In the midst of his doubt and uncertainty he received some news that enabled him immediately to decide on the proper course to follow.  He had secured great influence over the bolder, and therefore the leading, spirits among the French.  One of these was a certain Francis Vigo, a trader in St. Louis.  He was by birth an Italian, who had come to New Orleans in a Spanish regiment, and having procured his discharge, had drifted to the creole villages of the frontier, being fascinated by the profitable adventures of the Indian trade.  Journeying to Vincennes, he was thrown into prison by Hamilton; on being released, he returned to St. Louis.  Thence he instantly crossed over to Kaskaskia, on January 27, 1779, [Footnote:  State Department MSS.  Letters to Washington, 33, p. 90.] and told Clark that Hamilton had at the time only eighty men in garrison, with three pieces of cannon and some swivels mounted, but that as soon as the winter broke, he intended to gather a very large force and take the offensive. [Footnote:  State Department MSS.  Papers of Continental Congress, No. 71, Vol.  I., p. 267.]

    Clark Determines to Strike the First Blow.

Clark instantly decided to forestall his foe, and to make the attack himself, heedless of the almost impassable nature of the ground and of the icy severity of the weather.  Not only had he received no reinforcements from Virginia but he had not had so much as “a scrip of a pen” from Governor Henry since he had left him, nearly twelve months before. [Footnote:  Do.] So he was forced to trust entirely to his own energy and power.  He first equipped a row-galley with two four-pounders and four swivels, and sent her off with a crew of forty men, having named her the Willing. [Footnote:  Under the command of Clark’s cousin, Lt.  John Rogers.] She was to patrol the Ohio, and then to station herself in the Wabash so as to stop all boats from descending it.  She was the first gun-boat ever afloat on the western waters.

    His March against Vincennes.

Then he hastily drew together his little garrisons of backwoodsmen from the French towns, and prepared for the march overland against Vincennes.  His bold front and confident bearing, and the prompt decision of his measures, had once more restored confidence among the French, whose spirits rose as readily as they were cast down; and he was especially helped by the creole girls, whose enthusiasm for the expedition roused many of the more daring young men to volunteer under Clark’s banner.  By these means he gathered together a band of one hundred and seventy men, at whose head he marched out of Kaskaskia on the 7th of February. [Footnote:  Letter to Henry.  The letter to Mason says it was the 5th.] All the inhabitants escorted them out of the village, and the Jesuit priest, Gibault, gave them absolution at parting.