George Rogers Clark National Historical Park ⓘ

Father Pierre Gibault, is an integral part of our story at the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, earning his place in history as the “Patriot Priest.” Gibault, the eldest child of Pierre Gibault and Marie-Joseph Saint-Jean, was born and baptized on April 7, 1737. Though little is known about his childhood, it is assumed that he attended the Jesuit college in Quebec. Records show that in 1759 he journeyed to Detroit and eventually Michilimackinac (present day Mackinaw City, MI). The purpose of his travel is unknown, but many assume he worked with a trading company, and traveled for work.

On March 19, 1768, after studying theology for two years at the Seminaire de Quebec , he was ordained by Bishop Briand. From there he was sent to the Illinois country to assume his new role as vicar general. He was the as the only active missionary priest serving an area which extended from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River and from the Great Lakes to New Orleans. All the previous Jesuits were expelled in 1764, by royal decree.

Gibault traveled by foot, horseback, and canoe through much of this vast region to serve his scattered congregation. He also took an active part in the social life of Kaskaskia, including sports and games. According to one observer, he enjoyed proving his "skill, agility and strength," physical traits that served him well in his strenuous life on the frontier. Kaskaskia of the 1770s was a British-controlled, but French-populated town. As such Father Gibault's parishioners became caught up in the war raging between Great Britain and its colonies. On July 4, 1778, American Col. George Rogers Clark and his frontiersmen surprised the Kaskaskians who initially were fearful of their fate. But the inhabitants of Kaskaskia and of Cahokia (approximately 50 miles north of Kaskaskia) soon joined the American cause. A major influence in their decision was Clark's assurance of religious and political freedom. In his Nov. 19, 1779 letter to his Friend George Mason , Clark stated:

The priest, Father Pierre Gibault, had lately come from Canada, had made himself a little acquainted with our dispute, was rather prejudiced in favor of us. He asked if I would give him liberty to perform his duty in his church. I told him that I had nothing to do with churches more than to defend them from insult. That by the laws of the state, his religion had as great privileges as any other. This seemed to complete his happiness. They returned to their families, and in a few minutes, the scene of mourning and distress was turned to an excess of joy—nothing else seen nor heard—adorning the streets with flows and pavilions with different colors, completing their happiness by singing, etc.

Fort Sackville was a British outpost located in the frontier settlement of Vincennes. Begun in 1777 and named for a British government official, it was one of several forts built by the French, British or Americans from 1732 to 1813 in this important frontier settlement.

British Lieutenant Governor Edward Abbott arrived in Vincennes on April 19, 1777, and immediately organized the villagers into three companies of militia. Shortly after his arrival, Abbott was alarmed by a number of Indians who freely roamed the town. As a result, a courier was sent to Kaskaskia with orders for Commander Philippe de Rocheblave, to send four pieces of artillery from Fort Gage. Abbott then ordered a stockade built around the two-story headquarters building. Fatigue details composed of Vincennes militia and soldiers from Detroit completed the stockade by fall.

Abbott named the fort “Sackville” in honor of Lord George Germain who had been known as Lord Sackville from 1720 until 1770. The stockade was quadrangular in shape with four sides of different lengths. The west wall was approximately 35 feet from the Wabash River. The wall was 215 feet in length. The Main Street or north side was 190 feet in length and a gate within this wall aligned with Main Street (today’s First Street). The south wall was 165 feet, while the east side, which faced the Catholic Church, was 203 feet long. The logs of the stockade walls were leveled at eleven feet and midway along each wall a salient angle with shooting platforms was constructed. Abbott’s two-story quarters were located in the northeast part of the fort. After laying the foundation for Fort Sackville, Abbott left Vincennes on February 5, 1778.

On December 17, 1778, Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton, Abbott’s successor arrived with companies of British soldiers, French militia from Detroit and Indian allies. Hamilton was dismayed at the condition of the fort. Work parties immediately turned out to correct the deficiencies. At first Hamilton planned to take the walls down and build a new triangular fort with a blockhouse at each corner. Major Jehu Hay, Hamilton’s second in command, offered an idea that would prove to be less expensive and more easily defended. Hay’s plan called for leaving the stockade as it was and constructing two blockhouses. One blockhouse would be at the northeast angle the other at the southwest.

Work progressed quickly on the fort. British soldiers built a powder magazine and all the King’s gunpowder was safety stored. Gunpowder also was collected from the inhabitants and was stored in the fort. Unbeknownst to Hamilton, some inhabitants had hidden gunpowder (powder that would prove indispensable to Clark’s invading army). On December 28, a new barracks, which would be the home of 50 soldiers, and a gate guardhouse were completed.

Hamilton made an official inspection on January 6, 1779. He reported that carpenters were framing a second barracks that would be 40 feet long by 18 feet wide, and the local French were squaring logs for a blockhouse. A six-man detail completed a well on January 7. By the 15 th , the second barracks had been framed. On the 18 th , a new British flag was raised over the fort and the soldiers fired a salute to the King.

Hamilton ’s report to his superiors on January 27 stated that timber and scantling for one of the blockhouses was finished and ready for raising and that the second barracks had been clapboard. The next day, the southwest blockhouse was erected. This blockhouse was musket proof and had five gun ports for a cannon; its lower level was drilled for the defenders’ muskets. On January 30, one of the three-pounder cannons was mounted in this blockhouse.

Continued labor throughout the 9 th and 10 th saw the two unnecessary salient angles removed and new straight walls installed. The northwest blockhouse, begun on February 6, was framed by the 18 th and completed on the 22 nd except for the hanging of five shutters that awaited the forging of ironwork by the blacksmith. A three-pounder cannon was mounted in this blockhouse. The two salient angles that remained were loop holed. The parade grounds were graveled.

Hamilton was still dissatisfied with many elements of the fort. He would have little time to think about such things. George Rogers Clark would attack February 23, 1779. In his journal, Hamilton states reasons he considered for surrender, “The Stockades had originally been so ill set up, that a man might pass his closed fist between them, which gave a great advantage to people armed with rifles- The Fort was nearly surrounded by houses or other buildings . . . - The N.E. Angle of the fort projected over the sandy bank of the river, & could have been undermined by the assailants under cover.”

The Americans renamed the fort in honor of the Virginia Governor Patrick Henry. At the end of the American Revolution, the fort was abandoned. During the fall of 1787, Major John Hamtramck and his soldiers camped on the ruins of Fort Patrick Henry. The deteriorated condition of the fort dictated that a new fortification would be needed. The new fort was built north of the original site and named Fort Knox. It is probable that the local townspeople used timbers from the old fort. It would have been easier to carry away a log from the abandoned structure than to cut new timber in the woods. Maybe a beam from the old fort still is in the town somewhere contained within one of the city’s many historic buildings.

From 1969 to 1971, Indiana University conducted archeological investigations in the park north of the George Rogers Clark Memorial. Some 18 th century artifacts were discovered along with 19 th century odds and ends. Portions of stockade walls were discovered. Identification of there origin was impossible because of the closeness of the 1732 French stockade, Fort Sackville, and the 1812 Fort Knox III. All three of these fortifications were on approximately the same site.

Vigo was born December 3, 1747, in the town of Mondovi in what is now northern Italy. Little is known of his early life until he joined a Spanish regiment and was sent to New Orleans, then a possession of Spain. After his discharge, Vigo entered the fur trade. By 1772, he was established as a merchant and trader in St. Louis in Spanish Upper Louisiana. Later, as a business associate of Spanish Lieutenant Governor Fernando de Leyba, Vigo was quite successful trading among the area's Indians and French settlers.

During July 1778, George Rogers Clark and his force of 180 frontiersmen captured British-controlled but French inhabited Kaskaskia and Cahokia across from St. Louis. Vigo, in St. Louis, decided to support Clark and the Americans by furnishing them with supplies from his own stores. In making this decision, Vigo no doubt was influenced by the assistance being given the Americans by Governor de Leyba. Vigo also loaned Clark money to pay the local inhabitants for needed goods. Vigo's visible assistance was noted by the French and further solidified their support behind Clark.

During December 1778, Vigo was taken prisoner by the British in Vincennes and was held for several weeks. Vigo was released upon the condition that on his way back to St. Louis, he do nothing that would harm the British cause. Vigo complied with the letter, if not the spirit, of this agreement by first returning to St. Louis before starting out for Kaskaskia to report to Clark. Arriving on January 29, 1779, he provided Clark with valuable detailed information on the situation at Vincennes. Vigo told Clark that the British intended to descend upon the Americans at Kaskaskia in the spring and that they would not expect the Americans to attack them at Vincennes during the winter. Clark later wrote of Vigo: "in sho[r]t we got Every Information from this Gentn [gentleman] that we could wish for as he had had good opportunities and had taken great pains to inform himself with a design to give intelligence...."

Thanks to Vigo's information, Clark's army surprised the British at Vincennes and defeated the redcoats. The fort was surrendered on Feb. 25, 1779.

Vigo's service to the United States continued during the remainder of the Revolution and during the years following. By 1783, Vigo had moved to Vincennes where he spent most of the next 50 years working in the fur trade and serving as a colonel in the militia.

Vigo's business affairs eventually suffered setbacks; virtually impoverished, he died at age 88 in 1836. He was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Vincennes. Prior to his death, Vigo had specified that a portion of any money received by his estate should be used to purchase a bell for the Vigo County Courthouse in Terre Haute, IN. Finally in 1875, almost a full century after the war, Vigo's estate was paid $8,616 principal and $41,282 in interest for his services both to Clark and to his country.

In 1934, sculptor John Angel was commissioned to prepare a suitable statue of Vigo to be placed on the park grounds adjacent to the George Rogers Clark Memorial. On May 4, 1936, the 10-ton granite work was positioned where it overlooks the Wabash River. For the thousands of visitors to the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, the Vigo statue serves as a fitting tribute to the contributions of this important American patriot.

The British flag would not be raised above Fort Sackville on the morning of February 25, 1779. British Lieutenant-Governor Henry Hamilton and his garrison marched out of the fort at 10 a.m. and surrendered to American Colonel George Rogers Clark.

The British dominated a large portion of the Trans-Appalachian frontier after the French and Indian War. The Proclamation of 1763 forbid the settlement of lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. From their posts north of the Ohio River, the British sent Indian war parties against those settlers who ignored the proclamation line, including those in Kentucky.

George Rogers Clark organized the Kentucky militia to defend against these raids. Clark was not content to wait for the attacks. He decided that a major offensive campaign was needed. He took his plan to Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia, and gained approval. Clark's plan was to lead a force of frontiersmen into the Illinois country and strike at the source of the Indian raids.

During the summer of 1778 Clark directed his army down the Ohio River then overland some 120 miles to capture the British posts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia along the Mississippi River, near St. Louis. Although under British rule after the French and Indian War, these posts were populated by French settlers who had no great affection for the British. Clark quickly gained their support. Father Pierre Gibault and Dr. Jean Laffont volunteered to travel to Vincennes on behalf of the Americans and soon that settlement also gave its support to Clark. The French at Detroit and other northern posts, however, maintained the outward support of the British.

By Aug. 6, British Lt. Gov. Henry Hamilton received news about the fall of the three outposts. With a mixed force of English soldiers; French volunteers and militia; and Indian warriors, he left Detroit intending to retake Fort Sackville in Vincennes. Capt. Leonard Helm was Clark's subordinate in charge at Vincennes. Having only a few men upon whom he could depend, the American captain had no hopes of defending the fort against the British-Indian army. Hamilton retook the fort on Dec. 17. Faced with this formidable array, the French settlers of Vincennes returned to their British allegiance.

Then Hamilton made a fateful decision. He allowed most of his force to return to their homes for the winter, this was common practice in 18th century warfare. His intended invasion of the Illinois country would be postponed. Hamilton planned to gather his forces in the spring and to attack Clark's Mississippi River posts. Victories there would pave the way for a joint effort with tribes from south of the Ohio River to drive all American settlers from the Trans-Appalachian frontier.

Unaware that the fort was in British hands, Francis Vigo, a merchant and supporter of the American cause, set out from his St. Louis home for Vincennes. As he approached the settlement, he was taken prisoner and was held for several days. His captors failed to realize Vigo's involvement with the Americans and Hamilton allowed him to leave. Vigo agreed to one condition: that on his way back to St. Louis, Vigo would do nothing that would harm the British cause. After reaching St. Louis and keeping his promise, Vigo immediately went to Clark 50 miles south in Kaskaskia. Vigo provided valuable information concerning the military situation in Vincennes while informing Clark of the British intent to attack in the spring.

Determined to capture Hamilton, Clark and his force of approximately 170 Americans and Frenchmen made an epic 18-day trek from Kaskaskia through the freezing floodwaters of the Illinois country. At times in icy water up to their shoulders, it was Clark's determined leadership that brought them through this incredible midwinter journey. They arrived in Vincennes after nightfall on Feb. 23, 1779. The French citizens, eager to again renounce the British, warmly greeted Clark's men, providing food and dry gunpowder. Hamilton's garrison now consisted of approximately 40 British soldiers and a similar number of French volunteers and militia from Detroit and Vincennes. These French troops were not enthusiastic to fire upon the enemy when they realized that the French inhabitants of the town again had embraced the Americans.

Clark's men surrounded the fort and gave the impression of having a much larger army. Flags sufficient for an army of 500 had been brought from Kaskaskia and now were unfurled and carried within view of the fort. The American soldiers, who were experienced woodsmen, could maintain a rate of fire that convinced the British that the army indeed was large in number. These woodsmen were armed with the famed long rifle. And their aim was accurate. To further unnerve the garrison, Clark ordered tunneling operations to begin from behind the riverbank a short distance from the fort. Such tunnels were used to plant explosive charges under fort walls or beneath powder magazines. Barricades were thrown up and entrenchments were dug to provide additional cover.

Contemplating his predicament with increasing foreboding, Hamilton became resigned to surrendering. The Englishman requested Clark meet with him at the nearby church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Hamilton attempted to obtain liberal conditions while Clark insisted upon unconditional surrender. After a lengthy and heated discussion they failed to agree upon acceptable terms and each commander returned to their respective posts. At this time, an event occurred which caused the British to realize what might be their fate if the Americans were forced to storm the fort. An Indian raiding party, sent out by Hamilton to attack American settlers along the Ohio River, returned to Vincennes. Their entrance came during a lull in the battle and they saw the British flag flying, as usual, from the fort. The unsuspecting warriors, gleefully yelling and firing their weapons in the air, realized their mistake too late. Several Indians were killed or wounded by the frontiersmen while others were captured.

In retaliation for Indian raids in which numerous men, women and children had been slaughtered, Clark ordered five of the captured warriors to be tomahawked in full view of the fort. The executions were intended to heighten the psychological pressure upon the British, while also illustrating to Indian observers that the redcoats no longer could protect those tribes who made war on the Americans.

Following this grim scene, the lieutenant governor reluctantly agreed to Clark's final terms which were just short of unconditional surrender. Hamilton described his thoughts at having to surrender. "The mortification, disappointment and indignation I felt, may possibly be conceived..." The defeated British army marched out of Fort Sackville and laid down their muskets before their victors. The surrender occurred 10 a.m., Thurs., Feb. 25, 1779. An American flag was raised above the fort and 13 cannon shots were discharged in celebration. An accident during the firings severely burned several men including American Capt. Joseph Bowman. Six months later he died and was buried in the church cemetery adjacent to the fort.

Although unable to achieve his ultimate objective of capturing Detroit, Clark successfully countered British and Indian moves during the remainder of the conflict. The young Virginian had prevented the British from achieving their goal of driving the Americans from the Trans- Appalachian frontier. As a result of Clark's brilliant military activities, the British ceded to the United States a vast area of land west of the Appalachian Mountains. That territory now includes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and the eastern portion of Minnesota.

The exact location of the fort is not known. It is believed that the fort was located on the present-day George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. Archaeological evidence suggests that the fort's front wall was roughly between the Clark Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana.

By Aug. 6, British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton received news about the fall of the three outposts. With a mixed force of English soldiers; French volunteers and militia; and Indian warriors, he left Detroit intending to retake Fort Sackville in Vincennes. Capt. Leonard Helm was Clark's subordinate in charge at Vincennes. Having only a few men upon whom he could depend, the American captain had no hopes of defending the fort against the British-Indian army. Hamilton retook the fort on Dec. 17. Faced with this formidable array, the French settlers of Vincennes returned to their British allegiance.

Unaware that the fort was in British hands, Francis Vigo a merchant and supporter of the American cause, set out from his St. Louis home for Vincennes. As he approached the settlement, he was taken prisoner and was held for several days. His captors failed to realize Vigo's involvement with the Americans and Hamilton allowed him to leave. Vigo agreed to one condition: that on his way back to St. Louis, Vigo would do nothing that would harm the British cause. After reaching St. Louis and keeping his promise, Vigo immediately went to Clark 50 miles south in Kaskaskia. Vigo provided valuable information concerning the military situation in Vincennes while informing Clark of the British intent to attack in the spring.