Rowdy Crossing Into The Illinois Prairies

Map In A Museum

General Hopkins' Kentuckians, undisciplined, and hopelessly insubordinate, after crossing into the Illinois prairies, became reckless and disorderly.  It was known among them that the success of the expedition depended entirely on their activity and secrecy.  Yet they loitered and shot game along the way and otherwise disobeyed the positive commands of the veteran general and his aids to such a shameful extent that the Indians in all the territory desired to be covered, learned the object of the movement and fled north to safety, just as had been feared when orders for secrecy and haste had been given.  The season was rainy and the roads naturally slow; competent guides were lacking and on the fourth day out from Ft. Harrison, the army lost its course in the vast prairies and returned disgraced, to the Wabash.  What a mortifying finish, after writing the following letter to Governor Shelby of Kentucky, as gallant old General Hopkins did!--Vincennes, Sept. 29, 1812 [Source]