MARCH TO ILLINOIS?!?!
The Western Theater of the American Revolution
In reading the pension application paperwork of my ancestor Henry Brown, I was surprised to find mention of a planned "march to Illinois" in August 1780.
I suppose my surprise is the result of my ignorance of Revolutionary War trivia and the wonderful public school curriculum.
Anyway, I didn't have to do much digging to prove to myself that there was some activity way out in Illinois during the war.
In November 1779, the Virginia legislature created "Illinois County," encompassing all of the land across the Ohio River from Kentucky (another "county").
Needless to say, the British and their Indian allies that lived in this new "county" weren't happy about the new designation. So, they launched a major offensive against American settlements in Kentucky--resulting in the death or capture of hundreds of "civilians."
Well, back in Virginia, Governor Thomas Jefferson was outraged enough to authorize George Rogers Clark to organize a counter-expedition to show the Brits and Indians just who was boss.
You may remember Clark as one-half of the famous "Lewis and Clark Expedition," launched during Jefferson's subsequent stint as President.
Anyway, Clark's march to Illinois in 1780 failed to pacify the frontier. But, he and his men did manage to destroy two Shawnee villages along the Mad River before returning to Virginia.
Perhaps the Virginians would have enjoyed more success if my Henry Brown had accompanied them on their expedition. Unfortunately for them, he and his company of militiamen were called east at the last minute.
And, the rest--as they say--is history.
References:
John Grenier, The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier, 1607-1814, Cambridge University Press, 2005. Page 159.
Larry L. Nelson, A Man of Distinction Among Them: Alexander McKee and the Ohio Country Frontier, 1754-1799, Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio, 1999. Page 118.
Return to my Index to Revoluationary War Ancestry Research