In the Current of the Revolution 75 



he had, properly speaking, nothing to do with the 

 temporal affairs of his flock, but that now and then 

 he was able to give them such hints in a spiritual 

 way as would tend to increase their devotion to their 

 new friends. 



Clark now found himself in a position of the ut- 

 most difficulty. With a handful of unruly back- 

 woodsmen, imperfectly disciplined and kept under 

 control only by his own personal influence, he had 

 to protect and govern a region as large as any Euro- 

 pean kingdom. Moreover, he had to keep content 

 and loyal a population of alien race, creed, and lan- 

 guage, while he held his own against the British and 

 against numerous tribes of Indians, deeply imbit- 

 tered against all Americans and as bloodthirsty and 

 treacherous as they were warlike. It may be doubted 

 if there was another man in the West who possessed 

 the daring and resolution, the tact, energy, and exec- 

 utive ability necessary for the solution of so knotty 

 a series of problems. 



He was hundreds of miles from the nearest post 

 containing any American troops ; he was still further 

 from the seat of government. He had no hope 

 whatever of getting reinforcements or even advice 

 and instruction for many months, probably not for 

 a year; and he was thrown entirely on his own re- 

 sources and obliged to act in every respect purely 

 on his own responsibility. 



Governor Patrick Henry, although leaving every- 

 thing in the last resort to Clark's discretion, had evi- 

 dently been very doubtful whether a permanent oc- 



