Vincennes

Fort Sackville Site

Battlefield · 401 S 2nd St, Vincennes, IN 47591

The ground beneath the George Rogers Clark Memorial is the site of Fort Sackville, the British fortification that controlled the Wabash River valley and, by extension, British-allied Indigenous nations across the Northwest. Clark's capture of the fort in February 1779 — after a grueling 180-mile winter march through flooded prairies — gave the United States its claim to the territory that would become Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

George Rogers Clark National Memorial

Monument · 401 S 2nd St, Vincennes, IN 47591

A neoclassical rotunda on the banks of the Wabash River marking the site of Fort Sackville, the British fort captured by George Rogers Clark in February 1779. Seven large murals inside depict the campaign. The memorial, built in 1931, occupies the approximate ground where Clark's 172 Virginia militiamen and French-Canadian volunteers accepted the surrender of Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton, ending British control of the Northwest Territory.

Indiana Territory Capitol

Government · Harrison St, Vincennes, IN 47591

Vincennes served as the first capital of the Indiana Territory after the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which was directly enabled by Clark's 1779 military campaign. The territorial capitol building, reconstructed on its original site, marks Vincennes's transition from contested frontier outpost to seat of American civil government — a transformation that began the night Clark's men crossed the flooded Wabash.

Old Cathedral (Basilica of St. Francis Xavier)

Church · 205 Church St, Vincennes, IN 47591

The oldest Catholic church in Indiana, tracing its origins to the French missionary presence in Vincennes from the 1730s. During the Revolution, the French-Canadian population of Vincennes was divided in its loyalties; many supported Clark's Patriot cause, providing intelligence, supplies, and fighters. The current basilica, built 1826, stands near the site of the original mission church.

Wabash River Crossing Site

Landmark · Wabash River, Vincennes, IN

In February 1779, George Rogers Clark's force spent five days crossing the flooded Wabash River bottomlands in chest-deep icy water to reach Vincennes. The crossing point — approximately where the river bends near the memorial — became legendary. Clark kept morale alive by having the drummers march at the front, beating cadence while soldiers waded. No account explains why they didn't turn back.