The end was now almost in sight; two days more and the immediate basin of the Mississippi River would be reached, and the success or failure of the daring raid be decided. It can be easily imagined that it was a silent and eager body of men which, on September 3, strode forward over the rolling hills of Randolph County on the old trail. Their excitement must have been intense. The old trail from Lenan entered Randolph County near the center of section 12, township 7, south of range 5W and passed over Teacup Knob in section 5 and near the present Wine Hill P. O. Pushing on over the hills, the St. Mary River was reached at the site of what became the "Old State Ford," near Welge Station (formerly Bremen Station) on the Wabash, Chester and Western Railroad—section 1, township 7 S., range 6 W.[1] Here the last camp of the march was pitched on the night of July 3—the "glorious Fourth" was to see the little invading army lying quietly on the outskirts of quaint old Kaskaskia.
From the state ford on the St. Mary, the course was the highland route running near
- ↑ Id., xxi, fols. 80, 81; xxii, fol. 37.
