Gwynne Tuell Potts
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780813178677
- eISBN:
- 9780813178707
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813178677.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century
George Rogers Clark, the son of middling Virginia gentry, escaped a short stint of education and fled to the eastern bank of the Ohio River at the age of nineteen. Trained as a surveyor, he made ...
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George Rogers Clark, the son of middling Virginia gentry, escaped a short stint of education and fled to the eastern bank of the Ohio River at the age of nineteen. Trained as a surveyor, he made frequent trips to Fort Pitt, where he heard Croghan describe the land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi.
Dunmore, Virginia’s last colonial governor and an investor in Croghan’s Illinois Land Company, began a series of skirmishes with trans-Appalachian American Indians to rid the territory of any cause that retarded settlement (and land sales). Clark, after riding with Dunmore against Cornstalk, moved to Kentucky and soon challenged the new Virginia Assembly to defend Kentucky from British and Indian raids or cede the territory to the people. He is credited with creating Kentucky County, Virginia.Less
George Rogers Clark, the son of middling Virginia gentry, escaped a short stint of education and fled to the eastern bank of the Ohio River at the age of nineteen. Trained as a surveyor, he made frequent trips to Fort Pitt, where he heard Croghan describe the land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi.
Dunmore, Virginia’s last colonial governor and an investor in Croghan’s Illinois Land Company, began a series of skirmishes with trans-Appalachian American Indians to rid the territory of any cause that retarded settlement (and land sales). Clark, after riding with Dunmore against Cornstalk, moved to Kentucky and soon challenged the new Virginia Assembly to defend Kentucky from British and Indian raids or cede the territory to the people. He is credited with creating Kentucky County, Virginia.
Gwynne Tuell Potts
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780813178677
- eISBN:
- 9780813178707
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813178677.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century
This is a story of greed, adventure and settlement; of causes won and lost. The book’s theme is eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflict and settlement in the Ohio River valley, told within ...
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This is a story of greed, adventure and settlement; of causes won and lost. The book’s theme is eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflict and settlement in the Ohio River valley, told within the context of the national and international events that led to the American Revolution and guided Kentucky’s postwar future.“Colonel” George Croghan serves as the exemplar of Britain’s trans-Appalachian experience.
The Revolution was fought in three theaters; the northern belonged to George Washington, and among his officers was Croghan’s nephew, Major William Croghan. The major joined the southern theater at the moment the Continental Army surrendered to Britain in Charleston. The third theater was the Revolution in the West, and its leader was Virginia colonel, later general, George Rogers Clark, whose vision secured the old Northwest Territory for the new nation. Taken together, the war adventures of Clark and Croghan epitomize the American course of the Revolution.
Croghan and Clark arrived at the Falls of the Ohio River after the Revolutionto survey the land that served as payment for Virginia’s soldiers. Clark, however, regularly was called by Virginia and the federal government to secure peace in the Ohio River valley, leading to his financial ruin and emotional decline. Croghan, his partner and brother-in-law, remained at Clark’s side throughout it all, even as he prospered in the new world they had fought to create, while Clark languished.Less
This is a story of greed, adventure and settlement; of causes won and lost. The book’s theme is eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century conflict and settlement in the Ohio River valley, told within the context of the national and international events that led to the American Revolution and guided Kentucky’s postwar future.“Colonel” George Croghan serves as the exemplar of Britain’s trans-Appalachian experience.
The Revolution was fought in three theaters; the northern belonged to George Washington, and among his officers was Croghan’s nephew, Major William Croghan. The major joined the southern theater at the moment the Continental Army surrendered to Britain in Charleston. The third theater was the Revolution in the West, and its leader was Virginia colonel, later general, George Rogers Clark, whose vision secured the old Northwest Territory for the new nation. Taken together, the war adventures of Clark and Croghan epitomize the American course of the Revolution.
Croghan and Clark arrived at the Falls of the Ohio River after the Revolutionto survey the land that served as payment for Virginia’s soldiers. Clark, however, regularly was called by Virginia and the federal government to secure peace in the Ohio River valley, leading to his financial ruin and emotional decline. Croghan, his partner and brother-in-law, remained at Clark’s side throughout it all, even as he prospered in the new world they had fought to create, while Clark languished.
Robert G. Parkinson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781469626635
- eISBN:
- 9781469628103
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469626635.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century
After Saratoga, as the British adjusted their strategy and began to consider taking the war to the Deep South, the participation of African Americans and Indians in the Revolutionary War grew. The ...
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After Saratoga, as the British adjusted their strategy and began to consider taking the war to the Deep South, the participation of African Americans and Indians in the Revolutionary War grew. The narrative of Indian proxies reached unprecedented levels as patriot publicists screamed about the evil behavior of British villains such as Henry "the Hair-Buyer" Hamilton and Joseph Brant and spread rumors about the terrible violence these men inflicted on innocent Americans in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Valley, New York. At the same time, patriots found new heroes in George Rogers Clark and John Sullivan and vociferously praised their intrepid efforts to exact revenge against the king's agents and Indian allies. Sullivan's campaign against the Iroquois in 1779 was touted as an extension of the same war against British redcoats. As Georgia became another important theater of war, the participation of African Americans there became another central topic heralded by patriot publicists. Stories of blacks' aiding the British in their occupation of Savannah, Georgia, appeared whenever the patriots were able to get stories from the Deep South, a place where their communication networks were weakest.Less
After Saratoga, as the British adjusted their strategy and began to consider taking the war to the Deep South, the participation of African Americans and Indians in the Revolutionary War grew. The narrative of Indian proxies reached unprecedented levels as patriot publicists screamed about the evil behavior of British villains such as Henry "the Hair-Buyer" Hamilton and Joseph Brant and spread rumors about the terrible violence these men inflicted on innocent Americans in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Valley, New York. At the same time, patriots found new heroes in George Rogers Clark and John Sullivan and vociferously praised their intrepid efforts to exact revenge against the king's agents and Indian allies. Sullivan's campaign against the Iroquois in 1779 was touted as an extension of the same war against British redcoats. As Georgia became another important theater of war, the participation of African Americans there became another central topic heralded by patriot publicists. Stories of blacks' aiding the British in their occupation of Savannah, Georgia, appeared whenever the patriots were able to get stories from the Deep South, a place where their communication networks were weakest.
Gillum Ferguson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252036743
- eISBN:
- 9780252094552
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252036743.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Military History
This chapter focuses on William Clark, who replaced Brigadier General Benjamin Howard in command at Saint Louis. Major General William Henry Harrison suggested Clark, whom he knew from the days when ...
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This chapter focuses on William Clark, who replaced Brigadier General Benjamin Howard in command at Saint Louis. Major General William Henry Harrison suggested Clark, whom he knew from the days when they had both served under “Mad Anthony” Wayne. Son of a prominent Virginia family, and the younger brother of George Rogers Clark—the conqueror of Kaskaskia and Vincennes—William had followed his elder brother into the army. William was already experienced in Indian warfare when he commanded a column of riflemen at the battle of Fallen Timbers (1794), and the next year he was present when the Treaty of Greenville brought the Indian war to a close. After the treaty, Clark resigned from the army and occupied himself with his private affairs until Meriwether Lewis suggested him as joint commander of the Corps of Discovery.Less
This chapter focuses on William Clark, who replaced Brigadier General Benjamin Howard in command at Saint Louis. Major General William Henry Harrison suggested Clark, whom he knew from the days when they had both served under “Mad Anthony” Wayne. Son of a prominent Virginia family, and the younger brother of George Rogers Clark—the conqueror of Kaskaskia and Vincennes—William had followed his elder brother into the army. William was already experienced in Indian warfare when he commanded a column of riflemen at the battle of Fallen Timbers (1794), and the next year he was present when the Treaty of Greenville brought the Indian war to a close. After the treaty, Clark resigned from the army and occupied himself with his private affairs until Meriwether Lewis suggested him as joint commander of the Corps of Discovery.
Susan Sleeper-Smith
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781469640587
- eISBN:
- 9781469640600
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469640587.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, American History: early to 18th Century
This chapter examines the impact on Indian villages following George Rogers Clark’s seizure of Fort Vincennes from the British in 1779. Clark modeled how he expected his militia followers to deal ...
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This chapter examines the impact on Indian villages following George Rogers Clark’s seizure of Fort Vincennes from the British in 1779. Clark modeled how he expected his militia followers to deal with Indians. Rather than negotiate with them, Clark scorned, intimidated, brutalized, and killed Native people. He encouraged his men to loot prosperous Indian villages along the lower Wabash. Raiding and plundering thriving Indian communities became a profitable venture for Clark’s penniless militia and for the squatters who followed them onto Kentucky lands. Marauders made substantial profits from the Indian clothing, silver ornaments, and household goods stolen on these assaults. Auctions took place regularly along the Kentucky frontier as returning raiders sold the booty and then divided the profits among themselves. Indians who had signed peace treaties with the U.S. became easy targets. The frequent massacre of peaceful Indian leaders and their followers led to support for a Pan-Indian Confederacy. Determined to keep the Ohio River as the boundary line with U.S. lands, this confederacy dealt a humiliating defeat to the U.S. Army, led by General Harmar, and left President Washington resolved to seek revenge.Less
This chapter examines the impact on Indian villages following George Rogers Clark’s seizure of Fort Vincennes from the British in 1779. Clark modeled how he expected his militia followers to deal with Indians. Rather than negotiate with them, Clark scorned, intimidated, brutalized, and killed Native people. He encouraged his men to loot prosperous Indian villages along the lower Wabash. Raiding and plundering thriving Indian communities became a profitable venture for Clark’s penniless militia and for the squatters who followed them onto Kentucky lands. Marauders made substantial profits from the Indian clothing, silver ornaments, and household goods stolen on these assaults. Auctions took place regularly along the Kentucky frontier as returning raiders sold the booty and then divided the profits among themselves. Indians who had signed peace treaties with the U.S. became easy targets. The frequent massacre of peaceful Indian leaders and their followers led to support for a Pan-Indian Confederacy. Determined to keep the Ohio River as the boundary line with U.S. lands, this confederacy dealt a humiliating defeat to the U.S. Army, led by General Harmar, and left President Washington resolved to seek revenge.
Carlton Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780813161051
- eISBN:
- 9780813165516
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813161051.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Military History
Although Chinn retired from the KHS and led a less busy life, he was still greatly active. He worked to improve the local humane society, but his greatest role was as writer. He dealt with ...
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Although Chinn retired from the KHS and led a less busy life, he was still greatly active. He worked to improve the local humane society, but his greatest role was as writer. He dealt with controversy surrounding an attempted publication of volume 5 of his The Machine Gun, and was a noted historian. George Rogers Clark was a hero of Chinn’s, and Chinn worked to memorialize him in Kentucky. He continued as well to receive various military honors. Due to all the shooting and weapons work, Chinn became near deaf. He died at his home in 1987 at the age of eighty-five. At his funeral, he received full military rites and a military salute. Today, there is a memorial marker in Harrodsburg about him.Less
Although Chinn retired from the KHS and led a less busy life, he was still greatly active. He worked to improve the local humane society, but his greatest role was as writer. He dealt with controversy surrounding an attempted publication of volume 5 of his The Machine Gun, and was a noted historian. George Rogers Clark was a hero of Chinn’s, and Chinn worked to memorialize him in Kentucky. He continued as well to receive various military honors. Due to all the shooting and weapons work, Chinn became near deaf. He died at his home in 1987 at the age of eighty-five. At his funeral, he received full military rites and a military salute. Today, there is a memorial marker in Harrodsburg about him.
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226514246
- eISBN:
- 9780226514239
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226514239.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, American History: 19th Century
In the late winter of 1778, two years into the American Revolution, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark began planning an attack on a British post in the far western Illinois Country. Clark and ...
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In the late winter of 1778, two years into the American Revolution, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark began planning an attack on a British post in the far western Illinois Country. Clark and his men descended the Ohio River from Fort Pitt until they reached the Illinois shore at the site of an abandoned French fort known as Fort Massac. Here, they climbed the bluffs into the forests of southern Illinois and began a 120-mile overland march to Kaskaskia, which was situated in the Mississippi valley. They crossed the Kaskaskia River in the darkness, surrounded the small village, and captured the British post without firing a shot. Clark surprised the alarmed villagers with a simple offer: in exchange for an oath of fidelity, the French residents of Illinois would receive the same freedoms and privileges enjoyed by the Americans who now occupied their village. Their land and personal property would remain theirs, and most importantly, the activities of the Catholic churches in the colony would not be disturbed. Gradually, the old village began to be populated with American families—primarily Virginians of Scotch–Irish or English descent. Kaskaskia would serve as the seat of government as Illinois became an American county, and then an American territory.Less
In the late winter of 1778, two years into the American Revolution, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark began planning an attack on a British post in the far western Illinois Country. Clark and his men descended the Ohio River from Fort Pitt until they reached the Illinois shore at the site of an abandoned French fort known as Fort Massac. Here, they climbed the bluffs into the forests of southern Illinois and began a 120-mile overland march to Kaskaskia, which was situated in the Mississippi valley. They crossed the Kaskaskia River in the darkness, surrounded the small village, and captured the British post without firing a shot. Clark surprised the alarmed villagers with a simple offer: in exchange for an oath of fidelity, the French residents of Illinois would receive the same freedoms and privileges enjoyed by the Americans who now occupied their village. Their land and personal property would remain theirs, and most importantly, the activities of the Catholic churches in the colony would not be disturbed. Gradually, the old village began to be populated with American families—primarily Virginians of Scotch–Irish or English descent. Kaskaskia would serve as the seat of government as Illinois became an American county, and then an American territory.