Leonard Helm - Vincennes

Vincennes

Vincennes decided to support the Americans at the urging of Father Gibault, and Captain Helm was sent to command Fort Sackville(renamed Fort Patrick Henry), with a group of local French speaking militiamen and four soldiers from Virginia. He requested and received support from the local Piankeshaw tribe, especially the chief known as Young Tobacco.

The British retook the fort on 17 December 1778, after Helm's local militia had deserted and he had too few men to attempt resistance. When the British formed within yards of the fort, Captain Helm opened the gate and pointed a cannon at the British formation, with an artillery match in one hand and a bottle of whiskey with the other.

He invited Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton to share wiskey and discuss terms as gentlemen. Knowing that the British did not fully understand his tactical situation, he demanded and received favorable terms of surrender. Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton was later shocked to find only three people within the fort but honored his agreement. When Colonel Clark heard about the surrender several weeks later, he and his force made a bold march through icy winter weather and laid siege to Fort Sackville. Captain Helm was inside Fort Sackville as a prisoner during the siege, and Clark notes in his memoir that he "amused himself very much during the siege, and, I believe, did much damage."

Helm came with the British party to the 24 February negotiations to end the siege, and tried to negotiate Clark's harsh terms of surrender. Clark countered that Helm could not negotiate because he was a British prisoner, at which point Hamilton released Helm. Whether he meant to reinforce his hardline negotiations or reprimand Helm for his impropriety in seemingly negotiating for Hamilton, Clark refused to receive the captain, and informed Helm that he must return to Fort Sackville and "await his fate." Hamilton surrendered 25 February 1779, and Fort Sackville was again renamed Fort Patrick Henry.