Considering Terms of Surrender

In the morning after Clark’s night-long siege, Hamilton called for a three day truce. He offered Clark terms of surrender that included Hamilton’s own parole to Pensacola after the attack. Clark writes that “After deliberating on every article, I rejected the whole.” 

He replied to Hamilton’s request with his own demand: 

Sir, I expect you shall immediately surrender yourself with your Garrison prisoners at discretion--If any of the stores be destroyed or any letters or papers burned, you may expect no mercy, for by Heavens you shall be treated as a murtherer-- I am Sir your humble servant ----Lt. Govr. Hamilton George Rogers Clarke

Click Here to hear Henry Hamilton’s response. 

Eventually, Hamilton and Clark agreed to meet in the Catholic church 800 feet outside of the Fort in order to discuss Clark’s demands. During his meeting with Clark, Hamilton realized that his men could not hold on much longer and had to accept Clark’s less-than-generous terms. Finally, on the morning of February 25, 1779, Clark and his forces marched into Fort Sackville and lowered the British flag for the last time. 

What terms of surrender would you have asked for if you were Clark? Clark took the British forces as prisoners instead of executing them. Does this make Clark heroic?