GEN. CLARK'S
CAMPAIGN, 1780.
OFFICIAL LETTERS.
(From the Maryland Journal, Oct.
17, 1780.)
"RICHMOND, (Virginia) Oct. 4.
Extract of a letter from Col. George Rogers Clark to his
Excellency the Governor, dated
Louisville, August 22, 1780:
"By every possible exertion, and
the aid of Col. Slaughter's
corps, we completed the number of 1,000, with which
we crossed
the river at the mouth of Licking on the
first day of August,
and began our march on the second.
Having a road to cut for
the artillery to pass, for 70 miles,
it was the 6th before we reached
the first town, which we found vacated,
and the greatest part of
their effects carried off. The general
conduct of the Indians,
on our march, and many other
corroborating circumstances,
proved their design of leading us on to
their own ground and
time of action. After destroying the
crops and buildings of
Chillecauthy, we began our march for the
Picawey settlements,
on the waters of the Big Miamie, the
Indians keeping runners
continually before our advance guards.
At half past two in the
evening of the 8th, we arrived in sight
of the town and forts,
a plain of half a mile in width laying
between us. I had an
opportunity of viewing the situation and
motion of the enemy
near their works.
I had scarcely time to make those
dispositions necessary
before the action commenced on our left
wing, and in a few
minutes became almost general, with a
savage fierceness on both
sides. The confidence the enemy had of
their own strength and
certain victory, or the want of
generalship, occasioned several
neglects, by which those advantages were
taken that proved the
ruin of their army, being flanked two or
three different times,
drove from hill to hill, in a circuitous
direction, for upwards of a
mile and a half; at last took shelter in
their strongholds and
woods adjacent, when the firing ceased
for about half an hour,
until necessary preparations were made
for dislodging them. A
(500)
Gen. Clark's Campaign, 1780. 501
heavy firing again commenced, and
continued severe until dark,
by which time the enemy were totally
routed. The cannon play-
ing too briskly on their works, they
could afford them no shelter.
Our loss was about 14 killed and
thirteen wounded; theirs at
least triple that number. They carried
off their dead during the
night, except 12 or 14 that lay
too near our lines for them to
venture. This would have been a decisive
stroke to the Indians,
if unfortunately the right wing of our
army had been rendered
useless for some time by an uncommon
chain of rocks that they
could not pass, by which means part of
the enemy escaped
through the ground they were ordered to
occupy.
By a French prisoner we got the next
morning, we learn
that the Indians had been preparing for
our reception ten days,
moving their families and effects: that
the morning before our
arrival, they were 300 warriors,
Shawanese, Mingoes, Wyan-
dotts, and Delawares. Several
reinforcements coming that day,
he did not know their numbers; that they
were sure of destroying
the whole of us; that the greatest part
of the prisoners taken by
Byrd, were carried to Detroit; where
there were only 200 regu-
lars, having no provisions except green
corn and vegetables. Our
whole store at first setting out being
only 300 bushels of corn,
and 1500 lbs. of flour; having done the
Shawanese all the mis-
chief in our power, after destroying
Picawey settlements, I re-
turned to this post, having marched in
the whole 480 miles in 31
days. We destroyed upwards of 800 acres
of corn, besides great
quantities of vegetables, a considerable
proportion of which ap-
pear to have been cultivated by white
men, I suppose for the pur-
pose of supporting war parties from
Detroit. I could wish to
have had a small store of provisions to
have enabled us to have
laid waste part of the Delaware
settlements, and falling in at
Pittsburg, but the excessive heat, and
weak diet, shew the impro-
priety of such a step. Nothing could
excel the few regulars and
Kentuckians, that composed this little
army, in bravery, and
implicit obedience to orders; each
company vying with the other
who should be the most
subordinate."
The above official report of CLARK of
his Shawanoe campaign
does not appear in the Calendar of
Virginia State Papers-so the intro-
ductory portion is wanting. (Note by L.
C. D.)