(seq. 151)

February 24th
continued -

Immediately after the Americans had taken possession,
they fired a salute of 13 rounds from the 6 pounder in one
of the Blockhouses, but by some carelessness, a cask of
cannon cartridges took fire, and blew up Captains Bowman
and Widdrington of the Americans with two others of their
men, and a soldier of the Kings one of our additional gunners
who tho scorched and most of his skin blown from his face
and arms and nearly blinded, was tolerably recoverd before
we left Port Vincennes, being a very brave hardy fellow and
suffering great torment with uncommon fortitude -

The force of the explosion displaced the log work an inch & half
tho' mortaised, and threw a frenchman over the wall into the
street -- he fell at least 10 feet but lighting on his feet
unhurt, he ran to his officer & boasted of his alertness

Le Gras and Bosseron had the curiousity to come to the fort
to see, as they said quelle contenance tiendrait {Monsieur} le Gouverneur

These persons who had set an example to the wretches of the place
of perjury and treason, forgot that they were indebted to me for
not only the preservation of their properties, but of their lives --

In the afternoon Colonel Clarke and his Officers (so called)
being assembled in the little room in the fort, He asked for me
who were the persons under my orders who had been employed with
the Indians, I told him they were present & would answer for
themselves, which they having done, the {Colonel} orderd one of his
Officers to go for the smith & direct him to make irons for
them all, which should confine the neck hands and feet --