y now composing Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois and incited them to frequent attacks on the Kentucky settlements,
with the hope that they would the sooner capture the State of Virginia by
an approach from the west. Clark, as military commander of Kentucky, sent
spies into this northern country to determine the location of the
fortresses and the number of English and Indians in each. One of these
spies was the celebrated Simon Kenton, who was not content with locating
the enemy but attempted to recapture a lot of horses stolen from Kentucky
by the Indians on a former raid. Kenton and his companions were not able
to travel fast with the number of horses they had secured, and when they
were attacked by a band of Indians, Kenton's companions were slain and he
was captured. The Indians hated him cordially and began to beat him
unmercifully, calling him the "hoss-steal." They easily could have
murdered Kenton on the spot, but since he had proved such a terrible foe
to them in the past, they preferred to enjoy their capture all the more by
torturing him for awhile. He was carried by the Indians to Chillicothe,
where he was several times forced to run the gauntlet. Finally, when tied
to the stake to be burned, he was recognized by his boyhood friend, Simon
Girty, who sent him to Detroit, from which place he made his escape and
returned to Kentucky, reporting to General Clark the conditions as he had
found them.

Other spies returned, and from the general reports General Clark thought
it necessary to make another appeal to Virginia for aid. In 1778, Governor
Patrick Henry of Virginia gave to Clark a commission as commanding officer
to take such soldiers as he could secure in Virginia, together with his
Kentuckians, and go against the British and Indians north of the Ohio
River. Leaving Corn Island, now Louisville, he and his brave followers
marched northward through swamps and swam streams, capturing every
fortification to which they came. Among these were Kaskaskia and
Vincennes. By this heroic deed of Clark's the great territory north of the
Ohio River was secured from the British, and became a part of Virginia's
territory. Clark continued at the head of military affairs in Kentucky,
but his greatest work was done before he was thirty years of age.

Later Days of Famous Pioneers

When peace came, Clark settled about eight miles from Louisville and fell
into habits of intemperance which unfitted him