In the Current of the Revolution 95 



ceived some news that enabled him immediately to 

 decide on the proper course to follow. He had se- 

 cured great influence over the bolder, and therefore 

 the leading, spirits among the French. One of 

 these was a certain Francis Vigo, a trader in St. 

 Louis. He was by birth an Italian, who had come 

 to New Orleans in a Spanish regiment, and having 

 procured his discharge, had drifted to the Creole 

 villages of the frontier, being fascinated by the 

 profitable adventures of the Indian trade. Journey- 

 ing to Vincennes, he was thrown into prison by 

 Hamilton; on being released, he returned to St. 

 Louis. Thence he instantly crossed over to Kaskas- 

 kia, on January 27, I779, 19 and told Clark that 

 Hamilton had at the time only eighty men in garri- 

 son, with three pieces of cannon and some swivels 

 mounted, but that as soon as the winter broke, he 

 intended to gather a very large force and take the 

 offensive. 20 



Clark instantly decided to forestall his foe, and 

 to make the attack himself, heedless of the almost 

 impassable nature of the ground and of the icy 

 severity of the weather. Not only had he received 

 no reinforcements from Virginia but he had not had 

 so much as a "scrip of a pen" from Governor Henry 

 since he had left him, nearly twelve months be- 

 fore. 21 So he was forced to trust entirely to his 



19 State Department MSS. Letters to Washington, 33, p. 90. 



20 State Department MSS. Papers of Continental Congress, 

 No. 71, Vol. I, p. 267. 



2t Do. 



