5 Fort Sackville: Britain Yields Possession

This mural shows the formal surrender of Fort Sackville by British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton to George Rogers Clark on February 25, 1779. Since Hamilton was not a military officer, it is not known whether he would have had a uniform or a ceremonial sword that he could have handed over to Clark during the surrender. Regardless of those details, it is undisputed that this moment of surrender represented so much more than just giving up a little one acre fort on the frontier. Clark’s victory here completely changed the dynamics of the western frontier. Clark succeeded in his plan to disrupt the British military presence in the western territory and confuse the Indians about where to bestow their loyalty.