Celoron de Blainville
[Main Top Plaque]
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
[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
Marker is at the intersection of Virginia Street and Gilman Street, on the right when traveling east on Virginia Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
