Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 8).djvu/225

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APPENDIX A

PORTIONS OF CLARK'S MEMOIR[1] WHICH REFER TO THE MARCH TO KASKASKIA

" . . on the [24th] of June 1778 we left our Little Island and Run about a mile up the River in order to gain the main Channel and shot the Falls at the very moment of the sun being in a great Eclipse which caused Various conjectures among the superstitious as I knew that spies were kept on the River below the Towns of the Illinois I had resolved to march part of the way by Land and of course left the whole of our baggage, except as much as would equip us in the Indian mode. The whole of our force, after leaving such as was Judged not competent to the expected fatiegue, Consisted only of four companies, commanded by Captns Jno. Montgomery,

  1. See ante, page 18, note 2. The original of Clark's Memoir is found in the Draper MSS., xlvii J, fols. 1–128.