1 68 The Winning of the West 



while the savages certainly would have destroyed 

 them had they tried to go back to Kentucky. Their 

 leaders again wrote urgent appeals for help to Clark, 

 asking that a general guard might be sent them if 

 only to take them out of the country. Filson had 

 already gone overland to Louisville and told the au 

 thorities of the straits of their brethren at Vincennes, 

 and immediately an expedition was sent to their re 

 lief under Captains Hardin and Patton. 



Meanwhile, on July 1 5th, a large band of several 

 hundred Indians, bearing red and white flags, came 

 down the river in forty-seven canoes to attack the 

 Americans at Vincennes, sending word to the French 

 that if they remained neutral they would not be mo 

 lested. The French sent envoys to dissuade them 

 from their purpose, but the war chiefs and sachems 

 answered that the red people were at last united in 

 opposition to "the men wearing hats," and gave a 

 belt of black wampum to the wavering Piankeshaws, 

 warning them that all Indians who refused to join 

 against the whites would thenceforth be treated as 

 foes. However, their deeds by no means corre 

 sponded with their threats. Next day they assailed 

 the American block-house or stockaded fort, but 

 found they could make no impression and drew off. 

 They burned a few outlying cabins and slaughtered 

 many head of cattle, belonging both to the Ameri 

 cans and the French; and then, seeing the French 

 under arms, held further parley with them, and re 

 treated, to the relief of all the inhabitants. 



At the same time the Kentuckians, under Hardin 



