Chapter VIII
A PEACEFUL INTERVAL
While Clark was counseling and making treaties with the different Indian tribes at Cahokia, he was also sending men on different missions throughout the western country.
For the most important mission he chose Father Gibault and Dr. Laffont, an influential citizen of Kaskaskia. They were to take a proclamation to the French settlers at Vincennes, asking them to renounce their fidelity to the British king, George III and swear allegiance to the Americans.
Since Father Gibault was well known and respected for his earlier good works among the people there and Dr. Laffont was a most persuasive man, the French settlers willingly took their oath of allegiance to the Americans.
Both men returned to Colonel Clark with this good news long before his negotiations with the Indians were completed. Then Clark dispatched Captain Helm to take charge of Fort Sackville at Vincennes.
Now that the three French villages, Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes were in American hands, about half of Clark’s volunteers returned to their homes in Kentucky and Virginia. Those who stayed acted not only as guards for the American headquarters, but reinforced the French garrisons at Kaskaskia and Cahokia against possible Indian attack.
Jim didn’t know how to occupy his time, now that Colonel Clark didn’t seem to need him. One evening he decided to ask the colonel about it. “I have nothing to do here, Colonel Clark,” he began. “I could go back to Kentucky to see what’s left of our farm. I wouldn’t be afraid to stay there alone, sir, and I could start clearing more land.”
Colonel Clark fidgeted in his chair. “I know you aren’t afraid, Jim, but I wouldn’t think of letting you go back alone. You’d be a perfect target for Indians. They haven’t all signed treaties, remember. Even so, I don’t trust these redskins too far. Now if your parents——”
“But, sir,” Jim interrupted, “I don’t know if my parents——”
“I know, lad. It’ll be time enough for you to go back to your farm when we locate your father and mother. I have asked every man who has gone out from here to be on the lookout for the Hudsons. They are to ask in every settlement if any one has seen or heard of them. It’s a slow sort of grapevine method, I know, but word gets around that way. We’ll find them, Jim, some day.”