dental advantage which might be presented. As he approached the town, over the wide, beautiful prairie on which it stands, and at the moment when his troops were discovered by the enemy, he found himself near a small circular eminence, which concealed a part of his force from the observation of the foe. Under this cover, he countermarched his column in so skillful a manner, that the leading files, which had been seen from the town, were transferred, undiscovered, to the rear, and made to pass again and again in sight of the enemy, until all his men had been displayed several times, and his little detachment of jaded troops, was made to assume the appearance of a long column, greatly superior in number to its actual force. He then promptly summoned the garrison to surrender. Governor Hamilton, after a brief defence, struck his flag; and the gallant Clarke found himself master of an important post, whose garrison, now his prisoners, consisted of a well appointed body of soldiers, twice as numerous as his own followers.

These brilliant exploits of Colonel Clarke, had an important bearing upon the interests of the western country, both direct and consequential. They gave, for the moment, safety and repose to the harassed inhabitants of Kentucky, and struck with terror the whole savage population of the wide region through which he passed. They deranged an extensive plan of operations on the part of the enemy, the design of which was to annihilate all the border settlements, by pouring in the combined Indian force along the whole line of our frontier, while they detached

from the British interest, many tribes who had long acted under the control of that power. They hastened, if they did not contribute to produce, the most important political event connected with the history of the western country- the purchase of Louisiana. The limits of the United States were extended to the Mississippi, where they remained fixed; and Virginia, assuming her title to the conquered territory, in right of her charter, as well as of the conquest by her own arms, proceeded at once to erect it into a county, which was called Illinois.

Another direct consequence of the successes of Colonel Clarke, was the founding of Louisville. Previous to that period, the families who were collected at the falls of Ohio, had sought safety upon the island abreast of the present site of the town; but the capture of Vincennes, by breaking up the nearest and strongest of the enemy's western posts, relieved their apprehensions of danger, and enabled them to settle on the Kentucky shore.

The enterprising spirit of Clarke, was shared by those who followed him. Among them, was Simon Kenton, one of the most celebrated and daring of the pioneers. After the fall of Kaskaskia, he was sent with a small party to Kentucky, with despatches. On their way, they fell in with a camp of Indians, in whose possession was a number of horses, which they took and sent back to the army. Pursuing their way by Vincennes, they entered that place by night, traversed several of the streets, and departed without being discovered, taking from the inhabitants, who were hostile, two horses for each man. When

they came to White river, a raft was made, on which to transport the guns and baggage, while the horses were driven in to swim across the river. On the opposite shore, a party of Indians were encamped, who caught the horses as they ascended the bank. Such are the vicissitudes of border incident! The same horses that had been audaciously taken only the night before, from the interior of a regularly garrisoned town, were lost, by being accidentally driven by the captors into a camp of the enemy. Kenton and his party, finding themselves in the ut most danger, returned to the shore from which they had pushed their raft, and concealed themselves until night, when they crossed the river at a different place, and reached Kentucky in safety.

We shall insert here, another anecdote of Kenton, as a specimen of the daring spirit of the pioneers, and of the singular adventures through which some of them passed. A party of Indians having stolen some horses in Kentucky, Kenton, with a few companions, pursued them across the Ohio, keeping upon their trail for several days undiscovered, and without getting an opportunity of attacking them, until the Indians reached their village. In the night, Kenton and his men entered the village secretly, and not only recaptured the stolen property, but took also, several of the best of the Indians' horses. Kenton fled with the booty rapidly towards home, and the Indians, discovering their loss, became, in turn, the pursuers. The Americans reached the western shore of the Ohio in safety; but being unable to cross without risking the loss of the horses, which had cost them

so much toil and danger, in consequence of a high wind, they were delayed until the Indians overtook them, and Kenton was captured, while his compan ions escaped.

The Indians either knew Kenton, or discovered from his bearing and his conduct on this occasion, that he was an extraordinary man; and while they exulted in his capture, they practised upon him every possible cruelty. They taunted him with sarcastic compliments upon his love for horses, and assured him that he should ride one of their best animals. He was accordingly bound securely upon a vicious young horse, which was turned loose without a bridle, to follow the party. The animal reared and plunged and dashed through the woods, endeavoring, in vain, to'shake off its rider; until wearied out, it became more tame, and quietly fell into the rear of the other horses. Still the situation of Kenton was not the less painful; for the horse, becoming accustomed to the burthen, would often stop to graze, lingering until the party was nearly out of sight, and then dashing forward, would pursue them at full speed, dragging the lacerated body of the wretched pioneer under the overhanging branches, and plunging with him through the closest thickets, as if with the purpose of increasing his misery.

On his arrival at Chillicothe, the most populous of the Indian towns in this region, he was painted black, tied to a stake, and suffered to remain in this painful situation for twenty-four hours, anticipating the horrors of a slow and cruel death. He was next condemned to run the gauntlet. The Indians, several

hundred in number, of both sexes, and every age and rank, armed with switches, sticks, and other implements of annoyance, were formed in two lines, between which the unhappy prisoner was made to pass; having been promised, that if he reached in safety the door of the council-house, at the farther end of the lines, no further punishment would be inflicted. He accordingly ran with all the speed of which his debilitated condition rendered him capable, beaten by the savages as he passed, and had nearly reached the goal, when he was knocked down by a warrior with a club; and the demoniac crew, gathering around his prostrate body, continued to beat him, until life seemed to be nearly extinguished.

In this wretched condition, naked, lacerated, and exhausted, he was marched from town to town, exhibited, tortured, often threatened to be burned at the stake, and frequently compelledto run the gauntlet. On one of these occasions, he attempted to make his escape, broke through the ranks of his torturers, and had outstripped those who pursued him, when he was met by some warriors on horseback, who compelled him to surrender. After running the gauntlet in thirteen towns, he was taken to Lower Sandusky, to be burned. Here resided the miscreant Girty, who having just returned from an unsuccessful expedition against the frontiers of Pennsylvania, was in a particularly ill humor, and hearing that there was a white prisoner in town, he rushed upon him, struck him, beat him to the ground, and was proceeding to farther atrocities, when Kenton had the presence of mind to call him by name, and claim his protection.