whatsoever they might towardoverthrowing the rule of the Britishers on our frontier.
Such desire was only natural, as may be believed when I say that theking's officers pursued the policy of stimulating the Indians againstthe settlers, in order that such as were not willing to own allegianceto the king should be killed or driven from the country.
Monsieur Rocheblave, a Frenchman, had command of the British forcesroundabout Kaskaskia, and the hunters reported him to be an exceedinglyvigilant officer, who kept a large number of spies continually on thealert to guard against the approach of people from Kentucky who wereknown to have taken sides with the eastern colonists in the struggle forliberty.
There were eighty British soldiers in the garrison, and all the redskinsnearabout were in the pay of the commandant, therefore it might be saidthat the force at this point was exceeding strong; but Simon Kenton'sfriends believed it might be taken by surprise, providing we couldcapture the spies sent out by Rocheblave.
Once our people appeared before the garrison, when the Indians were notthere to lend their aid, the post must of a necessity surrender, andthus the work set for us to do might be accomplished without bloodshed.
That this renegade Frenchman was exerting himself to stir up theIndiana against the settlers there could be no question; in fact one ofthese hunters had good proof that such was the case, he having beenpresent when the king's officer offered a certain reward in the shape ofammunition and blankets if the savages would surprise and massacre anumber of families who had made a clearing on the banks of theMississippi River.
Kaskaskia was founded, as I have read, after the visit of La Salle tothe Mississippi in 1683, by Father Gravier, Catholic missionary amongthe Illinois Indians, and was the capital and chief town of the Illinoiscountry so far as the French continued in possession of it. In 1763, itwas ceded by the French to Great Britain, and such of the Frenchofficers as held possession were continued in the pay of the Englishking.
With the exception of fifteen or twenty, such as the hunters whom wemet, all the settlers in that vicinity were of French descent.
The day following our arrival at the mouth of the Tennessee River wasspent in idleness. We had a plentiful supply of meat, and the hunterswere unwilling to talk or think of anything save the possible capture ofthe outpost from whence had been sent so many murdering bands of savagesto shed blood simply that the king's hold upon this fair country mightbe the stronger.
Therefore it was we remained idle, wasting our time, as I thought, untilan hour past noon, when Paul and I had wandered a short distance up theriver in company with Simon Kenton and the hunter whom he had greeted asa friend, and then were spoken those words which lifted from SimonKenton's heart the greatest burden man can bear.
Several times since he so suddenly appeared to me on the bank of theOhio River, having come at a time when he could render my mother andmyself the greatest possible service, had he commenced a sentenceregarding himself, and suddenly stopped, as if fearing to betraysomewhat of his own life which others should not know.
Such behavior, together with the fact that he refused to say anythingconcerning his early life, or why he was serving as a scout when itwould seem as if nature had fitted him for some noble purpose, convincedme, boy though I was, that there was a painful secret which had sent himout from among those whom he loved.
On this day of which I speak, while we were strolling aimlessly up theriver, the hunter said carelessly, giving no particular weight to hiswords:
"I met Donnelly at Cahokia a short time ago, and we spoke of you,Simon."
Kenton stopped suddenly as does a man when a bullet reaches a vital spotin his body. His face turned pale as I had seen it once before, and hetrembled as if in an ague fit, striving to speak, but in vain, and thehunter, alarmed by this show of weakness, would have sprung forward toprevent the scout from falling, but the latter waved him aside as heasked in a tremulous whisper:
"Which Donnelly did you meet?"
"He whom you have reason to know; perhaps it would have been better if Isaid that Donnelly who has good cause to remember you."
"Do you mean Martin?" Simon Kenton asked with an effort, and showing yetgreater evidence of being disturbed in mind.
"Ay, lad, Martin Donnelly, and why should you, above all others, showfear at his name?"
"Tell me!" and Kenton leaned forward eagerly, as if his very lifedepended upon the answer. "Do you mean to say you spoke with that MartinDonnelly who lived some time ago in Fauquier County, in the colony ofVirginia?"
"Ay, Simon, the same. He whom you flogged until the breath had-well nighleft his body."
"And he lives?" Kenton asked with a long indrawing of the breath,straightening himself up as does one who has been suddenly relieved of aheavy burden.
"He was alive when I met him in Cahokia, and counted on settling down inthe Illinois country, if it so chanced everything was favorable. He lefthis family in Virginia so I understood; but reckoned on going after themsome time this fall."
Kenton leaned against a tree, his face hidden in his arm, and we threestood gazing at him in silence and astonishment until perhaps tenminutes had passed, when he turned to face us with an expression such asI shall never forget.
"If you have made no mistake, John Lucas," he said, speaking slowly, andwith a ring of joy in his tone, "if you have spoken truly, there istaken from me that which I believed I must carry to my grave, and fromthere to the presence of my God. If Martin Donnelly be alive, I am afree man once more----"
"I tell you, Simon, I saw and talked with Martin Donnelly," Lucasexclaimed impatiently. "What is the meaning of your words? Why have younot always been a free man, save perchance when the savages had you intheir clutches, as these lads here have told?"
"Here is the story of a man who came on the frontier believing himself amurderer, and doing whatsoever he might to atone for a supposed crimecommitted at a moment when anger held possession of him. As you know, Iwas born in Fauquier County in 1755, where my father, an Irishman, hadwon for himself by hard labor such a home and such a plantation as apoor man could survey with pride. Up to the time I was sixteen years oldthere came no thought into my mind save to be a planter, and continuethe work my father had begun. Then I loved a girl, the daughter of ournearest neighbor, and counted, with the consent of her parents as wellas mine, on marrying her in due course of time. Martin Donnelly cameinto the district, and by unfair means, as I did and still claim, wonher from me. I met him the day after he was married. He taunted me withwhat he had done; claimed that an Irish planter in Virginia was of solittle consequence that the first newcomer could take from himwhatsoever he had that was to be won by fair words, and continued insuch strain until rage overpowered me. I leaped upon him like a panther,using no weapons; and with my bare hands pommeled him until he lay likeone dead. Fear took the place of anger; I tried to rouse him; but he layas does a corpse, and I, believing myself a murderer, fled, pursued onlyby my own conscience, across the Alleghanies, where I joined those whowere pushing forward on the extreme frontier. Since that day have Ishunned the abode of all men save those who live remote from anysettlement. How often I have yearned to see my father and mother, thereis no need for me to say. I dared not go back, believing I would beseized and executed as a murderer; but now I am free to do whatsoever Iwill, and save for the fact that my word binds me to remain as scoutwith Major Clarke until the expedition comes to an end with the captureof Vincennes, I would set off this hour for the home I have dreamed of,but never expected again to see."
Having thus spoken Simon Kenton walked rapidly away up stream, and wethree, awed by his story, and knowing that at such a time it would bebest to leave him alone, returned
to the camp, I for one feeling thathowever great a failure might be Major Clarke's expedition so far asconcerned the British outposts, it was wondrously successful, inasmuchas through it there had been lifted from one man the shadow of a greatcrime.
Not until nearly nightfall did the scout rejoin us, and then all tracesof his emotion had vanished. He was much the same person as before, andyet entirely different, if I may use so contradictory an expression. Imean that there was no change in his manner so far as could be seenwhen we spoke of the purpose of our journey, or of that which was to bedone in the future; but when talking with Paul and me there was agladsome ring in his voice--a certain freedom of manner which struck meforcibly, and yet might not have been evident to one who wasunacquainted with all the facts.
More than once during the evening he referred to the day when he was togo back to Virginia, and during the remainder of the journey it was asif all his future actions were marked out with especial reference tothat visit, only lately become possible.
Not until noon of the following day did the first of the flat-boats comein sight, and it was the advice of these hunters from Kaskaskia that weset out on the march up the Mississippi without delay, lest MonsieurRocheblave's spies should give that officer timely warning of ourcoming.
Immediately Major Clarke came on shore Simon Kenton informed him of whatwe had learned, and the four hunters announced their desire toaccompany the expedition from this point as guides.
Nothing could have been more favorable to the enterprise, and, as may bereadily supposed, the major did not hesitate to accept their services.
The volunteers, all good men and tried, were speedily acquainted withthe facts of the case, for in such an enterprise as this the commandermade no effort to conceal his intentions from those who accompanied him,and it was believed by every one that no time should be wasted at thispoint on the river.
When the last boat had rounded-to and made fast in front of our camp, wewere as well prepared for the march, in fact, better, than we should betwenty-four hours later, and the halt was prolonged only until it couldbe decided by all the members of the party how we might best set out.
After a consultation it was decided that the boats should be droppedabout six miles further down the river to such point as would affordconcealment for them, after which our party would begin the march acrossthe wilderness, and the last craft had not been made fast half an hourbefore we were under way again, Simon Kenton, Paul and I paddling aheadto select a spot where we might leave the unwieldy boats with somedegree of assurance that they would remain undiscovered.
In order that I should be able to tell the story of all we two lads didwhile we were with Simon Kenton, it is necessary that much of the detailbe omitted, else would this poor story run to such length that he whoattempted to read might grow weary in the task.
Therefore it is that nothing shall be set down regarding the marchacross the wilderness, during which we met with no other adventure thanthe capture of one of Rocheblave's spies, whom we met the second dayafter leaving the river.
It chanced to be the good fortune of us three--meaning Simon Kenton,Paul and myself--to come across the fellow while he was cooking a fatturkey, and although it was by no means to his liking, we forced him togo back with us to Major Clarke. He claimed to be an honest settler ofKaskaskia, whose sympathies were with the struggling colonists; but JohnLucas had told us that there were few in the settlement thus disposed,and Simon Kenton believed it safer to hold him for a certain time, thanrun the chances of letting him go whithersoever he would.
The hunters from the outposts soon settled his fate, for they recognizedin him one who had been most active in inciting the Indians against thesettlers of Kentucky, and but for Major Clarke's bold stand he wouldhave been put out of the world in the quickest possible manner, asindeed he should have been, for I counted him a more deliberate murderereven than the savages, and equally culpable.
However, we held him close prisoner by tying him between two of thestrongest men, and I venture to say that during the remainder of ourtramp through the wilderness he got a reasonably good idea of howinnocent women and children fare when they are forced to accompanysavage captors.
Our progress was reasonably rapid, and yet no precautions were spared toprevent surprise.
Twenty of the party, among whom were Simon Kenton, Paul and myself,remained two miles or more in advance of the main body, spreading out inwhat nowadays would be called a skirmish line, and taking exceeding goodcare that nothing escaped our attention.
It was on the afternoon of the fourth day of July when we arrived withina mile of the outpost, having every reason to believe that thus farMonsieur Rocheblave was ignorant that we proposed to deprive him of hiscommand.
Had it not been for the opportune meeting with the four hunters, Iquestion if we should have been able to advance secretly thus near; butthey, acquainted with all the approaches to the settlement, and knowingwhere we would be less likely to attract attention, led us safely onuntil we were in a good position to begin the work on hand.
Although there were more than four hundred in the party, we remainedfive hours hidden almost beside the garrison, and yet no suspicion ofour presence was aroused.
None other, save men familiar with frontier life, could haveaccomplished what at this time seems to me almost impossible, eventhough I know full well it was done.
We remained hidden in the thicket, from which point we could see thepeople of the settlement as they moved to and fro intent on their dailytasks, and yet one might have passed within an hundred yards of uswithout being suspicious that so many armed men were in the vicinity.
It was believed, at least by Paul and me, that a battle must be foughtbefore we could gain possession of the outpost, and perhaps there is noneed why I should set down here the fact that once more was my heartfilled with timorousness, for by this time it should well be understoodthat whenever danger threatened I grew cowardly.
It was one thing to fight against the Indians in the forest where wecould find as good shelter as they, and quite another to advance in theopen against a garrison of men equally skilful with ourselves inhandling a rifle, and protected by a stockade.
I believed, and with good cause, that many of as would be sent intoanother world before the sun rose again, and, unless I was willing toshow my companions how much of a coward I had become, I must take mychances of death with the others.
It was by no means cheerful, lying there in the thicket, not daring tospeak or move lest an alarm should be given, and looking forward to thatstruggle which must speedily ensue.
Had it been possible to hold converse with Paul, then might some subjecthave been brought up which would have changed the current of mythoughts; but I was forbidden even to whisper, and it seemed to me thenas if between us and that stockade so short a distance away, deathstalked to and fro, awaiting our approach.
It is the coward, and only the coward, who reaches out into the futurein search of danger. The sensible man waits until confronted by theperil before giving way to fear, and this was proven to me before manyhours had passed. I suffered ten times more than if we had advanced andbeen severely beaten, and yet, as we speedily understood, I had noreason whatsoever to thus torture myself.
When the night came it seemed to me as if Major Clarke had forgotten forwhat purpose we were there.
Peering out from amid the thicket we could see that the inhabitants ofthe settlement had gone to their rest. Two hours after the sunset, thegarrison was quiet, and yet our commander gave no signal.
Looking forward to wounds, and perhaps death, as I did, the moments wentby exceedingly slow, and I came to believe that almost any danger wouldbe preferable to this stealthy waiting for the signal which shouldprecipitate the action.
Paul, who lay close by my side, seemingly gave no heed to the passage oftime. Like the brave lad I had come to understand him to be, he remainedapparently indifferent to what the future might hold in store for us,gaining the repose which wo
uld serve him in good stead when violentaction was required.
It seemed to me as if the night was more than half spent when I observedMajor Clarke rising to his feet, and, as I afterwards learned, it was nomore than nine o'clock.
The decisive moment had come. If now we failed to capture Kaskaskia,then was the expedition a dire failure, and those who did not fallbeneath the bullets might expect to find themselves prisoners in thehands of captors who would show but little less mercy than the savages.
Before we had arrived at this hiding-place it was decided that the partyshould be divided into five sections, each of which would make theattack from a different point, and now that the signal had been giventhe men formed themselves into detachments, moving silently away in thedarkness as had been previously agreed upon.
Simon Kenton, Paul and myself, were among those who were to marchstraight toward the stockade from where we lay, and therefore we made nomovement until those who were to approach from the opposite side hadbeen given time to get into position. Major Clarke himself was to leadour division, and although he counted on taking the garrison bysurprise, I believe it was in his mind that if a victory was to besecured, we would pay dearly for it in blood.
Well, I am giving over many words to what was in itself but a mosttrifling affair. It only required that we should march up and take thegarrison, as if all the king's soldiers there were waiting with openarms to receive us in friendly fashion.
When the word to advance was given, our portion of the company could seein the gloom far away on either hand the different detachments closingin upon the stockade, and yet not a sound came from those valiantsoldiers of the king, who instead of guarding the outpost were spendingtheir time in slumber.
Nearer and nearer we advanced, believing all the while that in the nextsecond would be heard the report of an alarm gun; but the minutes wentby, and the silence within the stockade was as profound as if none savethe dead held possession.
Straight up to the big gate we advanced, believing that in the next second we should hear the alarm gun.--Page 204. _On the Kentucky Frontier._]
Straight up to the big gate we advanced, and so secure did thegarrison feel in the friendship of the savages, who thirsted for theblood of such white people as were not in the king's favor, that thebarrier was not so much as closed.
We entered and had surrounded the commandant's quarters before any oneof the enemy was aware of our presence, and then came the alarm.
A gun was fired at the instant Major Clarke stood before the door ofMonsieur Rocheblave's house, and the echo of the report had hardly diedaway before he, followed by a score of men, entered the building.
Standing close by Paul's side, directly behind Simon Kenton, I awaitedthe beginning of that battle which seemed imminent; yet grown somewhatbolder because of the fact that we were within the stockade.
While I remained on the alert, my rifle half upraised, there came theword, I know not from where, that the commandant had surrendered, and,turning toward us, Simon Kenton said much as if he was dissatisfied withthis peaceful ending of what had promised to be a most difficultundertaking.
"Well, lads, the first of the outposts we counted on capturing is ours,and we have not been put to the expense of a single charge ofammunition."
"Do you mean to say that there will be no fighting?" I asked insurprise.
"How can there be since Monsieur Rocheblave has surrendered?"
"But we were told there were eighty men here to hold the garrison in theking's name?"
"Ay, lad; but the commander having decided that we shall enter intopeaceful possession, deprives them of a right to make objections.Kaskaskia is ours, and it will be a long day before the king's flag behoisted again. But how is this? One would say you were disappointed."
"I hardly know whether to laugh or cry."
"Why should you cry, lad?"
"Because during this five hours past have I lain in the thickettrembling lest death would be my share in this engagement, and he whomakes of himself such a simple should weep because he is sofeeble-minded."