Ohio History Journal

THE EXPEDITION OF CELORON.

 

BY C. B. GALBREATH.

The journals of Celoron and Bonnecamps, with the paper

by O. H. Marshall are here published in order to bring together

in convenient form the accounts of this remarkable expedition,

sent by the Marquis de la Galissoniere, Governor-General of New

France and the Country of Louisiana, to establish more firmly the

French claims to the Ohio country, particularly that portion of it

which lies within the present boundary of our state. A glance

at the map shows that this was preeminently an expedition to

what is now Ohio.

The accounts of these two early explorers, Celoron and

Bonnecamps, should be conveniently accessible to all students of

Ohio history. To make them so is the prime purpose of their

presentation in the Quarterly.

The Journal of Celoron for almost 140 years remained un-

published. Its existence in the archives of the French Govern-

ment was known, but not until 1886 was the full text published

in an English translation by Rev. A. A. Lambing, in his Catholic

Historical Researches, a quarterly journal issued in Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania. This valuable publication, which included many

original documents, was evidently issued in a rather limited

edition, as it is now very rare. The writer has had a few oc-

casions to use it, and has found it necessary in each instance to

borrow the Researches from the Library of Congress.

The Journal of Father Bonnecamps is more readily accessible

through the Jesuit Relations, the monumental work edited by the

late Rueben Gold Thwaites and published by the Burrows

Brothers Company, of Cleveland, through whose courtesy we

are permitted to present to our readers the accurate and well

rendered translation into English. As these two journals are ac-

counts of the same expedition, by its military and spiritual leaders,

it is altogether proper that they should appear together. This is

the first time that they have been so published.

(331)

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332      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

As will be seen by a note on a following page, 0. H. Mar-

shall of the Buffalo Historical Society was the first to direct

especial attention to the journal of Celoron. His article in the

Magazine of American History, Vol. 2, p. 129-150, is a continu-

ous account of that expedition, based upon the record left by

Celoron. In some instances it is almost a paraphrase of that

record. It has been so often referred to by different writers,

and especially by Rev. Lambing in his "notes", that it has been

thought best to reproduce it here in full, with the original paging

in the Magazine of American History indicated by bold face

numerals in parentheses. This will facilitate use of numerous ref-

erences in Lambing's "notes." Where questions have been raised

by these two writers the decision is left to the reader.

The expedition itself is an inviting theme. How it would

impress us to be transferred to that far off time when the "Oyo"

poured its waters through the venerable and pathless woods of

that primeval solitude. What interest we would have found in

the wild life of the forest. With what awe we would have looked

upon the tree-clad hills or gazed into the dark recesses of vale

and ravine. But these things were commonplace to Celoron and

Bonnecamps. They had long been accustomed to the ways of the

wilderness. Their first thought was very naturally and properly

on their special mission to the Ohio valley.

Celoron was concerned about the deposit of the leaden plates

and the attitude of the Indians towards the French government.

The same was true in lesser degree of Bonnecamps. These

journals therefore do not contain much of the descriptive matter

which they might have included had they dreamed of the inter-

est that would one day attach to their narrative.

The leaden plates deposited along the Ohio have long been

objects of interest and curiosity. Three have been found and are

now on exhibition in somewhat widely separated museums. One

of these was perhaps never buried. The one deposited at the

mouth of the Muskingum was considerably mutilated. A portion

of the lead was cut away for bullets before the significance and

importance of this relic were realized. At this time no satis-

factory cut of this plate is available for publication. Good cuts

of the other plates are elsewhere presented with this article.

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The Expedition of Celeron.            333

 

As one reads the speeches of Celoron, delivered to the

Indians in behalf of the courtly Galissoniere, and the crafty re-

plies, he is impressed with the thought that "the untutored child

of the forest" was something of a diplomat. The honeyed words

of the Indian orators to their "dear father" whose envoy they

would like to have scalped, were only equaled by the bland as-

surances to "my dear children" by Celoron who would have pre-

ferred to beat the whole tribe of redskins into genuine submis-

sion if he had thought that his force was adequate to that enter-

prise. Even at that distant date, the Ohio soil seemed to evolve

the wily politician, prophetic of greater things that would fol-

low when the forests should be cleared away and the native

tendency should bear larger fruit in the sunlight of civilization.

In particular, our thoughts are apt to linger about old La De-

moiselle, or Old Britain, as he was called by the English. He was

a shrewd old aborigonie. He rather enjoyed being courted for

favors by the rival interests of England and France. Presents

from both were "thankfully received". Like the accomplished

politician of current history, he made all sorts of promises, but

politely excused himself when Celoron invited him to accompany

the expedition on its way north.

The British and the French had sought the favor of the old

chief by flattery as well as by the bestowal of presents. The

former by way of compliment had called him Old Britain; the

latter, not to be outdone, named him The Demoiselle, the lady.

Following the expedition of Celoron, came Christopher Gist,

the agent of the Virginia Land Company. He was received with

great acclaim by Old Britain who promptly forgot all his promises

to Celoron, refused to move northward to the sphere of French

influence and continued to build up his village through a flour-

ishing trade with the British. For this forgetfulness and evident

partiality the old chief afterward paid dearly.

The French governor of Canada resolved that British power

in the valley of the Miami should be overthrown. In June, 1752,

over 200 Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, under the leadership

of a French officer by the name of Charles Langlade, set out on

a mission of plunder and vengence to the Miami when the war-

riors were nearly all absent on the chase. Those who remained

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334      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. were taken completely by surprise. Before Old Britain and the five English traders who were in the village could get safely within the enclosure of the fort, the enemy were in their midst, dealing out death from their blazing rifles. Old Britain and thirteen of his men were killed and scalped. One of the traders was stabbed to death and his heart was eaten by his savage captors, as they said, "to increase their courage."  They then boiled and ate the body of Old Britain. Thus perished Ohio's first great diplomat and politician. His tragic exit from the "scenes of his glory" may contain a lesson and a warning to his successors who are still abroad in this favored land. Seriously speaking, the expeditions of Celoron and Gist pre- pared the way for hostilities on this continent between the British and the French, which culminated in the surrender of Quebec and the overthrow of French power in America. The destruction of Pickawillany, the village of Old Britain, by the French under Langlade is sometimes considered the open- ing battle of the French and Indian War. The notes of Rev. Lambing on the following pages explain in large measure the varied and somewhat inconsistent spelling of proper names that sometimes occurs in the two Journals.

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