fighting, in which heroic women, with tender hearts but iron muscles,
fought side by side with their husbands and their lovers.

Meanwhile, Clark was busy planning deeds never dreamed of by those
round him. He saw that the Kentucky settlers were losing ground, and
were doing little harm to their enemies. The French villages, guarded
by British forts, were the headquarters for stirring up, arming, and
guiding the savages. It seemed to Clark that the way to defend
Kentucky was to carry the war across the Ohio, and to take these
outposts from the British. He made up his mind that the whole region
could be won for the United States by a bold and sudden march.

In 1777, he sent two hunters as spies through the Illinois country.
They brought back word that the French took little interest in the
war between England {5} and her colonies; that they did not care for
the British, and were much afraid of the pioneers. Clark was a keen
and far-sighted soldier. He knew that it took all the wisdom and
courage of his fellow settlers to defend their own homes. He must
bring the main part of his force from Virginia.

Two weeks before Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, he tramped through
the woods for the third time, to lay his cause before Patrick Henry,
who was then governor of Virginia. Henry was a fiery patriot, and he
was deeply moved by the faith and the eloquence of the gallant young
soldier.

Virginia was at this time nearly worn out by the struggle against
King George. A few of the leading patriots, such as Jefferson and
Madison, listened favorably to Clark's plan of conquest, and helped
him as much as they could. At last the governor made Clark a colonel,
and gave him power to raise three hundred and fifty men from the
frontier counties west of the Blue Ridge. He also gave orders on the
state officers at Fort Pitt for boats, supplies, and powder. All this
did not mean much except to show good will and to give the legal
right to relieve Kentucky. {6} Everything now depended on Clark's own
energy and influence.

[Illustration: General George Rogers Clark]

During the winter he succeeded in raising one hundred and fifty
riflemen. In the spring he took his little army, and, with a few
settlers and their families, drifted down the Ohio in flatboats to
the place where stands to-day the city of Louisville.

The young leader now weeded out of his army all who seemed to him
unable to stand hardship and fatigue. Four companies of