In the Current of the Revolution 117 



a large share in the responsibility for the appal- 

 ling brutality of these men and their red allies; 

 but the heaviest blame rests on the home gov- 

 ernment. 



Clark soon received some small reinforcements, 

 and was able to establish permanent garrisons at Vin- 

 cennes, Kaskaskia, and Cahokia. With the Indian 

 tribes who lived round about he made firm peace; 

 against some hunting bands of Delawares who came 

 in and began to commit ravages, he waged ruthless 

 and untiring war, sparing the women and children, 

 but killing all the males capable of bearing arms, 

 and he harried most of them out of the territory, 

 while the rest humbly sued for peace. His own 

 men worshiped him; the French loved and stood in 

 awe of him, while the Indians respected and feared 

 him greatly. During the remainder of the Revolu- 

 tionary War the British were not able to make any 

 serious effort to shake the hold he had given the 

 Americans on the region lying 1 around and be- 

 tween Vincennes and the Illinois. Moreover, he so 

 effectually pacified the tribes between the Wabash 

 and the Mississippi that they did not become open 

 and formidable foes of the whites until, with the 

 close of the war against Britain, Kentucky passed 

 out of the stage when Indian hostilities threatened 

 her very life. 



The fame of Clark's deeds and the terror of his 

 prowess spread to the Southern Indians, and the 

 British at Natchez trembled lest they should share 

 the fate that had come on Kaskaskia and Vin- 



