When the boys returned to the American lines, the conference was over. No one was certain, however, that Hamilton would agree to the surrender terms. Colonel Clark took no chances of deception by the British; he posted guards in houses near the fort and patrols in town. The rest of his army slept on their rifles and got their first real rest in many days.
The next day, February 25, 1779, Hamilton sent Captain Helm to Colonel Clark with the signed articles of surrender. George Rogers Clark then drew up his army in two lines facing each other in front of Fort Sackville to await Hamilton. All of Vincennes gathered behind the American army to see the surrender.
Promptly at ten o’clock the wooden fort gate opened, and Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton led his well-drilled, scarlet-clad regulars of the King’s regiment between the lines of the ragged American soldiers. Captain Helm, amidst loud hurrahs from the crowd, hoisted the American flag above Fort Sackville. Fort Sackville and Vincennes were now in American hands, never to be surrendered again.
Hamilton’s prisoners of war were also turned over to Colonel Clark, among them Pa Hudson. When Jim spied him in the group, he forgot all about his duty as a soldier and rushed over to throw his arms around his father.
“Pa,” he cried, “I knew I’d find you sometime.”
His father hugged him hard. “Ma and I knew from Captain Helm that you were safe in Kaskaskia, but we didn’t know when we could get to you.”
When the celebrations and ceremonies of surrender were over, George Rogers Clark dispatched a detail to Virginia with Hamilton, his prisoner of war, and sent home the French who had accompanied the British leader from Detroit.
Then Clark looked over the stores and supplies in the fort. In them he found much clothing which had been sent from Detroit for the British troops. From this supply every man in Clark’s army received new shirts, caps, vests and trousers. These were most welcome gifts because the men wanted to be presentable when they returned in triumph to Kaskaskia.
The Indians near Vincennes must have heard about Clark’s gifts, because early one morning several of them came to the fort to receive presents from Chief Long-Knife. Jim was helping to distribute these when he recognized Wahbunou in the group.