ed and in ill health. He was left financially ruined because the bonds he endorsed to Francis Vigo and other traders were not paid for by Virginia, instead they took all of Clark's land and the military pay he had earned during his campaigns to pay off the debts. Clark was also left with ill health, during the remaining years of his life he suffered from rheumatism, nueritis, and eventually paralasis from all the time he spent in the harsh conditions of Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. Even with all the ingratitude shown towards him George Rogers Clark never regreted what he did for his country, "But a country was at stake; and if it was imprudence, I suppose I should do the same, should I again have a similar field to pass through"(excerpt from a letter to Thomas Jefferson) This to me was very reminisasnt of Nathan Hales, famous speech, only far less famous. George Rogers Clark died on February 13th 1818 in Locust Grove Kentucky. Sadly he died a tortured and broken soul because of the ingratitude the country he loved had showed him. His debts were cleared and all his land was paid to his remaining family twenty years after his death, but as was the case with Jim Thorpe's gold medals this was a little to late to show a great man the respect he deserved. When we learn about Revolutionary war history in school we learn about George Washington, Patrick Henry, and even Nathan Hale. But never is a word spoken about the accomplishments of George Rogers Clark and his small band of soldiers who assisted to the victory in east with their victories at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. Their has not been a serious work written on George Rogers Clark in nearly fifty year, and in schooling he is completely neglected. All of this is wrong, Clark was very important to the Revolutionary War victory and even more vital to opening the gateway to the west. For this reason his legacy and story should not die but instead be passed down to future...
