Battle of Vincennes

Clark's men moving in the river

-On January 29, 1779, Francis Vigo, an Italian fur trader, came to Kaskaskia to inform Clark about Hamilton's reoccupation of Vincennes. Clark decided that he needed to launch a surprise winter attack on Vincennes before Hamilton could recapture the Illinois country in the spring. 
-On February 6, 1779, Clark set out for Vincennes with 127 volunteers, nearly half of them French militia from Kaskaskia. Captain Bowman was second-in-command on the expedition. While Clark and his men marched across country, 40 men left in an armed row-galley, which was to be stationed on the Wabash River below Vincennes to prevent the British from escaping by water.
-Clark and his men marched into Vincennes, entering the town in two divisions, one commanded by Clark and the other by Bowman. Taking advantage of a slight elevation of land which concealed his men but allowed their flags to be seen, Clark moved his troops to create the impression that 1,000 men were approaching. While Clark and Bowman secured the town, a signal was sent to begin firing at Fort Sackville. 
-Despite the commotion, Hamilton did not realize the fort was under attack until one of his men was wounded by a bullet coming through a window.
-Clark received local help: villagers gave him powder and ammunition they had hidden from the British, and Young Tobacco, a Piankeshaw chief, offered to have his 100 men assist in the attack.

-Clark and Bowman met with Hamilton and signed terms of surrender. Since they had him surrounded in a church because Hamilton sent men to kill Clark and Bowman but Clark took his precautions an captured Hamilton's killers.
This battle demonstrated Clark's strategy abilities for seizing a town already captured by British troops.

Rogers Clark

Vincennes at the year of 1763