Securing French Loyalties at Vincennes

Clark suspected that Gibault was willing to aid the Americans. Clark later remembered that “I sent for him, and had a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes.” Gibault agreed to travel to Vincennes (Fort Sackville), an area in his spiritual jurisdiction, and convince the French there to shift their loyalties to the Americans, as the British official who had been at the fort, Governor Abbott, had gone back to Detroit in February of that same year.

Reflecting back on this event in a November 19, 1779 letter to “his Friend and Patron George Mason, of Gunston Hall, Virginia,” Clark remembered that:   

“Mr. Gibault, the priest...offered to undertake to win that town for me if I would permit him, and let a few of them go....The priest told me he would go himself, and gave me to understand that, although he had nothing to do with temporal business, that he would give them such hints in the spiritual way that would be very conducive to the business.”

After traveling for a few days, “Mr. Gibault and his party arrived safe [at Vincennes], and, after their spending a day or two in explaining matters to the people, they universally acceded to the proposal... and went in a body to the church, where the oath of allegiance was administered to them in the most solemn manner.” Soon after, Gibault returned to Kaskaskia with the good news for Clark.