d hills to give an appearance of great numbers,
while he and his captains helped keep up the illusion by galloping
wildly here and there on horses they had confiscated, as if ordering a
vast array. At nightfall the men advanced upon the stockade and opened
fire from two directions.

Not until a sergeant reeled from his chair with a bullet in his breast
did the garrison realize that it was really under attack. The habitants
had kept their secret well. There was a beating of drums and a hurrying
to arms, and throughout the night a hot fusillade was kept up. By firing
from behind houses and trees, and from rifle pits that were dug before
the attack began, the Americans virtually escaped loss; while Hamilton's
gunners were picked off as fast as they appeared at the portholes of the
fort. Clark's ammunition ran low, but the habitants furnished a fresh
supply and at the same time a hot breakfast for the men. In a few hours
the cannon were silenced, and parleys were opened. Hamilton insisted
that he and his garrison were "not disposed to be awed into an action
unworthy of British subjects," but they were plainly frightened, and
Clark finally sent the commandant back to the fort from a conference in
the old French church with the concession of one hour's time in which
to decide what he would do. To help him make up his mind, the American
leader caused half a dozen Indians who had just returned from the
forests with white men's scalps dangling at their belts to be tomahawked
and thrown into the river within plain view of the garrison.

Surrender promptly followed. Hamilton and twenty-five of his men were
sent off as captives to Virginia, where the commandant languished in
prison until, in 1780, he was paroled at the suggestion of Washington.
On taking, an oath of neutrality, the remaining British sympathizers
were set at liberty. For a second time the American flag floated over
Indiana soil, not again to be lowered.

Immediately after the capitulation of Hamilton, a scouting-party
captured a relief expedition which was on its way from Detroit and
placed in Clark's hands ten thousand pounds' worth of supplies for
distribution as prize-money among his deserving men. The commander's cup
of satisfaction was filled to the brim when the Willing appeared with a
long-awaited messenger from Governor Henry who brought to the soldiers
the thanks of the Legislature of Virginia for the capture of Kaskaskia
and also the promise of more subs