waist deep, until they arrived within sight of the town. The immense exertion required to effect this march may not be described. When the men reached the dry land, they were so exhausted that many of them fell, leaving their bodies half immersed in the water.

Having captured a man who was discovered shooting ducks, Clark sent by him a letter into the town, notifying the inhabitants he should take possession of the place that night.

On the evening of the 23d, the detachment set off to take possession of the town. After marching and countermarching around the elevations of the plain, and displaying several sets of colours to give the garrison as exaggerated an idea of their numbers as possible, Clark posted his men on the heights at the rear of the village and opened a spirited fire upon the fort. The men would lie within thirty yards of the fort untouched by its guns, from the awkward elevation of its platforms, while no sooner was a port-hole. opened, than a dozen rifles would be directed at it, cutting down every thing in the way. The garrison became discouraged, and could not stand to their guns, and in the evening of the next day the British commandant, finding his cannon useless and apprehensive of the result of being taken at discretion, sent a flag asking a truce of three days. This was refused, and on the 24th of February, 1779, the fort was surrendered, and

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On the

the garrison became prisoners of war. 25th, it was taken possession of by the Americans, the stars and stripes were hoisted, and thirteen guns fired to celebrate the victory.

CHAPTER IV.

The first block-house built at Lexington-Expedition of Colonel Bowman against Chillicothe-Bravery of Logan-Singular conduct of Bowman-The attack by Logan-Bowman orders a retreat-Harassed by the Indians-The savages repulsed by Logan and others-Land law of Kentucky-Its obnoxious features-Vexatious law-suits arising from it-Colonel Rogers attacked by the Indians on the Ohio-Dreadful slaughter of the whites-Romantic anecdote of Captain Denham and his companion-Ruddell's station attacked by Canadians and Indians under Colonel Boyd-Ruddell surrenders-Treacherous conduct of the savages-Indignation of Byrd-Martin's station captured-Byrd retreats down the Ohio--Escape of Captain Hinckston-His ingenuity in discovering the route to Lexington by night-His perilous escapes-Surrounded by Indians-Reaches Lexington in safety-Indians retreat with their booty.

LEAVING Clark in possession of Vincennes, let us now turn to Kentucky and watch the progress of events in that quarter.

The first thing for which the year 1779 was distinguished among the frontiersmen, was the building of a block-house by Robert Patterson, upon the spot where the beautiful city of Lexington now stands. This was in the early part of April.

In July of the same year, Colonel Bowman led

an expedition against the Indian town of Chillicothe, and as the attack ended disastrously, notwithstanding the bravest spirits of Kentucky marched under Bowman's orders, it may be as well to narrate the affair with some minuteness of detail.

In this expedition Colonel Logan was second in command; while Harrod, Bulger, Bedinger, and others, held subordinate stations.

The detachment consisted of one hundred and sixty men, well accustomed to Indian warfare, and, if we except Bowman, officered by the best men upon the frontier.

So secretly had the measures been taken for a surprise, that from the time they left Harrodsburg until they reached within a mile of Chillicothe, they had successfully eluded the vigilance of the enemy, whom the spies reported as utterly unconscious of their approach, and in a state of the most perfect exemption from alarm.

Putting the party in motion, Logan was ordered to take a left-hand route, and half encircle the town, while Bowman marched to the right in the same manner. When this was accomplished, and the divided parties had formed a junction in front of the town, the attack was to commence.

Logan performed his part of the service with boldness and secrecy, but after waiting for several hours for the approach of his commander, he was doomed to disappointment. Daylight appeared,

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and an Indian dog began to bark loudly. This brought out one of the Indians from a cabin hard by, who walked cautiously toward the party, halting frequently, rising on tiptoe and gazing about him.

Logan hoped to have taken him prisoner, but the firing of a gun from one of Bowman's concealed party on the other side of the village gave the alarm to the Indians and brought matters to a crisis. Even then if Bowman had dashed forward, the attack would have been successful. Logan's party sprang from the grass and rushed upon the village, while the Indians made for the great cabin in the centre of the town. Here it was that, having collected in great force, they determined to offer an obstinate resistance.

Taking possession of the deserted cabins, Logan and his party worked their way from one house to another, until they were within easy rifle-shot of the Indian redoubt.

While thus occupying a good position from whence they could assail their enemies, they began to grow anxious for the coming of Bowman and his party; but as the latter still refrained from making any attack, and as Logan, who had pressed with his detachment very near to the redoubt, was now suffering under a galling fire, he found it almost as hazardous to retreat as to advance.

Utterly unconscious of the cause of Bowman's

inaction, and with his communication cut off by the fierce fire of the warriors who had recovered from the panic into which they were at first thrown, Logan formed the daring project of making a movable breastwork of the planks which formed the floor of the cabins, and under cover of it, to rush upon the stronghold of the enemy, and carry it by main force. Before the necessary steps could be taken to carry out this desperate plan, a messenger arrived from Bowman with orders to retreat.

In utter astonishment and indignation, Logan asked if Bowman had been overpowered by the enemy? No! Had he even beheld an enemy? No! Why then did he wish to abandon the attack? He did not know, the colonel had ordered a retreat! Very reluctantly Logan obeyed, and the evil consequences of such an order were soon made manifest.

Hitherto the men, buoyed up with the hope of support, had acted bravely in concert; now, depressed by an order for which they could not account, they lost all firmness, and each one shifting for himself, broke from the scene of action, leaving his companions to seek safety in any manner they might think best.

This sudden rout astonished even the Indians, who sallied out and pursued the stragglers until they had united themselves to the party under Bowman, the latter having remained, as if stricken