Prisoner on Parole at Fort Sackville

 On December 17th, Hamilton’s troops arrived and Helm was forced to surrender the Fort. Hamilton remembered it this way:

“I proceeded to the fort with the detachment of the King’s regiment...and sent to summon the Officer...Not a single shot was fired in the course of the day... In this miserable picketted work called a fort, was found scarce anything for defense...”

Hamilton was surprising lenient with Helm.

“I allowed him [Helm] liberty on giving his parole, and assurance that he would not by letter or otherways give any intelligence to the Americans...”

On December 26, nine days after Hamilton’s capture of the Fort, François Busseron’s records indicate that Helm was still purchasing goods on his personal account including “3 jugs taffias [rum] with Brouillet [a friend] at 20” and “1 jug for the Indians.....20.” This seems to indicate that Helm enjoyed much freedom under Hamilton’s command. 

After Clark arrived at Fort Sackville in February 1779, Helm seems to have been a part of the group determining the terms of surrender. Clark notes:

“We met at the church, about eighty yards from the fort-Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton, Major Hay, superintendent of Indian affairs; Captain Helm, their prisoner; Major Bowman and myself.”

Throughout the meeting, Helm augured for Clark to demand harsh terms of surrender. Clark had to remind Helm that “he was a British prisoner, and it was doubtful whether or not he could, with propriety, speak on the subject.” Even so, “Governor Hamilton then said that Captain Helm was from that moment liberated, and might use his pleasure.” But, Clark “informed the captain that I would not receive him on such terms; that he must return to the garrison and await his fate.”

How did Helm influence the siege and final negations even though he was still a prisoner? Did Clark appreciate any of Helm’s hard work to make allies with the American Indians or be captured as a prisoner?