In the Current of the Revolution 97 



tigue. The weather had grown mild, so that there 

 was no suffering from cold; but in the thaw the ice 

 on the rivers melted, great freshets followed, and all 

 the lowlands and meadows were flooded. Clark's 

 great object was to keep his troops in good spirits. 

 Of course he and the other officers shared every hard- 

 ship and led in every labor. He encouraged the 

 men to hunt game; and to "feast on it like Indian 

 war-dancers," 24 each company in turn inviting the 

 others to the smoking and plentiful banquets. One 

 day they saw great herds of buffaloes and killed 

 many of them. They had no tents ; 25 but at nightfall 

 they kindled huge camp-fires, and spent the even- 

 ings merrily round the piles of blazing logs, in 



24 Clark's "Memoir." 



25 State Department MSS. Letters to Washington, Vol. 

 33, p. 90. "A Journal of Col. G. R. Clark. Proceedings from 

 the 29th Jan'y 1779 to the 26th March Inst," (by Captain 

 Bowman). This journal has been known for a long time. 

 The original is supposed to have been lost ; but either this is 

 it or else it is a contemporary MS. copy. In the "Campaign 

 in the Illinois" (Cincinnati, Robert Clarke and Co., 1869), p. 

 99, there is a printed copy of the original. The Washington 

 MS. differs from it in one or two particulars. Thus, the 

 printed diary in the "Campaign," on p. 99, line 3, says "fifty 

 volunteers" ; the MS. copy says "50 French volunteers. " Line 

 5 in the printed copy says "and such other Americans"; in 

 the MS. it says "and several other Americans." Lines 6 and 

 7 of the printed copy read as follows in the MS. (but only 

 make doubtful sense) : "These with a number of horses de- 

 signed for the settlement of Kantuck &c. Jan. soth, on which 

 Col. Clark," etc. Lines 10 and n of the printed copy read in 

 the MS.: "was let alone till spring that he with his Indians 

 would undoubtedly cut us all off." Lines 13 and 14, of the 

 printed copy read in the MS. "Jan. 3ist, sent an express to 

 Cahokia for volunteers. Nothing extraordinary this day." 

 VOL. VI. E 



