Mistress Betsey Stewarts Remarkable Quest Part 3
As narrated by herself and recorded by John Curry
This is an article that appeared first in the March 2020 Issue of Muzzle Blasts Magazine.
It was a time of hushed, almost palpable silence throughout the entire, far-western hamlet more properly known as Vincennes. Many tentative, French townspeople were afraid of this resolute, American army which so boldly marched up to within a longrifle’s shot of the British held, Fort Sackville with their flags flying, their drums rumbling and their fifes shrilly blowing. Others simply obeyed the commanding American officer’s orders, took no notice to the goings on and stayed out of the way. Red coated, English soldiers disdainfully peeked out from over their picket walls; taunting the stone-faced rebels as they maneuvered and assembled into a variety of unmistakably aggressive formations.
Col. George Rogers Clark having sent word to the town populace they should remain in their homes during this grave episode of potential violence lest they be mistaken for British sympathizers and dealt with accordingly; Betsy and Madame Vibbare huddled together in the elderly French lady’s tiny residence and dress-shop. Located a paltry few yards north of the fort on Market Street, the two women presently had themselves a ringside seat to the epic conflict ferociously raging just outside their door. Kentucky long rifles cracked. British artillery boomed. Men from both sides yelled and cursed at one another. Practically speaking, rifle fire from the Americans was quite devastating and more or less unanswerable as the British muskets possessed only a mere fraction of their antagonist’s immense range. Redcoats were dying and anyone inside Fort Sackville caught exposing even a sliver of his body paid a terrible price for it. Hamilton’s big guns were rendered at best ineffectual and at length, silenced completely – lock, stock and barrel as Clark’s sharpshooters made these targets a high priority. Captain Bowman later wrote; “The cannon played smartly. Not one of our men wounded, men in the fort badly wounded. Fine sport for the Sons of Liberty.” Col. Clark being at first, principally involved in securing the town; what initially began as a small contingent of well-concealed snipers positioned along key points around the fort, shortly grew into a regular turkey shoot as growing numbers of embittered Patriots became freed up and available to join in the deadly game. English soldiers were soon reduced to crouching down, well below the fort’s woefully gapped, log walls; behind the best cover, they could obtain. Meanwhile, friendly, pro-American, French townspeople recovered multiple stores of powder, lead and flints discretely hidden from the English soldiery for just such a purpose.
The first installment of this relatively elaborate persona is located in the September 2017 issue of Muzzle Blasts magazine and the second installment is located in the March 2019 issue. If you don’t still have them, contact the N.M.L.R.A.’s main office (812-667-5131) for current availability, price and shipping costs.
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The NMLRA and Muzzle Blasts have been an authority on muzzleloading since 1933. This article was not sponsored or paid for, we feel it is our job to bring you the most up to date news as possible on the world of Muzzleloading, be it living history, competitive shooting, or hunting