DEDICATION OF BRONZE TABLETS TO
MAJOR JOHN MILLS AND TECUMSEH
FRAZER E. WILSON.
Early in the spring of 1927, the
Greenville Historical
Society, through the services of the
Piqua Granite Com-
pany, transported to Greenville two
large granite bould-
ers to be used as historical markers.
The first was
about four and one-half feet square and
is shown in the
illustration accompanying this article.
It was found
along the Nashville Road, about four
miles west of
Greenville, and was erected on a deep
concrete founda-
tion, near the site of Tecumseh's home,
on the north
side of the Winchester Pike, a few
hundred feet west
of the Mud Creek bridge, and within the
present limits
of the city of Greenville, Ohio. The
other boulder is
about three feet square, and was
transported from a
field near the Nineveh U. B. Church,
about six miles
southeast of Greenville, and placed on
a lot at the south-
east corner of West Third and Chestnut
Streets, to mark
the site of the burial-ground of the
soldiers of Wayne's
Legion, who died during the occupancy
of Fort Green-
ville, from the fall of 1793 to the
time of the abandon-
ment of the Fort, in 1796. Although
comparatively
small in size, this boulder has a
raised diagonal band
running across its face and makes a
very artistic and
appropriate marker.
Since Major John Mills, the adjutant
general in
Wayne's Legion, died at Fort
Greenville, in July, 1796,
(156)
Tablets to Major John Mills and Tecumseh 157 it is presumed that his remains were also buried on this site -- just outside of the southwest bastion of the Fort and overlooking the beautiful prairie to the west and south. Major Mills had also rendered distinguished services in the Revolutionary War, and the Fort Green- ville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo- |
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lution asked for the privilege of furnishing the tablet for this marker, which was dedicated to the Major and the brave officers and privates buried on the site. The tablet is inscribed as follows: In Memory of MAJOR JOHN MILLS A soldier of the Revolution and Adjutant General in Wayne's Legion. And the brave officers and soldiers Who died during the occupancy of Fort GreeneVille 1793 - 1796 Placed by Fort Greenville Chapter, D. A. R. |
158 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications A public-spirited nurseryman, Mr. E. M. Buechly, who lives near Greenville, was granted the privilege of furnishing the tablet for the Tecumseh Memorial. This tablet is eighteen by twenty-four inches in size and bears the following inscription, which, as also the Mills tablet inscription, was drafted by Frazer E. Wilson, for many years secretary of the Greenville Historical Society: |
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In Memory of TECUMSEH The Noted Shawnee Chief and his brother TENSKWATAWA "The Prophet" who lived on this site 1806 - 1808 Tablet donated by E. M. Buechly. Both of these beautiful and appropriate memorials were unveiled on the afternoon of Sunday, October 2, 1927, with the programs which follow. |
Tablets to Major John Mills and
Tecumseh 159
The services at the Mills Memorial were
in charge
of the Fort Greenville Chapter, D. A.
R., and were pre-
sided over by Rev. J. P. MacLean,
president of the
Greenville Historical Society.
PROGRAM.
Invocation......Rev. L. D. Utts, Rector
of the Episcopal Church
Patriotic Song
Brief Historical
Address.. Frazer E. Wilson, Mayor of the
City of Greenville
Presentation of Memorial
................Mrs. Aurelia Rosser
Oration
of the Day.......................Hon. D. L. Gaskill
Song
The spectators and participants then
proceeded about
five blocks to the site of the Tecumseh
Memorial, where
was rendered the following
PROGRAM.
Patriotic Song
Sketch of Tecumseh and "The
Prophet"......Frazer E. Wilson
Presentation of Tablet.............E. M.
Buechly (the donor)
Acceptance..........................George A. Katzenberger
Address.......L. V. MacWhorter, North
Yakima, Washington
Address.........."Strongheart,"
of the Yakima Indian Nation
Benediction.....Rev. O. O. Arnold,
Pastor of the U. B. Church
The weather on the afternoon of the
dedication was
pleasant and the affair was considered
a decided success
by both organizations participating.
Greenville now has
three appropriate historical markers
within its limits --
the first being a boulder and tablet
memorial placed on
West Main Street, near the Public
Square, in 1906, to
commemorate the signing of the Treaty,
under the
160
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
auspices of the local Historical
Society. This Society
also secured a plot of ground, on the
site of old Fort
Jefferson, built in 1791, by General
St. Clair, about five
miles south of Greenville, and erected
thereon a broken-
boulder memorial, with tablet attached,
in 1907. This
monument is now in charge of the Neave
Township
Trustees, since it adjoins the Township
House Ground.
Early in 1927, the Greenville
Historical Society pur-
chased about three and one-third acres
of land adjoining
this site, including a rifle-pit and
spring used by the
soldiers occupying the Fort. This tract
will also prob-
ably be improved in the near future and
incorporated
with the original plat. As there is a
large tract of land
adjoining this, immediately on the
southwest, which has
been worked over by the Greenville
Gravel Company for
many years, and which contains two
small lakes, it is
hoped that the Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical
Society will recommend that the State
Legislature ap-
propriate funds for the securing of
this, and also per-
mitting it to be set aside as a State
Park in the near
future.