Muster on the Wabash (War of 1812 reenactment) first weekend in November - Enjoy, battles each day along with frontier crafts and food. See Techumseh and William Henry Harrison reinact treaty talks. Ft. Knox II site near Ouabache Trails County Park, in Vincennes.
for further information: www.spriritofvincennes.org or http://www.vincennescvb.org/
The Annual Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous is held Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Traditional foods, crafts, entertainment and four Revolutionary War battles are featured. This re-enactment depicts the late 1700's and early 1800's in Vincennes. It is held within walking distance of the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.
for further information: www.spriritofvincennes.org
Historic Sites:
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, open daily 9 to 5, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Located at 401 S. 2nd Street, Vincennes, IN. Commemorates the battle of Vincennes in February of 1779. A Revolutionary War battle where the course of American history changed. http://www.nps.gov/gero/ 812-882-1776 x 210 for further information.
Grouseland or William Henry Harrison's Mansion, open Monday through Saturday 9 to 5, Sunday 11 to 5
812-882-2096
Home of the victor of the Battle of Tippecanoe and the Ninth President of the United States.
State Historic Sites, located next to Grousland, open 9 to 5, Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 Sunday, closed Monday. (open seasonally only) Including: Indiana Territory Capital, Elihu Stout Print Shop, Jefferson Academy, Maurice Thompson's Birthsite (the author of Alice of Old Vincennes) 812-882-7472.
Indiana Military Museum, located on Old Bruceville Road, open 12 to 4 daily. (open seasonally only) 812-882-8668.
Knox County Chamber of Commerce: http://www.knoxcountychamber.com/
Vincennes History:
The French Canadians sailed down the rivers from the Great Lakes and founded Vincennes with the Piankeshaw Indians in 1732. The location, now in southwest Indiana, was chosen by Francois Marie Bissot (Sieur de Vincennes). He got that fancy title from his father. It was a title his father received when given land from the people of Vincennes, France. The land was in Canada which means New France.
Vincennes, Indiana is so located because of its proximity to the Wabash River and the Buffalo Trace, which were two commerce routes at the time. It was like being at the corner of Route 41 and Interstate 64. The fur trade flourished as evident by the number of animal pelts that were traded at the French Canadian post. The town had at least a dozen names such as Au Post and Post Wea before it was called Vincennes for Francois Marie Bissot. That was in 1736 when its founder lost a battle and was burned at the stake for six hours by the Chickasaw Indians, where Tupelo, Mississippi stands today. Fortunately it doesn't always take that much effort to get a place named for a person.
The Piankeshaw Indians lived in their town of Chippekoke right next to Vincennes. Many of the French Canadians and Natives married. These two cultural groups had similar views that life should have plenty of leisure activities to go along with the work. These good old days came to an end with the start of the French and Indian War. This was a world war between the British and their Indian allies and the French and their native friends. This occurred between 1754 and 1763 when the Americans were British subjects. The British/Americans won so they took over Vincennes and French Canada; what is now the midwest of the United States. It became British Canada. In 1777 the British built Fort Sackville right on top of the ruins of the French Canadian fort of Post Vincennes. This is where the 80 foot tall George Rogers Clark Memorial is today.
The Americans had started a revolution in 1775 at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. In August of 1778 Fort Sackville was in American hands courtesy of George Rogers Clark. He was the military leader for the Americans on the Kentucky frontier. Clark was tired of the British led Indian attacks on Boonesborough and other posts so he went on the offensive. Since the French Canadian agents, working for the British at Vincennes, were giving out free scalping knives to the natives and helping them burn down American holdings; George devised a plan to capture such outposts. He caught the French with their guard down and captured Vincennes, Kaskaskia and Cahokia without firing a shot through night raids and diplomacy. The Americans christened the Vincennes military installation Fort Patrick Henry after Clark's boss.
The British Vice President of Canada, Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton, came from Detroit with a force of 500 Indians, French miltia and redcoated regulars to capture or kill Clark and his rebel frontiermen. They recaptured Vincennes and the fort but Clark was over on the Mississippi River in Kaskaskia with most of his 100 men. It was winter so time to hunker down until spring. So the British leader thought. After Francis Vigo told Clark that Henry Hamilton had sent his Indians and Detroit militia home for the winter he started a 160 mile march to recapture Vincennes. It was February and all five rivers and five streams were in flood, but Clark had frontier hunters who might just be able to survive the trip. It was all or nothing. It was a big gamble with nothing to lose and the Northwest territory to gain.
The march through freezing waters with no food at times for days was agonizing, but they had to get to Vincennes or the whole country would be lost in the spring. Providentially food was found on the hoof or in someone's canoe at just the right times to ward off starvation and an end to the mission. After nineteen days of great tests, toils and snares the American troops and their French Canadian volunteers arrived in Vincennes. It was February 23, 1779 at 8 p.m. They immediately surrounded the British in their fort and started shooting. Clark used every ploy he could to convince Lt. Gov. Henry Hamilton that he had 500 to 1000 men and was prepared to destroy them if they didn't surrended. Clark had 100 Americans he could count on and they were weak from being starved and frozen almost to death.
After two days of battle and negotiations the British gave up. At 10 a.m. on February 25, 1779 the United States took possession of Fort Sackville. Vincennes and eventually the area made up of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan amd Wisconsin also came into American hands because of a few brave men led by Lt. Colonel George Rogers Clark. The Clark Memorial in Vincennes marks this great expedition and battle of the American Revolution.