By Tom Emery

During the American Revolution in Illinois, the Declaration of Independence was not the only important event on July 4. On that date in 1778, George Rogers Clark’s brazen capture of Kaskaskia in southwestern Illinois secured a key outpost for the American cause.

The older brother of William Clark, partner in the expedition with Meriwether Lewis from 1804-06, Clark believed that the capture of the British stronghold of Detroit would lead to the colonial control west of the Appalachians. To achieve that goal, Clark proposed an offensive on the outposts at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, thereby securing the Illinois country for Virginia.

Kaskaskia, a Mississippi River settlement which later was the capital of Illinois, was the economic and political center of the region and had fallen to British control with the end of the French and Indian Wars in 1763. It was protected by various forts, including Fort Gage, which British troops had occupied after abandoning Fort de Chartres in 1772.

The British had likewise abandoned Kaskaskia in 1776, leaving the town under the control of Frenchman Phillippe de Rocheblave, who had promised loyalty to the British. However, the inhabitants of Kaskaskia, largely French Catholics, cared neither for British authorities nor the American revolutionaries.

Clark wrote that the Kaskaskia French “look on us as notorious rebels that ought to be subdued at any rate” but added that “I don’t doubt that after being acquainted with the (American) cause they would become good friends to it.” In addition, Clark realized that control of Kaskaskia would neutralize American Indian tribes in the area.

On Jan. 4, 1778, Clark left Williamsburg, Va. and by May 27 was across from present-day Louisville with 150 Virginians. After several weeks of training, his men were joined by twenty-five Kentucky riflemen, and began paddling downriver on June 24. They were later overtaken by news that France had allied with the colonies.

Clark landed at Fort Massac, a deserted British fort in extreme southern Illinois, and on June 29 set out on foot for Kaskaskia, 120 miles away. Marching in single file, the men subsisted mostly on wild berries. They reached the Kaskaskia River north of town during the evening of July 4, 1778 and found Kaskaskia and Fort Gage both largely unguarded.

Clark wrote that he “formed the party into three divisions. With one of the divisions, I marched to the fort,” where he awakened de Rocheblave, who surrendered without a fight.

The best, though, was yet to come. Clark “marched the other two (divisions) into different quarters of the town” and gave the signal. The men then charged through the streets of Kaskaskia with such an uproar that shocked residents thought they were under attack by a much-larger army.

Clark wrote that soldiers who spoke French screamed that the Americans were now in control, “ordering the people on the pane of death to keep close to their houses, which they observed and before daylight (we) had the whole disarmed.”

It was all part of a psychological plan. Clark added that “the greater the shock I could give them at first, the more sensibly would they feel my lenity and become more valuable friends.”

As Clark predicted, the Kaskaskia French received the Americans warmly. The local priest, Father Pierre Gibault, asked for mercy for women and children, to which Clark scoffed, “Did they suppose…that we would…make war on the women and children of the church?”

Clark subsequently declared that they were free to choose their side, without fear of losing their families, property, or religious freedom. In minutes, the townspeople swore their allegiance to America. A celebration ensued, including the ringing of the church bell gifted by King Louis XV in 1741. The bell was later dubbed the “Liberty Bell of the West.”

The submission of Kaskaskia also ensured the fall of both Cahokia and Vincennes, and Clark managed to create peace agreements with local tribes. Though the British would retake Vincennes later that year, Clark would fearlessly capture that post once again in February 1779.

Today, visitors to the now-tiny town of Kaskaskia may enjoy the “Liberty Bell of the West,” which is now a state historic site.

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or [email protected].