Fort Clark in Peoria-- Part 2

In October 1812, Ninian Edwards, Illinois Territory governor, launched a three-pronged attack on Indian villages at Peoria Lake (where Peoria is now located and a wide place in the Illinois River).  He believed the villages harbored warriors who had attacked American settlements.  Edwards led a horse-mounted force and destroyed Black  Partidge's village on the east side of the lake.

On November 5, 1812,  Captain Thomas Craig arrived by  boat at Peoria.  Unknown to Craig, William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs (yes, that William Clark as in Lewis & Clark Expedition) and Ninian Edwards had retained the services of Thomas Forsyth to monitor Indian movements at Peoria Lake.  

Despite Forsyth's protest that the community was not involved, Craig arrested a few dozen of the village's inhabitants, burned part f the community, and transported those he detained downriver to Alton.

To assert American authority over the Peoria Lake area, in 1813, a force of about 1,400 men under  the command of Brigadier General  Benjamin Howard returned to The area to erect Fort Clark.  In addition they destroyed  what remained of Gomo's and Black Partridge's  abandoned villages.  William Garner Sr. was a member of this force.

In retaliation, Indians under Black Partridge attacked Fort Clark, but were repulsed and later signed a treaty of peace.

--Brock-Perry

The Journal of Patrick Gass of Lewis & Clark Expedition-- Part 3

AUGUST 25, 1804

"Two of our men  last night caught nine catfish, that would together weigh three hundred pounds. ...Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke went to see a hill on the north side of the river where the natives will not or pretend that they will not venture to go, and say that a small people live there, whom they are afraid of. ... Captains Lewis and Clarke did not return  this evening.

AUGUST 26, 1804

About 10 o'clock Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke with the party accompanying them came to camp;  but had not been able to discover any of those small people.  The hill is in a handsome prairie; and the party saw a great many buffaloe near it."

--Brock-Perry

The Journal of Patrick Glass-- Part 2: Death of Floyd and Plenty of Food

AUGUST 20, 1804

Continuing with the death of Sergeant Floyd, the only man to die during the entire Lewis & Clark Expedition.  The service and burial of Sgt. Floyd.

"We went on about a mile to high prairie hills on the north side of the river, and there interred his remains in the most decent manner our circumstances would admit; we then proceeded  a mile further to a small river on the same side and encamped.

"Our commanding officer have it the name  of Floyd's river; to perpetuate the memory of the first man who had fallen in this important expedition."

Of course, this is when Patrick Gass became the next sergeant of the expedition.

***************************

AUGUST 23, 1804

"Captain Clarke and one of the men killed a deer and a buffaloe, and some of the men were sent to dress and bring the buffaloe to the boat.  We stopped at a prairie on the north side, the largest and handsomest, which I have seen.  Captain Clarke called it Buffaloe prairie.  ...we salted two barrels of buffaloe meat."

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass and the Corps of Discovery-- Part 1: Elected to Expedition Sergeant

From the Discovering Lewis & Clark site.

Along with this in formation on Patrick Gass, they have a day-by-day chronology on the Expedition, often written in William Clark's interesting spelling.

It says Gass was the Expedition's carpenter and the last surviving member.

He also became the sergeant of it by election.  A nominating  vote for replacement of Sergeant Charles Floyd was held at present-day Elk Point, South Dakota and nineteen of the group's 25 enlisted men voted for Gass as the replacement.  He must have been held in high esteem.

Pennsylvania-born Irishman Patrick Gasswas a career soldier signing up in 1799 at age 28 and wanted to join the Expedition when they arrived at his post at Fort Kaskaskia in Illinois, but his commander, Captain Russell Bissell wanted to keep him for his services as a carpenter, so Gass went to Meriwether Lewis who persuaded Bissell to let him join.

Gass had previously served in the Army Rangers and now was the expedition's third oldest member after John Shields (b. 1769) and Captain Clark (b. 1770)

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Prairie du Chien to Be Commemorated-- Part 1

From the April 23, 2014, Clayton County (Iowa) Register "Bicentennial Celebration to honor the War of 1812 Battle of Prairie du Chien."

The British won the battle of Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin Territory along the Mississippi River, but lost the territory which eventually became the state of Wisconsin.

Many events are planned.

The town is proud of its history: "There are not many places where one can drive just a few blocks and visit early French-Canadian log houses, see a battle between American and British, walk the same ground as Black Hawk and William Clark, Zebulon Pike, Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Eleanor Roosevelt, to name just a few of the national figures who have been to Prairie du Chien."

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Timeline: May 1814

APRIL 25-MAY 30TH, 1814:  British extend blockade to the New England states.

MAY 1ST, 1814: American General William Clark and troops leave St. Louis headed for Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin Territory.

--Brock-Perry