ther. The engagement took place near the
Wabash. McCarty's papers were sent to the British, who laconically
reported: "They give no information other than that himself and all the
Inhabitants of the Illenoise were heartily tired of the Virginians."(56)
There is slight reason to doubt the truth of the statement. It is enforced
by the fact that in 1781, a letter written in French to the governor of
Virginia and said to be signed in the name of the inhabitants of Vincennes
and to give the views of the people of Vincennes, Kaskaskia, Vermilion,
Ouia, etc., declared that the French had decided to receive no troops
except those sent by the king of France to aid in defeating the enemies of
the country. The Indians who are friendly to the French, said the writer,
would regard the coming of Virginia troops as a hostile act. A copy of the
memoir sent by the French settlers to the French minister Luzerne was
inclosed.(57)

On June 8, 1781, the garrison of Fort Jefferson, being without food,
without credit, and for more than two years without pay, evacuated the
place and withdrew to the Falls of Ohio, only to find themselves without
credit in even the adjoining counties of Virginia. The troops were
billeted in small parties.(58) Once again there comes a despairing plea
from the feeble garrison at Vincennes, in the County of Illinois. The
commander wrote: "Sir, I must inform you once more that I can not keep
garrison any longer, without some speedy relief from you. My men have been
15 days upon half-allowance; there is plenty of provisions here but no
credit--I can not press, being the weakest party--Some of the Gentlemen
would help us, but their credit is as bad as ours, therefore, if you have
not provisions send us Whisky which will answer as good an end."(59)

In the Virginia House of Delegates, a committee for courts of justice
reported that the laws which would expire at the end of the session had
been examined, together with certain other laws, and that a series of
resolutions had been agreed upon by the committee. Among these resolutions
was the following: "_Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee_,
That the act of assembly, passed in the year 1778, entitled 'an act, for
establishing the county of Illinois, and for the more effectual protection
and defence thereof;' which was continued and amended by a subsequent act,
and will expire at the end of this present session of assembly, ought to
be further continued." Th