War of 1812 in Peoria-- Part 5: Building Fort Clark

With over 1,000 men to assist, the construction of the new fort at what is today  Peoria was completed quickly by September 23, 1813.  A brass six-pound cannon was mounted in the fort and fired in celebration of the accomplishment.  The fort was named Fort Clark in honor of  General George Rogers Clark, the celebrated hero of the American Revolution who had victories against the British at  Vincennes and Kaskaskia.

General Howard sent a force in two boats under Major William Christy to pursue the Indians on the upper Illinois River.  Another force under  Major Nathan Boone (was this Garner's unit?), followed the course of the Spoon River for fifty miles.  

Upon their return to Fort Clark, both officers reported that their troops had been unable to overtake the fleeing Indians.  The rangers were relieved of their duty at Fort Clark in mid-October, and returned to their   home stations, leaving the regular U.S. troops to garrison the post.

--Brock-Perry

Patrick Gass and the War of 1812-- Part 1

From "Sergeant Patyrick Gass" by SGM Teddy L. Bridgman.

When the War of 1812 broke out, Patrick Gass was in the Army and stationed at Fort Kaskaskia in the Illinois Territory working as a commissary assistant.  From the start of the war and through 1813, he remained on the Illinois frontier to hold the Indians in check in that area.

But in the spring of 1814, Gass and his men were ordered to the Niagara Frontier to fight the British.  They didn't arrive until July and were too late to participate in the Battle of Chippewa.  However, they did not miss the next battle, which was Lundy's Lane.

Here Gass got to hear and see roar of the "Big Guns" in action.

--Brock-Perry

Some More on Patrick Gass-- Part 6: The Journal and Back to Soldiering and the War of 1812

Patrick Gass received his pay for the Lewis & Clark Expedition in gold, with the promise of future consideration, and went home to his friends in Wellsburg.

Here, he arranged with  the Irish schoolmaster, David M'Keehan, for the publication of his journal of the expedition, which appeared early in 1807, thus seven years before that of Lewis and Clark's own narrative was published.

Gass never exchanged the pen, though, for his sword.  In the spring of 1807, he was a soldier again.  He served for the next four years at the then frontier post of Kaskaskia, Illinois.

Then came the Second War of Independence, the War of 1812.  Formal declaration of war was made June 18, 1812,  under the administration of James Madison.  Shortly before this happened, Gass was at Nashville, Tennessee, where he was drafted into the regiment raised by Andrew Jackson  to fight the Creek Indians.  Some disturbances had broken out along the frontier.

--Brock-Perry

Some More About Patrick Gass-- Part 4: To Kasakaskia and Joining Lewis & Clark

At this point, Patrick Gass had decided to make the Army his career.  His intelligence and other merits caused his promotion ton non-commissioned officer.  His duties were to recruit new soldiers and arrest deserters.

In 1801, Gass went with a company commanded by  Captain Bissell up the Tennessee River and in the Autumn of 1802, Captain Bissel's company, with a battery of  artillery, were sent to Kaskaskia, Illinois,  They were there in the autumn of 1803 when a call was made for recruits  to accompany the expedition of Lewis and Clark.

Captain Lewis himself came to  Kaskaskia in search of  suitable members of his group.  Here, he met one Patrick Gass, and the rest, as they say, was history.

To one of Gass'  adventurous and hardy nature, this was a golden opportunity. He instantly volunteered.  However, Captain Bissell objected and tried to keep Gass.  But the resolute Patrick tracked Lewis down and told him he wanted to go.  Over Bissell's objection, Lewis got Gass.

--Brock-Perry

Wellsburg, WV, Has Another Lewis & Clark Connection-- Part 2: Patrick Gass

Also on the same sign is this about Patrick Gass:

Text and photo of Patrick Gas

Patrick Gass (1771-1870) Meriwether Lewis considered Gass a man of "capacity, diligence and integrity."  Gass, a good soldier and a first rate carpenter, volunteered for the expedition, over the  objections of his superiors, while stationed at Fort Kaskaskia in Illinois.

When Sgt. Floyd (the expedition's only casualty) died on 20 August 1804, Gass was elected by the party to replace him as "Sergeant  in the corps of volunteers for North Western  Discovery."

Gass returned to Wellsburg after the expedition - he was the last  living member   of the Corps of Discovery at his death in 1870.

--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

Patrick Gass, Member Lewis & Clark Expedition and War of 1812 Veteran-- Part 1

I'd never heard of him before.  Looks like another trip to good ol' Wikipedia.

PATRCK GASS

(June 12, 1771 to April 2, 1870)

Served as a sergeant in the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806).  He was important to the expedition because  of his service as a carpenter and he published the first  journal of the expedition in 1807, seven years before the first publication based on Lewis and Clark's journals.

He was born in Pennsylvania and began his military career in  1792 in a Virginia militia or ranger company stationed in Wheeling (now West Virginia) fighting Indians.  In 1794, he helped build the house of James Buchanan, Sr., near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and became acquainted with  the young future president of the United States, James Buchanan.

He joined the U.S. Army  in 1803 and served in Kaskaskia, Illinois, near St. Louis.

And, then he entered the history books.

--Brock-Perry