“The fort is yours, Colonel,” stated Hamilton flatly.
“The fort is mine, sir,” responded Colonel Clark.
And just like that … it was over. Fort Sackville was once again Fort Patrick Henry. The British were defeated. Vincennes was, once again, free.
Vincennes, though only a tiny village on the remote frontier, would be forever remembered as an important battleground in the American Revolution. It was a great victory for the United States, for the people of the Illinois Country, and for the Little Spy of Vincennes and his courageous band of friends.
the real pierre grimard
and his family
Most of the characters in this story were real people. Pierre Grimard, Sr., was my wife’s fifth great-grandfather. He was born in France and migrated to America in the 1760’s. He married Genevieve Colomb in New Orleans in 1769 and then traveled up the Mississippi River to settle in the remote Illinois Country. He served in the Vincennes militia in 1778 and 1779 under Captain Bousseron and took part in the battle for Fort Sackville.
Pierre, Jr., and his brothers and sisters lived most of their lives in Vincennes and the towns nearby. My wife descends from Pierre’s younger brother, Charles Grimard. Charles actually married one of the daughters of Francois and Josephine Turpin, which means that they are my wife’s fifth great-grandparents, as well! She has two residents of Vincennes and French Patriots of the American Revolution in her family tree!
The elder Pierre Grimard died in 1784, just five years after the battle in Vincennes. Little Pierre was only fourteen years old at the time. We do not know how or why he died. He was buried in the cemetery beside the Old Cathedral Catholic Church in Vincennes, right next to the George Rogers Clark Memorial. That memorial sits on the exact site where Fort Sackville / Patrick Henry stood. You can actually see Pierre Grimard’s military tombstone there if you ever have the chance to visit. (I included my own picture beside his headstone in the “About the Author” section.) If you ever get to visit the site, you will be standing on the exact spot where the battle of Fort Sackville took place!
If you have never been to Vincennes and experienced its rich heritage and history, I highly encourage you to do so. The best time to visit, in my opinion, is during the annual Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous that takes place on Memorial Day weekend each May. Hundreds of Revolutionary War reenactors descend upon the little town of Vincennes and transform the area around the old Fort Sackville into an extensive 18th Century encampment. The weekend includes several battle reenactments, amazing food, wonderful shopping, and incredible hospitality. It is an awesome experience for kids. I hope to see you there next year! Come and visit with me at my book booth!
I hope that this story will help inspire you to explore you own personal history and find the exciting stories that lie undiscovered in your family tree. Though most of this book is fictional, it could very well have been the story of Pierre and the brave Grimard family. My desire is that their patriotism and sacrifices will never be forgotten.
Geoff Baggett
revolutionary war glossary
Barracks – A form of housing or dormitory for soldiers. Their primary function was for sleeping. Often dozens of men were housed in these large buildings.
Bayonet – The sharp knife-like instrument that connects to the end of a military musket. It was used most often in hand-to-hand fighting.
Blockhouse – The corner structure that was usually included into the structure of the walls of a fort.
Breeches – These were the pants of the colonial period. They were secured with buttons and baggy in the seat. The pants reached just below the knee. Men typically wore long socks that covered their lower leg and extended up over the knee.
Brown Bess Musket – This is the name given to the British Army’s military musket. They were mass-produced, smooth-barreled flintlock weapons that fired a .75 caliber (¾ inch) round lead ball.
Bullet / Ball / Musket Ball – The round lead balls fired from 18th century weapons.
Bullet Mold – Sized steel molds used to make rifle and musket projectiles. Melted lead was poured into these molds and allowed to cool, thus producing balls perfectly sized for weapons of the period.
Cannon – The artillery of Revolutionary War. These giant guns loaded through the muzzle and fired either large steel balls or clusters of steel or lead known as grapeshot.
Canteen – A receptacle used by soldiers to carry their personal supply of water.
Cartridge – These were pre-rolled ammunition packs for muskets. Made from paper, each cartridge resembled a stubby cigar, and contained the proper amount of gunpowder and a single lead projectile. Soldiers tore the cartridges open with their teeth, poured the gunpowder down the barrel of their weapon, and then rammed the paper and musket ball down the barrel.
Cease-Fire – A temporary stoppage of fighting, usually giving officers of opposing armies the opportunity to talk to one another under parley.
Charleville Musket – A French army musket that was common during the period of the American Revolution. It was a smooth-barreled flintlock weapon that fired a .69 caliber round lead ball.
Compatriots – Soldiers who fight alongside one another.
Continental Army – Soldiers in the federal army of the United States as authorized by the Continental Congress.
Crown – The shortened form of “British Crown.” It was a reference to the form of British government, which was a kingdom. The king or queen was the wearer of the “crown.”
Dragoons – A special type of soldier in the British army. They were “mounted infantry” who could either fight on horseback or on foot.
Earthworks – Piles of dirt, rock, and wood used as a barricade to protect soldiers from enemy gunfire. Soldiers often constructed these around their forts or around places that they were attacking.
Flintlock – The type of weapons, loaded through the muzzle, used during the American Revolution.
Fort Sackville – The name of the British fort/outpost at the village of Vincennes. When under the control of American forces, it was called Fort Patrick Henry.
Frizzen – The part of a flintlock weapon that the flint strikes to make a spark and ignite the gunpowder.
Gallows – Structures used for the execution of criminals by hanging.
Guardhouse – The jail inside a military facility.
Gunpowder – Also called “powder,” this was an explosive compound that was used to fire weapons. Many men on the frontier carried their powder in hollowed out horns from bulls called, “powder horns.”
His Majesty – The proper, formal reference to the King of England. A queen is called, “Her Majesty.”
Huzzah – A joyful shout, and the early form of the modern words “hoorah” and “hooray.”
Indentured Servitude – This was a form of “voluntary slavery” in which poor people signed over their freedom to wealthy people for a set period of time. In return for their years of servitude they earned something such as passage by ship to America, the learning of a work trade, or shelter and food.
Indian – A traditional term used to refer to Native Americans. The term arose out of the confusion of early explorers. When they arrived in the Americas they thought that they had reached the east coast of India. Therefore, they referred to the native peoples as “Indians.” The name “stuck” and became a word of common use in the United States.
Illinois Country – The common name of the entire region of modern-day Indiana and Illinois. Its westernmost border was the Mississippi River.
Injun – The slang word for “Indian.”
Lead – The soft metal used to make projectiles for rifles and muskets. It is still used to make modern projectiles.
Leggings – Also known as “Gaiters,” these were protective garments for the lower legs. They were often made of wool, canvas, cotton, or animal skins. They were secured with buttons or straps and served to protect and insulate the exposed lower leg between the breeches and shoes.
Long Knives – Recorded also as Big Knives, this was the name given by the local Native Americans to the Virginia Army under Col. George Rogers Clark.
Loyalist – A citizen of the American colonies loyal to King George III and Great Britain.
Militia – Local county and state military units. Most served locally. There were both Patriot and Loyalist militia units during the war. French militia units served with either the British or American forces.
Moccasins – Typical lightweight footwear of the Eastern Woodland Indians. Made from animal hides, these shoes often had a thread that was pulled through the leather on top that caused it to have its distinguishing “pucker.”
Muster – The official forming of local militia units for mobilization in the war.
Oath of Allegiance – This was a custom in the 1700’s. Men would “swear their oath” to a nation, state, or king as a demonstration of their loyalty. Men who swore such oaths usually signed their names on official documents. In the Revolutionary War this was a demonstration of Patriotic Service either to England or to the United States.
Palisades – Walls made from upright stakes or tree trunks that were often pointed on top. They were built for defense, such as in the walls of primitive forts.
Parley – Formal negotiations between opposing armies.
Patriots – People in American who were in favor of separation from England and the formation of a separate country.
Patrol – A military tactic which involved sending soldiers out into the countryside to scout for any presence of the enemy.
Queue – Pronounced “kew.” This is the word for a man’s ponytail. Men in Colonial times wore their hair long. They would often tie it in the back or braid it into a queue.
Redcoats – The derogatory name that Patriots called British soldiers.
Runner – Before the development of modern technology, messages had to be carried “on foot.” Men or boys who delivered messages between a commander and the army were simply called “runners.”
Spectacles – The old name for eyeglasses.
Shooting Pouch – A leather bag worn by frontiersmen. They carried their ammunition and tools for taking care of their musket or rifle in the pouch.
Siege – A military tactic in which an army surrounds another army, usually confined in a town or fort. Once the enemy army is contained, the army laying siege bombards them with fire until the army under siege calls for a surrender.
Station – Another name for a frontier fort.
Surrender – The formal, official end of a military conflict when one army acknowledges that the other is victor. Surrender often has certain terms to which both parties in the negotiation must agree.
Tomahawk – A bladed weapon that resembled an axe or hatchet. This useful tool was used both in combat as well as in camp life.
Tory / Tories – Another name for Loyalists.
Wax Seal – People usually sealed their private letters with a melted blob of hot wax and then pressed a piece of metal into the wax to make an impression or “seal.” This was a way to ensure that private letters were not opened until they reached their destination.
Weskit – Also known as a waistcoat, this was the vest worn over the top of a man’s shirt and under a man’s coat. It would sometimes be worn without the outer overcoat. It was a more formal outer garment.
thank you for reading my story!
I hope that you enjoyed my work of fiction. It was a pleasure preparing and writing it for you. I am just a simple “part-time” author, and I am humbled that you chose to read my book.
I would humbly ask that you help me spread the word about my historical fiction books for kids. You can help me in a number of ways!
•Tell your friends! Word of mouth is always the best!
•Mention my books on Facebook or in other social media. I know lots of students use social media these days. Please mention me, or maybe even post a picture of you reading one of my books!
•Get your parents to write a review for me on Amazon.com. Reviews are so very important. They help other readers discover good books. Tell your parents what you thought about the book and ask them to put your words into the review.
•Connect with me and like my author page on Facebook @cockedhatpublishing, and follow me on Twitter @GeoffBaggett.
•Tell your teachers about me! I have a unique and interesting Revolutionary War presentation available for elementary and middle school classes. I actually bring a trunk full of items from the American Revolution and provide a “hands-on” experience for students. I even dress up couple of volunteers in replica Revolutionary War militia uniforms! I am a professional speaker and living historian, and I absolutely love to travel and visit in schools. Get your teachers to contact me through my web site, geoffbaggett.com, or through my Facebook author page, to arrange an event.
Thanks again! And remember to tell all of your friends about the Patriot Kids of the American Revolution Series!
Geoff Baggett
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Geoff Baggett is a small-town pastor in rural Kentucky. Though his formal education and degrees are in the fields of chemistry, biology, and Christian theology, his hobbies and obsessions (according to his wife) are genealogy and Revolutionary War history. He is an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution and has discovered over twenty Patriot ancestors in his family tree from the states of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia.
Geoff is an avid living historian, appearing regularly in period uniform in classrooms, reenactments, and other Revolutionary War commemorative events throughout the southeastern United States. He lives on a small piece of land in rural Trigg County, Kentucky, with his amazing wife, a daughter and grandson, and a yard full of fruit trees and perpetually hungry chickens and goats.
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