Celeron Expedition 1749 and WWI
In honor of the Guns of August, the start of The Great War, the one known later as the War to End all Wars, and still later, World War I - but only after WWII was fought.
WW1 is of course a misnomer. One of the first world wide wars was the 7 Years War aka The French and Indian War.
This little unobtrusive monument on the wide Ohio River straddles this connection between WWI and an expedition to claim land contested in the French and Indian War.
France has shown up at Yorktown, and the Statue of Liberty, Lafayette's tour through the country long after the Revolutionary War and of course this little monument by the Ohio River.
This monument spells out the connection between an American Ambulance company landing in France in WWI and an expedition by France in 1749 planting a lead marker discovered by boys 50 years later on this spot.
Celeron monument location
Gilman & Virginia Streets Marietta Ohio, Washington County on the Ohio River
longitude latitude N 39° 24.454', W 81° 27.591'
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About Celeron
Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville:
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More on Celeron and Monument:
A lead plate was buried near the mouth of the Muskingum River in present day Harmar by Captain Joseph Pierre Bienville de Celoron (1693-1759) on August 15, 1749. It was the fourth such marker placed by Celoron's Expedition on his trip down the Ohio River. The original plate was discovered in 1798 by some local boys playing in the area and eventually was moved to the American Antiquarian Society in Worchester, MA. This large bronze plaque (left) contains the same wording as the original Celeron plate, officially claiming King Louis XV of France ruler of the Ohio Valley region. A smaller metal plaque at the bottom on the monument lists the members of the Marietta College Ambulance Corps, one of the first American units to set foot on French soil during World War I. The most recognizable name of that group was Beman Gates Dawes, later a U.S. Congressman and founder of the Dawes Arboretum near Newark, OH. http://www.mariettaoh.net/government/monuments/monuments_4
This does not answer when the monument was built.
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insert link when you find answer when it was placed here
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This link shows what the plaques on the monument state:
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The inscription appearing below Is a replica of the one engraved on a lead plaque Buried on this spot on August 15th, 1749 by CELORON De BLAINVILLE And of which a fragment recovered in 1798 Is preserved by the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.
L'an 1749 Du Regne De Louis XV Roy De France Nous Celoron Commandant D'un Detachement Envoie par Monsieur Le Mis de La Galissoniere Commandant General de la Nouvelle France Pour retablire la Tranquillite Dans Quelques villages sauvages de ces Cantons Avons enterre cette plaque A L'entree de la Riviere Yenanguekouan Le 15 Aoust 1749 Pres de la Riviere Oyo Autrement Belle Riviere Pour Monument du Renouvellement de possession Que nous avons pris de la ditte Riviere Oyo Et de Toutes les terres des deux cotes Jusque aux sources des dittes rivieres Ainsi qu'en ont jouy et du jouir Les precedens roys de France Et qu'ils s'y sont maintenus par les armes Et par les traittes Specialement par ceux de Riswick D'utrecht Et D'aix la Chapelle This plaque presented by The French Government In remembrance of the services rendered in France by the Marietta College Ambulance Unit During the years 1917 to 1919
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[Lower Plaque Left Side] In 1749 the French Governor of Canada sent Celoron de Blainville (sometimes called Celeron de Bienville), with 235 French and Indian troops down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to re-possess the western lands for France. Along its route the expedition buried six leaden plates. The bronze tablet above contains their common text. The Indian tribes had changed their affiliations from the French to the English, and failing to regain their support, Celoron and his troops retreated hastily to Canada. The campaign was one of the incidents precedent to the French and Indian War. .
[Lower Plaque Right Side] Two of the plates have been found, one at Marietta and one at the Kanawha River. The Marietta Plate was found by boys in 1798, almost on the site of this monument. Before its importance wa realized much of it had been cut up to make bullets. The remaining portion of which replica is shown at left, is in the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, Massachusetts. . [Lower Plaque Middle] The Marietta College Ambulance Unit In appreciation of whose work the government of France gave this monument as a feature of Northwest Territory celebration, 1937-38, was organized at Marietta College early in 1917. It landed at Bordeaux early in June, flying the first American flag carried by a military organization in World War I. Its members were: * Carlos W. Baer John S. Bailey Malcolm O. Cook Vivian F. Crawford Beman Gates Dawes, Jr. William M. Dawes Charles P. Dudley, Jr. John F. Frazer * Lee D. Ikard * Paul W. Lindsley Francis R. McIntyre Thomas M. Manton Dudley D. Nye Donley J. Parr Clark R. Piggott Benjamin H. Putnam Hiram E. Sibley * Kramer G Tabler Norman W. Van Ausdall Paul G. westfall Warwick T. Wilder John W. V. Wygkoff * Died on the field of battle
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Further west on the Ohio:
Celeron Expedition Scioto Ohio
No marker here
longitude latitude 38.72946, -83.01222
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About Celeron
Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville
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More on Celeron regarding this spot of Scioto and Ohio
Lower Shawnee Town & Céloron's Expedition
By Andrew Lee Feight, Ph.D.
