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March to Vincennes - February 23 1779 - Clark Attacks the Fort

From Clark's Memoir:

". . . about eight o'clock gained the heights back of the town. . . .

"Lieutenant Bailey was ordered, with fourteen men, to march and fire on the fort. The main body . . . took possession of the strongest part of the town. The firing now commenced on the fort . . . . Reinforcements were sent to the attack of the garrison . . . . We now found that the garrison had known nothing of us . . . .

"Ammunition was scarce with us, as the most of our stores had been put on board of the galley [Willing] . . . . [Several gentlemen of Vincennes] had buried . . . their powder and ball. This was immediately produced, and we found ourselves well supplied."

[The battle continued all night.]

Villag of Vincennes
Village of Vincennes

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