[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING THE BIRTH OF GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an 
important event in Indiana, the 250th birthday of George Rogers Clark. 
Vincennes University, located in Vincennes, IN, is hosting a 
celebration that will be held on November 19, 2002. I am pleased to add 
my voice to those honoring a man who is one of the greatest figures in 
American frontier history.
  George Rogers Clark was born on November 19, 1752, to John and Ann 
Rogers Clark. Although Clark was literate, he was not known as a 
scholar. Instead, like George Washington, he took an interest in 
surveying, a high risk profession that presented the possibility of 
great reward. Surveying required intelligence, determination, physical 
strength, resilience, and a thorough knowledge of wilderness survival 
skills.
  When the Revolution began, the Virginia legislature appointed Clark 
to the position of Commander of the Frontier Militia. He set out, in 
May 1778, with a small force to battle the British and their Native 
American allies. During the summer, Clark and his troops ousted the 
British from Kaskaskia, Cohokia, and Vincennes.
  On December 17, 1778, British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton and his 
troops retook Fort Sackville, the important stronghold in the City of 
Vincennes. Clark led about 170 men on a grueling 18-day winter trek 
from Kaskaskia, through present day Illinois, up to Fort Sackville. 
Clark and his men moved relentlessly, braving cold weather and crossing 
freezing rivers, in an effort to stop further British incursions. Then, 
in a brilliant maneuver, he duped the British into believing that he 
had gathered a considerably larger militia than he actually had. This 
tactic worked, and Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton surrendered Fort 
Sackville to Clark on February 25, 1779. For the next several years, 
Clark conducted successful campaigns against the Shawnee. He and his 
forces maintained control of most of the Northwest. This success not 
only had military significance, but it also strengthened America's 
post-war claims to the western territories. During this period, Clark 
spent his own money to help maintain his small army.
  George Rogers Clark's courage and leadership have been recognized and 
carefully remembered in the Hoosier State. President Franklin Roosevelt 
dedicated the memorial of George Rogers Clark in the City of Vincennes 
on June 14, 1936. This memorial is the focal point of George Rogers 
Clark National Historical Park that had 128,000 visitors last year.
  I appreciate the efforts of Vincennes University and the George 
Rogers Clark National Historical Park to honor this remarkable man and 
his contributions to American history. This event will be a testament 
to the exceptional accomplishments and overall character of George 
Rogers Clark and his men.

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