BOWMAN TO BRINKER, JULY 30, 1778



about two hundred in number. They killed one man of the fort
and wounded one or two more, but finding themselves not able
to succeed in their attack, they killed all the cattle that they could
find, and then made towards Greenbrier, where I expect they in-
tended to make a fatal blow. What has been done I have never
heard.
  From thence we continued down the river, landing the salt
kettles at the mouth of the Kentucky, and proceeded down to
the falls of the Ohio, where we built a small garrison on a small
island, and stored up a large quantity of flour and some bacon.
Left eight or ten families there, with a few men to guard them.
  Went thence down the river with about 175 men, until within
about fifty miles of the mouth of the Ohio, seeing a great deal of
signs of Indians all along the Ohio. We ran our boats, in the
night, up a small creek, to hide them, as we had not men enough to
leave a guard with the boats. The next morning we started,
with about four days' provisions, and steered a northwest course
for the Illinois, and in six days' time we arrived there in the night.
We traveled two days without any provisions, being very hungry.
Our men were all determined to take the town or die in the attempt.
  About midnight we marched into the town without ever being
discovered. We pitched for the fort and took possession. The
commanding officer we caught in bed, and immediately confined
him. His name is Philip Rochblave, a Frenchman, who is to be
conducted to Williamsburg, with all his instructions which he has
had, from time to time, from the governors at Detroit and Quebec,
to set the Indians against us and give large rewards for our scalps.
  This town consists of about 250 families, and was fortified
strong enough to have fought a thousand men; but coming on
them by surprise, they were obliged to surrender to us on the 5th
day of July.
  The same day I was ordered off by Colonel Clark with a detach-
ment of thirty men, mounted on horseback, to proceed up the
river Mississippi to three more towns, and lay siege to them.
The first I came to was about fifteen miles from Kaskaskia-the
town we had possession of-which was called Parraderushi.
Before they had any idea of our arrival, we had possession of the



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