Francis Vigo | |
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 Statue byJohn Angel dedicated to Francis Vigo on the waterfront ofGeorge Rogers Clark National Historical Park | |
| Birth name | Giuseppe Maria Francesco Vigo |
| Born | December 13, 1747 Mondovì, Piedmont, Kingdom of Sardinia (present-day Italy) |
| Died | March 22, 1836 (aged 88–89) Vincennes, Indiana, US |
| Buried | Greenlawn Cemetery,Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana |
| Allegiance | |
Francis Vigo,[a] bornGiuseppe Maria Francesco Vigo (December 13, 1747 – March 22, 1836), was an Italian-born Spanish soldier and later afur trader who aidedcolonial forces during theAmerican Revolutionary War and helped founda public university inVincennes, Indiana.
Born inMondovì, Italy, he served with theSpanish Army inNew Orleans. In 1772 he established a fur trading business inSt. Louis in partnership withFernando de Leyba, the governor ofSpanish Louisiana.[3] In 1783, Vigo moved to Vincennes and operated a fur trading business there.
Vigo offered to serveGeorge Rogers Clark as a spy during the American Revolutionary War. He was sent toVincennes to learn of the conditions at the now British-heldFort Sackville. On the way, Vigo was captured byindigenous warriors and turned over toLt-Gov Henry Hamilton. Although Vigo was aSpanish citizen and hostile acts would breach Spanish neutrality, Hamilton suspected his intentions and paroled him on condition of reporting to the fort each day. This actually assisted Vigo's observations, allowing him to assess the fort's strength and defences.[4]
Some time later, despite their love for Hamilton, the Canadiens were persuaded byFather Gibault to demand Vigo's release, on threat of cutting off local supplies to the fort. Hamilton offered that release provided Vigo agreed "not to do any act during the war injurious to the British interests." Vigo accepted on the basis that the terms would apply only during his return to St. Louis. Vigo travelled down theWabash,Ohio, andMississippi Rivers to St. Louis. Having fulfilled the agreement precisely, Vigo then turned around and went directly toKaskaskia to tell Clark of preparedness at the British fort. Clark took advantage of the information to capture the fort in 1779.[5][6]
A contemporary of Vigo said that he further aided the American capture of theNorthwest Territory by lending his financial backing to theUnited States dollar. The Canadiens refused payments in "continental paper" until Vigo guaranteed them. However, the value of the dollar would soon collapse. Vigo reportedly complained that he was never compensated by the US government for supporting American credit during the war.[7]
In the 1790s Vigo traded with American merchants on the East Coast of the U.S.
In 1801, Vigo petitioned theU.S. Congress for a donation of land to establish the Jefferson Academy in Vincennes. In 1806, Vigo was named one of the original trustees of the now renamedVincennes University.
From 1790 to 1810 he was a colonel in theKnox CountyMilitia[8] before resigning, citing age and infirmity.
In 1818Vigo County, Indiana, was established[9] and named for him.
Vigo was featured in a collectors coin to celebrate the bicentennial of Indiana statehood.[10]
Vigo died March 22, 1836, while living in the home of Jean Baptiste and Elizabeth (Martin) LaPlante, in Vincennes. It was not until 1875, that his estate was allowed payment for $8,016.00, the amount he had used to fund Clark's aborted campaign to takeFort Detroit. This was the only expense the government would officially recognize, but it came with $41,282.60 in interest.[11] As Vigo had no blood-related descendants, however, the government only had to pay for the expenses requested in Vigo's will (which included a bell for the courthouse inVigo County).
Vigo County, Indiana, on theWabash River north of Vincennes, is named for Francis Vigo, as isVigo, Indiana. TheGeorge Rogers Clark National Historical Park erected a statue of Vigo byJohn Angel in 1934, on the waterfront of the Wabash River. Vigo was featured in a collectors coin to celebrate the bicentennial of Indiana statehood.[12]
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