March to Vincennes - February 23 1779 - The Dry Ground

From Clark's Memoir:

". . . This was the coldest night we had. The ice . . . was from one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick near the shores and in still waters. . . . A little after sunrise I lectured the whole. . . . and immediately stepped into the water . . . . This was the most trying of all the difficulties we had experienced. . . . I ordered the canoes to . . . play backward and forward, with all diligence, and pick up the men . . . . The water was up to my shoulders, but gaining the woods was of great consequence. All the low men, and the weakly, hung to the trees and floated on the old logs . . . . The strong and tall got ashore and built fires. . . .

"This was a delightful dry spot of ground, of about ten acres."

225th Anniversary Exhibit

• Home
• Under Many Nations
• American Revolution in the East
• American Revolution in the West
• Clark Goes West
• Year of the "Bloody Sevens"
• Clark's Daring Plan
• The Campaign Begins
• Taking Kaskaskia
• Taking Cahokia
• Taking Fort Sackville
• Peace with the Indians
• The British Retake Fort Sackville
• Clark Learns about Hamilton's Move
• March to Vincennes - February 5, 1779
• March to Vincennes - February 15, 1779
• March to Vincennes - February 17, 1779
• March to Vincennes - February 22, 1779
• March to Vincennes - February 23, 1779 - The Dry Ground
• March to Vincennes - February 23, 1779 - Warriors Island
• March to Vincennes - February 23, 1779 - Clark Attacks the Fort
• The Fort under Siege - February 24, 1779
• Terms of Surrender Determined - February 24, 1779
• Clark and the End of the American Revolution
• Clark after the American Revolution
• Plat of Clark's Grant
• Additional Aspects of Clark's Life and Work
• Clark's Death
• Celebrating Clark
• Note on the Sources
• Who's Who
• Timeline
• Exhibit Bibliography
• Contributing Organizations