%. ^*>, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I If 1^ H^ ^ Ki 1 2.2 s la 112:0 1.8 ' 1-25 1.4 ji.6 ^ 6" ► Photographic Sciences rorporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (7t6) 872-4503 s ^ $ h> w V CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / institut Canadian da microreproductions historiques '^'"•*'^"'-'-'-'«i»"^»w aii i»^ '»M » > ri^»;i.->.•■« ■ .,i.'«wJ.-.i>:-.:i Technical and Biblicgraphic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il li*' a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de ce- ' 'emplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point u«, vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier una image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag6e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur6e et/ou peliicul^e Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque D D Coloured maps/ Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) K7] Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ JAI Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur D D D Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 fiim^es. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es I — I Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es. tachetdes ou piqu6es Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes I I Showthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varies/ Qualitd in6gale de I'impression I — I Includes supplementary material/ D D Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 fiimdes d nouveau de fapon d obtonir la meilleure image possible. D Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppiimentaires: This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 12X 16X 20X K 24X 26X 30X 28X 32X i 1 ■ ~>:iSi»''vI, ,T,.li*!«-^*i^B(§ii*M«#i-i ■ ic,ftf*^ v:,!rtw^«ik«i,^.iis^. i Itails s du lodifier r une Image IS errata to I pelure, on d 32X i I The copy filmed h'^re has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of Congress Photodupllcation Service The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in Iteeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shell contain the symbol ^^> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, ate, may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: 1 « 2 3 L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grAce A la gAnArositA de: Library of Congress Photodupllcation Service Les images suiventes ont iti reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetA de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimie sont filmAs en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous ^s autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est ti op grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA d partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 i,*i*W^*-*^^'^' K^Mti-!,^ ■■■^tiva^. ■«*.id.*^#a»>i^^,^,^,„„--Sii >^.„i-MW'-->/M*;t>.i; i^- i €x ■fn i:^7^-^^.n^. I m I- C 5 c U -.J Q a o u. a. O c ^ i i-*. .:.;.Li^^l•;>nil - ■.^' &r'>-'V,!^^-*^ •^^'^feife^ *^:;^a/!.S5^!?!iS:^ yL ^ THE Centennial Celebration Evacuation of Detroit by the British. \i July ii, 1796— July h, 1896. .qL- Report of the Proceedings, with the Addresses of Col. H. M. DuFFiELD, Senator J. C Burrows, and PRESIDtNT J AS. B. ANGELL. DETROIT. Printed for the Committee. 1896 .:^r Y -' ■■^s^mJkJL,^^i^.^ e>-« i: 1 I J ; .\ \ -.y.'^'*' ,j;.^ /> ■5 Limited Edition of 300 Copies. V John F. Eby & Company, Printers. (r-67 Congress Wist. e. :y '.y r"iaSli'ii>(\ ii -^'...^■(^»» K'v m m mil ^S ^-i-<-iit>ii»'»i^^ Tf I t\ ■ h r .?■ Ml H ' L )« ill KhV. RUFUS CLARK, U. D., Hot-tor of St. PauPs Church. Detroit. «wik. i'j^aii^H i < » \ sg3»v;-'^« urtaMi»-''.R aisi'.' * < « ?jl i» irS i til ii5Ai, I yiiJW^nilujitjjjjtijjjrfliiiilliglUMjLi EVENTS WHICH LED UP TO THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF EVACUATION DAY. At the banquet of the Michigan Society of the Sons of the American Revohition, on February a2d, 1896, Rev Rufus W. Clark offered the following resolutions : ''Whereas, the eleventh day of July will mark the SfnSrf ''•''\ ""."•^^'•"''^'•y of the ivacuSn by the wntish of our territory and the raising of the Stars and Mnpes over the City of Detroit, this Ly is deserving of more than passing mention, none being more important Th."/',c^' Americans and as citizens of this munidpality. 1 his IS a day upon which we may well commemorate tlie achievements of our fathers, the founders of this republ c! connfrv°"T?^^ Sentiments of love and devotion to ou; country It is a day that should be seized upon especially by members of this society, to remind a risiSg geneS by i'fTrei^Tpowen""^^" '" ' ^^"' "° ^°°^^^ '^^'^^^^ " I. Resolved, That the day shall be observed by the Michigan Society of the Sons of'the American Revolution SembeS%"'thr?ode;r"'"'^ "' '" '°"''"°^ ''^ "2. Resolved, As the day belongt not only to us but to all patriotic citizens, that a comn.ttee of five be S' the'^ d7v ' ffl • 'i"*'"r" ""l'^'^ "'^^t'"? to consul? with the city officials, the military authorities at Fort Wayne and patriotic societies of Detroit and arrange i h? hIS "P°.? *. ^'^^" ^Z' *^^ ""'^•'^^'« Public celebration of ,w f^\*"^ ^^'^ ^^^^ meetings as befi', so rare and important an occasion," I (I !il \i ^j The resolutions being adopted, Rev. Mr. Clark moved that Mr. Fred. T. Sibley be made chairman of the commit- tee on celebration. He thought no one more suitable than a son of Solomon Sibley, t^e first mayor of Detroit, and a man stalwart in all that made for the good of Detroit, also a chief justice of the supreme bench, could be found to head the committee. Mr. Thomas Jeiome seconded the nomination in a patriotic speech, and ex-Senator Palmer supported the nomination. The chairman, Col. Henry M. Duffield, named the celebration committee, as follows : Frederick T. Sibley, Rev. Rufus W. Clark, Thomas Jerome, J. C. Smith, Jr., and Oliver H. Phelps, A conference of the various patriotic societies, pro- posed by the Society of the Sons of the American Revo- lution, February 22d, 1896, was held at the parlors of the Russell House, in Detroit, on May 2 2d. The first meeting of the General Committee was held at the Loyal Legion rooms May 25th, at which Gen. R. A. Alger presided. There weve present : Capt. Cornelius Gardener, U, S. A., Don M. Dickinson, E. B. Welton, James Vernor, Rev. Rufus W. Clark, Silas Farmer, Frank J. Hecker, and Thomas S. Jerome. Mr. Jerome was elected secretary. Rev. R. W. Clark stated the objects of the meeting. It was moved and carried that a celebration be held on July I ith. At a subsequent meeting the committee appointed by the chair to name the various committees, reported as follows: li.!»W»i»:teaiil««»-SS1J«^i*.«li*W>.'M=«*»^ ■^ ■"• • "• ' n ^1 'M ^ f > m A GROUP OF COMMITTEEMEN. 1. JAMES T. STERLING. 2. FRANK I. DECKER. i. JOHN N. BAGLEY. 4. CHARLES B. HULL. 5. HARRY F. CHIPMAN. 0. REV. RUFUS W. CLARK. 7. ELLIOTT T. SLOCUM. 8. GEN. A. L. BRESLER. '). SILAS FARMER. 10. THOS. S. JEROME. 11. DON M. DICKINSON. %»'^fmitmm'^ iiimm '. K! a u M'g jiWMte^*^'^***'^*^!**! -q^tt'./ . *. ■,.?r-;^H -^^.^^^ R. A. Alger, General Cbairman. ExFxuTivE Committer. Henry M. Dufiield, Chairman. Thomas vS. Jerome, Scc'y- ^~ E. T Slocum. Frank J. Hecker. Together with the Chairmen of the various Sub-Committees. W. H. ' Harv ^^arke. M. S. omith. W. C. Maybury. T. D Buh!. D. J. Ca.npau. W. J Chittenden. Entertainment Committee. , Chairman. A. L. Stephens. R. Phelps. R. H. Fyfe. J. B. Moore. W. A. Butler, Jr. W. V. Moore. M. W. O'Brien. Collins B. Hubbard. Programme Committee. Rufus W. Clark, Cbairman. John N. Bagley. James Vemor. Henry S. Sibley. Charles Flowers. E. T. Slocum. Tablet Committee. Silas Farmer, Chairman. Louis A. Arthur. A. H. Griffith. Parade Committee. James T. Sterling, Chairman. August Goebel. Cornelius Gardener, U. S. A. Charles Dupont. H. B. Lothrop. Charles Reid. John Atkinson. Gilbert Wilkes. A. L. Bresler. Press Committee. James E. Scripps, Chairman. W. Livingstone. Jr. A. G. Boynton. P. C. Baker. J. J. Emery. ;; •* i,' '. i' ^ ! '""lifiiiiiiM 1^ M'^ ■■ Music Committbk. John N. Bagley, Chairman. F. W. Eddy. S. T. Douglas. Ford D. C. Hinchman. Finance Coumittek. George H. Russel, Chairman. Marvin Preston. George N. Brady. A. E. F. White. James E. Davis. George H. Hopkins. Charles Dean. Charles Wright. Charles Stinchfield. John T. Shaw. E. B. Wclton. R. W. Jackiiu. Hamilton Dey. Invitation Committee. Don M. Dickinson, Chairman. Simon Snyder, U. S. A. Thomas W. Palmer. Allan Sheldon. William C. McMillan. f i Carriage CoMMirrEE. Charles B. Hull. Chairman. S. S. Babcock. George H. Barbour. F. T. Moran, Stratheam Hendrie. Badge Committee. Frank H. Walker, Chairman. H. M. Campbell. W. G. Thompson. Clarence Cnrpenter. Harry B. Joy. Committee in Charge of Building. Harry F. Chipman, Chairman. R. G. BuUer. E W. Cottrell. Peter Diederich. F. E. Farnsworth. Edwin Henderson. Arthur L. Holmes. t '*^^jSS«S»iB i.S6*woj«sai*saa9««i«*«f' , HON. JOHN T. RICH, Governor of .MichiK^in. « j« -..*,#^s*^(^>,,,,.r,;;,-,;_;.,iai^^>.'**S''-. ds»'-*m-'' \ V _L. n •9^Ui-7m--. inliirtiaimit rJk^Hlbi THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION. Ta the People of the State of Michigan: For many years after the cessation of active hostil- ities between Great Britain and the United States in the Revolutionary War, the British refused to carry out the terms of the peace and surrender to the Americans the territory they had won, and it was not until the nth of July, 1796, at Detroit, that the British flag finally ceased to float over any part of the country whose inde- pendence had besn acknowledged thirteen years before. It is proposed to recognize the centennial of the evacuation of Detroit by the British, by a celebration at Detroit on the nth day of next July, The importance of this event to the nation, and especially to the great middle and western states, demands fitting recognition from the executive of the state, and every citizen who can do so is earnestly urged to attend the celebration of the anniversary of this memorable event. The definite and final yielding up of this western region gave the Federal government the control not only of the great lakes, but eventually of the Mississippi as well, and indeed, in its finality, of all our western territory clear to the Pacific coast. On that date the American flag with its fifteen stars was first raised over our soil, and its raisjing meant the speedy founding of the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. I ri i ^ ''i- w * '! ' ^ -' . ! ^ '' ' ^ ' ^y -* * -^ ,\ p\ With the raising of the flag on July ii, 1796, British domination over any part of our country ceased, the "rebels" then living here breathed freely, and the way was opened for all the blessings wc now enjoy as a part of the United States of America. In historic interest and importance no other date in connection with the west is of equal value, for the surrender of Detroit marked the close of the War of the Revolution and the final accomplishment of the results fought for by our fathers during so many years, and the date of that event should excite patriotic loyalty in the breast of every member of the commonwealth and be treasured in the memory of every citizen. Given und^r my hand and the great seal of the state, at the capitol, in Lansing, this 34th day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety- six, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twentieth. JOHN T. RICH. By the Governor, WASHINGTON GARDNER, Secretary of State. 8 la.iyriHiinlWiil ■-■ ■■<^"" m i ;f . m^,ir ': Mm— ~~-*^ THE CELEBRATION. Saturday, the nth of July, 1896, was a bright, clear and beautiful day, rather warm, but not excessively so. The patriotism of Detroit was fully aroused, and the city was gay with flags and strr .Tiers of the national colors. The City Hall had been decorated at a cost of over $500 alone. A great many people had come into the city from the interior of the State, and the streets were thronged throughout the day. Appropriately, the public exercises were held in the unfinished Federal Building, which occupies the exact site of Fort Lemoult, surrendered to the United States on July nth, 1796. The interior had been fitted up for the occasion, under the superintendence of Harry F. Chipman, chairman of the committeee on building. On the north side a spacious platform had been erected, capable of accommodating some 700 persons. In front of the plat- form, the unfinished brick floor, covered with sawdust, was seated with about 3,000 chairs. A railed-in passage way extended from the platform steps to the Fort street entrance. To the west of this, admission was had by tickets distributed by the members of the various com- mittees ; to the east, entrance from Shelby street, tickets were not required. It was estimated that 3,500 persons were present during the exercises. The decorations of the building were very effective. From the open girders overhead depended festoons of red, il f 'i ' M I J. white and blue bunting, through which the sun'8 rays pro- duced a most beautiful effect. Over the speakers' stand hung the American flag and a large portrait of George Washington. The rough brick walls were decorated with the flags and a:-ms of the several states comprised in the old northw'isteru territory, possession of which was secured by the United States by the evacuation of Detroit, the event celebrated. The iron columns were covered with colored cloth and gaily decorated. At the left of the speakers' stand stood a section of the flag staff of the old fort, recovered some years ago in making an excavation on the site, and now in possession of the Detroit Museum of Art. On the platform were seated the following organiza- tions : The Officers of the City Government. The Sons of the American Revolution. The Daughters of the American Revolution. The Daughters of the War of 1813. The Michigan Society of Colonial Dames of America. The Loyal Legion. Fairbanks Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Detroit Post, Grand Army of the Republic. John Brown Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Girls' Auxiliary of Farquhar Post No. i6a. Women's Relief Corps. U. S. Grant Command, Union Veterans' Union. Mexican Veterans, including Col. H. S. Dean, Geo. W. Walters, S. W. Perry and Oliver Geary. Among other occupants of the ptatform were: His Excellency Gov. John T. Rich, acconipanied by his staff — Gen. W. S. Green, Gen. J. H. Kidd, Gen. Joseph Walsh, Col. W. A. Gavett, Col. Lou Burt, Lieut.-Col. W. W. Cook 10 -ir-^;^ "Z£S". '•^•«»«i».K«; and Lieut-Col. S. H. Avery, all in full uniform; Oen. R. A. Alger, Col. Henry M. Duffield, Hon. J. C. Burrows, President James B. Angell of the University of Michigan; Rt. Rev. 0. Molt Williams, D. D., Bishop of Marquette; Charles Flowers, City Counsellor; Rt. Rev. John S. Foley, D. D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Detroit; Hon. Henry M. Swan, U. S. District Judge; Hon. Claudius B. Grant. Hon. J. B. Moore and Hon. Frank A. Hooker, Justices of the Supreme Court of Michigan; Judge Wm. L. Carpenter and Judge George S. Hosmer of the Wayne Circuit Court; State Treasurer J. M. Wilkinson; Prof. A. C. McLaughlin of the State University; ex-Congressman Wm. C. Maybury; Joseph T. Jacobs, of Ann Arbor, member of the U. S. Indian Commission; Capt. Hinds, of Stanton; J. Q. A. Sessions, of Ann Arbor; Col. J. S. Farrar, of Mt. Clemens; George Newell, of Flint; Robert Campbell, of Ann Arbor; Gen. Luther S. Trowbridge, Maj. James Vincent, Dextet M. Ferry, Col. Frank J. Hecker, the members of the executive committee, and W. R. Shelby, of Grand Rapids, a great-grandson of Gov. Shelby of Kentucky after whom Fort Shelby was named. Mr. Shjlby had with him a spy- glass captured from one of the British ships at the battle of Lake Erie by Commodore Perry. While waiting for the audience to arrive and become seated, the Metropolitan Band played a number of patriotic airs. It 1. THE PUBUC EXERCISES. ( At 10:30 o'clock the chairman of the day, Gen. R. A. Alger, called the great assemblage to order and read the following opening address: Fellow Cititens — We gather upon this historic spot to-day to commemorate the last act of our heroic forefathers in the War of the Revolution. It was upon these grounds, occupied by this stately building, that old Fort Lernoult was gituated ; a fort erected by the British army to resist the assaults of those patriots who were battling for the liberty they won— the liberty we enjoy to-day. It was here, one hundred years ago to-day, that the flag of the enemy was hauled down, and our own stars and stripes run to the mast head, then with but fifteen stars in its azure field— to-day, forty-five ; the flag that was never lowered to any foe, and floats over the richest and best nation in the world. In no boastful spirit do we come, nor in vain-glorious triumph at our victory, but with a just pride in the valor of our ancestors, and thankfulness to Almighty Providence that the ground broken by the sword of war has borne to us the blessed fruits of peace. The history of the world is marked by epochs of war, and the chief glory of every nation is the valor of its defenders. It is well that this is so, for in our peaceful pursuits, we are too apt to forget the cost of the blessings we enjoy, and not until the drum sounds the signal to arms, is it that we stop to consider what it costs to build or save a nation. 13 "-«»- .j'-^i »««*.»*■"■«***■■■»**■*" ;;."fiSSBaJ f i. i j.i.jn i aavitn' ii tiuti i i - ' i * ■' " ' "^'^ ii^~ As in the frequent experience of individuals, the bit- terest enemies, reconciled, form the strongest ties of friend- ship, so with nations — those which do battle with each other, when peace is declared, often make the strongest allies. As we are at peace with the mother country to-day and look upon its people with no envy as they live under the benign rule of their mother queen, so may we hope that war shall never again come between us. We are too great to boast, too strong to fear invasion. We covet the possessions of no other nation, nor do we fear for the safety of our own. To us all to-day war is but an echo- ing memory, and not an expectation. Among us here to-day are veterans of the Mexican War, and many of that grand host whose courage crushed the standards of secession and wove the web of our destiny into eternal unity. To them and those of their comrades who returned not with them, to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice, I know a grateful people will ever rise up to give the meed of praise they so fairly won. Detroit welcomes here to-day, many distinguished guests. It presents no battlements or ramparts to the view, as it needs none for its protection, but in their stead shows you busy factories, whose belching mouths, night and day, blacken the sky with the smoke of industry. These are the truest monuments to the peace whose noble path was cut by war. Rt Rev. G. Mott Williams, D. D., then offered prayer, as follows : 4»- I ill 1 ( 'I hi ! i I I- TO;- fit fi THE PRAYER. O God of our fathers, our hope and strength, we bless thy Holy Name for the faith of those great men who won our independence r\nd framed the constitutional govern- ment of these United States. We bless thee for the inher- itance of civil and religious liberty, and for the many shining examples of patriotism given us by citizens of this land in peace and war. We thank thee that so many of those who have been welcomed to our shores, while needing an asylum, have rendered the State so good an account for her charity, and we pray thee that the first acquisition of those who come to us may be a love of their fostering mother. We thank thee for boundaries so vast, so inclusive, so rich and so commanding, for the great gift of national inde- pendence, and because thy wise providence in severing the ties which bound us to the motherland, left us still in laws, character and customs the best part of the inherit* ance of the Anglo-Saxon race. We bless thee that the transfer of government which we celebrate to-day was made in peace and not in war, a result of treaties, not of blows, of reason, not of force, and we especially thank thee that this peaceful transfer of government between kindred peoples has been followed by so many years of honorable peace, but once broken, and now for four-score years unmarred. And we beseech thee that the present peace of this frontier may continue by thy favor, and by the virtue, the self-control, the wisdom and brotherliness of these peoples, and that we especially may walk worthy of high calling among the nations. 14 1 ^*^l wmatmet l i ra -ii i m i M il l 11 i iMii^aiMIM 1 :#? ^ 1^ ■f It' THE TABLET. «!■ M'A^.s^ i'JsitMiSasaBBisSi*';: T=>,, We confess, O God, our manifold shortcomings as men, as citizens and as a nation ; forgive us, but forsake us not. Let there be peace and truth in our days, pure religion and domestic happiness. Bless the President and every arm of government ; sanctify our lives, our families, our homes and our schools ; make us love our country truly and honestly; and grant the course c' the whole world may be so peacefully ordered by thy govtrnment that thy church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, according to whose teach- ing we are bold to say : Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, etc. Amen ! The Boylston Club then led in the singing of the hymn, "My Country, 'tis of Thee," in which the entire audience heartily joined. UNVEILING OF THE MEMORIAL TABLET. While the band played the " Star Spangled Banner," the chairman, together with Mr. Shelby, representing the Sons of the American Revolution, and Mr. Silas Farmer, representing the committee, proceeded to the Fort street entrance, where the tablet has been placed by a special Act of Congress. The invited guests, and the presidents and commanders of the patriotic societies were also there assembled. In their presence and before the throng outside of the building. Gen. Alger withdrew the veiling and said : " In behalf of the heroes who gave us this land of liberty, and in remembrance of them, I humbly unveil this tablet." The flag was then raised upon the Federal Building and a salute of twenty-one guns was then fired by the United States Revenue Cutter " Fessenden," at anchor in the Detroit River. 15 if '. i : When all had returned to the platform the chairman said that it had been expected that Mayor Hazen S. Pingree would be present to welcome the distinguished guests, but in liis absence, Hon. Charles Flowers, City Counselor, would perform that duty. lii ■ THE ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY HON. CHARLES FLOVESS. The City of Detroit, upon this centennial day, gives greeting and welcome to the men and women whose fore- fathers, by reason of their sublime courage, and their fidelity to a living and glowing principle, made it neces- sary for their foes to strike their flag, and bid farewell to so fair and so vast an empire. To the descendants of the brave men who lingered upon the shores of this majestic river, the City of Detroit also gives greeting and welcome. With them we have no quarrel. The hour struck in the fateful history of the world for those of one language, one religion and one blood, to stand upon the broad road of national life, where the ways parted. The day of separation had come. It is well for us to remember those days. The patriotic heart has not grown cold. The genius of greed has not wholly possessed the land. Amid the sound and fury and madness of partisan strife, amid the insane thirst and hunger for power and advantage, the attentive ear can still catch, as coming from a million breasts, the breathings of a spirit, responsive to the agonv of those who suffered with Washington at Valley Forge, responsive to the ecstasy of those who rejoiced with him at Yorktown. The City of Detroit gives greeting and welcome to you all. It does not ask your nationality or your faith. It i6 ■...Jlt^r 'f^f.-t^^-Mii-: U.ui?«^.^^Pit'lmlviab«* '-*^''iiii:i«miiiiiiiiiiiiirtiiyiiii^ ^i^ lan Tee but uld tl Kl ii ; ives 3re- iieir ces- l to sred ;roit : no the one lere iotic not and and can ings ered tasy ■• 1} I *; COL. HENRY M. UUFFItLb. m only asks if you are true to the cause of individual liberty and equality, the principles represented by the beautiful banner, which upon this golden day so peacefully and so solemnly floats above your heads. Messrs. Homer Warren and Robert Murray then sang " The Sword of Bunker Hill." They alternated in singing the verses, and both were cheered most heartily, and were compelled to repeat the last verse. Gen. Alger said he would introduce a brave soldier well known throughout the state to make the historical address, and Col. Duffield was loudly applauded as he came to the speaking stand. He was Hstened to with close and noiseless attention. His address was as follows : '■W THE HISTORICAL ADDRESS. Bi GOL HENRY M. DUFHELO, The scene of the last act in the great drama of the Revolutionary War— its final triumph— was laid in Detroit. One hundred years ago the British troops evacuated this post and with them departed the last vestige of England's rule from the northwest. To understand its full significance a brief outline of the situatioxi and the events which preceded it is necessary. Detroit at this period is thus described by Mc Master : "Detroit alone was worthy to be called a town. The place was founded in 1783, and, except in population, had never taken one step forward since the first hut was put up on the straits. The inhabitants were believed to number three thousand. In languaprp and customs they were French, la religion they were Roman Catholics. In knowledge of the affairs of the world they were extr«^mely ignorant. For a hundred years the farms of 17 I i ■V'l It:! precisely the same size had been kept in the same families, and cultivated with the same kind of implements in the same way. The house of each farmer was close to the road, and the road was close to the water's edge. Near each house was an orchard, and in each orchard the same kind of fruit trees were to be seen. Year after year the same crops were raised in the same succession. When a patch of land became exhausted it was suffered to lie fallow. Of the value of manure the farmers knew nothing, and wantonly flung the yield of the barnyard into the waters of the straits. To go to church regularly, to perform their religious duties strictly, to fast, to confess, and to pay their tithes to the priest promptly, was with them the chief duty of man. The priest was the one being on earth to whom they looked up with mingled love and awe. He was their jpiritual and their temporal guide. He healed all quarrels and adjusted all disputes. With courts and judges, lawyers and juries, they would have nothing to do. Indeed, the first appearance of such among them was the occasion of an outburst of indigna- tion which was with difficulty soothed. Many resolved to dwell no longer in a land where life and property were at the disposal of godless men, gathered their goods and went over the border to the Canadian side. The town proper was made up of the fort, the battery, and a collection of ugly houses surrounded by a high stockade. The streets were a rod wide, and the inhabitants chiefly engaged in the fur trade. A few went out to the trapping grounds themselves. Others sent out Pawnee Indians whom they had purchased and made slaves." From Griswold to Cass street, and Lamed street to the river was surrounded by a stockade. There were four gates on each side with block houses over each It *.■»•. me nts to Ige. the ear iien lie lew . ard irly, "ess, vith one jled oral ites. ould mch gna- Ived were and ;own id a cade, liefly ping lians Bt to were each ^•tmitht Mfp mati* Mny *«"/»/*, m'tk fifHIIitnr /ram JUttu nMuinnt fmiN Ihe tr«r Prpnthnrut, ikanin^yiU I rrlulion A> Ike fvteni /i/an t/ tht Citf fra/f 4Mt/frt la I mrtt. U\\'*" '■""""' 1^ -'«' /» " A,H4,l,n,lrm„ lit tyot From a Sketch in Possession of Silas Farmer, Esq. i' IM,' I tt I jijl |i'ji;,iii'i(mir: & I i 5 § -■ a o * Z B 06 - -J a O I ^ I > « ^J on the east, west and north sides. Each block house had four six-poundcrs and there were also two batteries of six guns each facing the river. Back of the stockade was Fort Lernoult, which had been erected in 1778 by the orders of Major R. B. Lernoult. It was located between what are now Griswold and Wayne streets, and extended from Lafayette street south of Fort street. It was well designed and thoroughly constructed. Work upon it was prosecuted from November, 1778, without intermission, till after the following March. This fort was no part of the town, but had its entrance toward the town by a passage way underneath the trees with a drawbridge over the ditch. The citadel on what is now the corner of Jefferson avenue and Wayne street, was connected with the fort by a subterranean passage along the route of which was the powder magazine. On each side of the entrance of the fort was an iron twenty- four-pounder, while each side of the fort was defended by two twenty, four-pounders and four cannon were placed at each bastion. The flag staff was in the southwest angle of the fort in the lot where the Owen residence now stands. The surrender of Lord CornwalHs to Washington in 1781, followed by the preliminary treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States, agreed upon at Paris, November 30th, 1782, theoretically determined the bound- aries of the new republic. The thirteen British colonies in North America, which had thus become the thirteen United States of North America, represented clear and definite ideas, politically and socially, but the boundaries of the territory were only vaguely determined. The United States described in the instructions to John Adams in 1779, was quite a different country geographically from the same United States whose independence was acknowl- »9 'iMpHiiMiflii'' I 1 1 edged in Paris in 1782. Neither England nor Spain regarded the treaty of Paris as finally settling the destiny of the country of the United States west of the mountains. Although that grand prologue to the constitution and forerunner of national emancipation, the ordinance of 1787, proclaimed eternal freedom for the northwest territory, its boundaries were indefinite, and it had not yet been surrendered by the British. While in the treaty of Paris in 1782, His Britannic Majesty promised, among other things, " to withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from said United States, and from every post, place and harbor within the same, with all convenient speed," there was still left unsettled a question of territory larger than the one which brought on the French and Indian war in 1754. In addition to this indefiniteness of boundary, the relation between the new government and the former colonies, now matured into states, was novel and peculiar, and their respective rights over this territory not yet determined. In the >'eginning the government of the United States was distinctly federal rather than national, and large portions of the territory of the northwest were within the original boundaries of the respective colonies and were claimed to have passed to them when they were erected into states. At the same time France was provoked by the treaties entered into by the United States with ' England and Spain, and looked with longing eyes upon these vast possessions which less than half a century before had been wrested from her by Great Britain. Most of the settlers in the territory were English or French. The posts were the depots or stations of the increasingly lucrative fur trade, so desirable in the mitids of Europeans. These considerations and the very natural desire of 20 !' i H i Mi \ England to interpose between her possessions in America and the new United States a territory of neutral ground fairly in the hands of the savages— constituting a " buffer state " between the United States and Canada— were the real reasons for the unjustifiable delay in carrying out the treaty, and with all convenient speed " withdrawing the British armies, garrisons and fleets from the United States and every post, place and harbor within the same." While England attempted to justify this delay upon the ground that the United States had on their part violated their promises in the treaty, these claims were completely refuted by Jefferson, then Secretary of State in 1793, in his correspondence with Mr. Hammond, the envoy extraordi- nary of Great Britain, Whatever may have been the true cause of the delay, the result was, that for thirteen years the northwestern posts " were sharp thorns in the sides of the United States." Exhausting as had been the War of the Revolution to the young nation, it was com- pelled to continue an harassing Indian war, that only ceased with the brilliant victory of General Wayne at „ne battle of the Fallen Timbers in 1794. In July, 1783, the request of Washington, through Baron Steuben, for a transfer of possession of Detroit, Mackinac and Oswego, and the minor posts, was met with an insolent refusal on the part of General Haldiman, the British commander in Canada. In the following year General William Hull was sent, with the approval of Congress, to induce Haldiman to give up the post, but he met with a like refusal. In 1786, President Adams, then minister to England, informed Congress that he had made a demand for the western posts, and had been refused on the stale pretense, so conclusiv* ly answered by Jefferson, that many of the ai « iTTT^:' ^wits^'^^^.^^X^^ ^^ ","* '-T^iftr"i^^B^l5"^' J • i^ '. sir ! > I' States had violated the treaty in regard to payment of British debts. Matters were further complicated by the active efforts of Dr. John Connolly, a Virginian tory, to induce the Kentucky settlers to take sides with the English, with the purpose of wresting Louisiana from Spain, and securing the free navigation of the Mississippi. In 1787 and 1788, he was in Detroit a considerable portion of the time. The English settlers urged the retention of Detroit, and in June, 1787, the garrison was re-enforced by a full regiment and two companies, making a force of more than two regi- ments. In pursuance of the plan to hold the post, Lord Dorchester personally visited Detroit in 1788, and, under his directions, the town was doubly picketed, and other defensive works erected. In 1790, John Knox, then United States Secretary-of-War, wrote to Governor St. Clair, that it was reported that Benedict Arnold was in Detroit about the first of June, and that he had reviewed the militia there. In the same year President Washington, who, with clear foresight, very soon after the treaty of 1782, had prophesied " that England would retain the posts as long as they could be held under any pretense whatever," communicated to his cabinet his apprehensions that Lord Dorchester contemplated sending an expedition from Detroit against Louisiana. Meantime the Indians had grown increasingly hostile under the encouragement of the British. In 1786 a grand confederate council of the Indians northwest of the Ohio was held at the mouth of the Detroit River. It was attended by the Six Nations, the Hurons, Ottawas, Maumees, Shawnees, Chippewas, Cherokees, Delawares, Pottawattamies, and the confeder- ates of the Wabash. The question of difference was one 0t it4 ' ,-t:.mi y'i*'''-^t :^Y-,fc:iZ s •1 St -.^ of boundary. The Indians insisted that the Atr ;ricans should not cross the Ohio River, but there was no intima- tion of war, provi<1ed the United States did not encroach on the Indian land. While there was a treaty between Great Britain and the United States concerning this terri- tory, the Indians were not included in it, and the savages complained that the United States would "kindle the council fires wherever they thought proper without con- sulting the Indians." Closely following this council, the Hurons of Detroit sent a message, sealed with strings of wampum, to the Five Nations, complaining of the delay of the Americans in answering their message, and desiring the Five Nations "to be strong and punctual of your promises to be with us early and in time." As an evidence of the intimate relations between the British and the Indians, an account of the proceedings of this council was forwarded to Lord Dorchester. In 1 79 1 Canada was divided into an upper and lower province, the former being placed under the administra- tion of Col. T. S. Simcoe, who established his headquarters as governor of the newly organized territory of Niagara. He, with the British agents, Col. McKee, Capt. Elliott and the notorious Simon Girty, threw all their influence against the United States, and it is affirmed that Lord Dorchester assisted their efforts by a speech to the Seven Nations of Canada, as well as all the other Indians at the grand council. Governor Simcoe proceeded to Detroit, and thence, with a strong detachment, to the foot of the Miami Rapids, where he erected a fortress. Undoubtedly his fort was built primarily to defend Detroit. It was, in fact, the re-occupation of a position held by the British during the latter part of the Revolution, the evacuation of which had been bad policy. I »i yg ",Ml rilijliiiu ■I %l During the whole period, Detioit was the theatre of its most interesting councils. It was represented by the half-breeds of the place to the savages around the post, and also to remote tribes, that Governor Simcoe was to march to their aid with fifteen hundred men; that he was giving clothing and all necessary supplies; that all the speeches sent to them were red as blood; the wampum and the feathers, the war pipes and the hatchets, and even the tobacco was painted red. At one time Alexander McKenzie, an agent of the British government, was employed to paint himself as an Indian, and he convened a grand council at Detroit, exhibiting himself with pipes and wampum as the credentials of his authority. Elliott and the other British residents addressed the council, stating that McKenzie was an ambassador who had retumeu from the remote tribes of the upper lakes and that their bands were armed with the tomahawk and scalping knife and were ready to fall upon the Americans, and that the savages upon the banks of the Mississippi were prepared to descena and attack the settlements of Virginia and Ohio. McKenzie spoke the radian language with fluency and preserved his character to the life. He was aided in his deception by some of the Wyandottes and Shawnees, who were acquainted with his secret and in the conspiracy. These means brought into the field against the United States, the Ottawas, the Miamis, the Pottawat- tamies, the Delawares, the Shawnees, the Chippewas, and the Seven Nations of Canada. Many of the French traders at Detroit and in Michigan, induced by the fear that if they did not join the Indian cause they would not be permitted to trade with the Indians in their own territory, took up arms against the United States. Thus the United States was met on the one hand with the i H :i^si'*S(^:i^':iSS:^-)*v*^'?r^'^* v-i?.*"-:!'^ /■ ' *.**,* 'M"*\3^''i^ ' I ^'cAa^tU^XSdd f » t GEN. ANTHONY WAYNE. From a Portrait in Possession of Silas Farmer, bsq. -;j..«i#dki^** •**> .i^^^i. >^L£lif:..Ji:??t^ ^■■^■■^•i .J^^ilb. ...^MHiKln I. i^ 1 refusal of Great Britain to yield up the posts, and on the other with the organized and armed opposition of the savages to any interferences with the territory which they claimed as their own. Peaceable negotiations with the Indians who had gradually strengthened into a confederation of tribes throughout the western forests was attempted but without success. General Harmar with a force of fourteen hundred men was then sent to subdue the savages. He succeeded in destroying and laying waste many of their villages and fields, but his advance was checked near Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was defeated in October, 1 790, with great slaughter. After his defeat the Indians daily paraded the streets of Detroit, exhibiting in triumph the scalps of American soldiers. In 1792 Governor St. Clair succeeded in commajidand marched into the wilderness with an army of two thousand men. He was surprised near the Miami villages by the Indians under the command of Little Turtle, and notwith- standing his great personal gallantry in his efforts to rally his retreating forces, he was forced to retreat with very heavy loss. These successive repulses aroused Congress to a vigorous prosecution of the war, and General Anthony Wayne was put in command of the forces. His fame in the Revolutionary War had preceded him, and the Indians feared him. They credited him not only with bravery to rashness but with much stratagem and cunning, and named him the Black Snake. He proceeded with charac- teristic energy. In the latter part of 1793, he erected a stockade on the site of St. Clair's defeat, which he called Fort Recovery, and having fully matured his plans, on the 4th of July, 1794 followed the savages into the depths of •5 mmmmmimm - — ■-•!: -■f*-f^F»"«Pm«;M»!'JW«i-iu,^Bn^i^— ^»- T .. 1 I ■ the wilderness. Cautiously moving down the left bank of the Maumec, he reached the rapids about the 19th of August, and erected a small work called Fort Deposit, about four miles above the British post. He found the Indians entrenched under the very shadow of the English ft)rt, which had been fortified not long before by a force sent from Detroit. General Wayne, therefore, prepared himself to act defensively against both civilized and savage foe. His army amounted :o about three thousand men. Opposed to him was the Indian league which extended throughout the whole northwestern frontier. On the 30th August, 1 794, he attacked the savages. His plan of battle was to send forward a battalion of mounted riflemen with instructions if attacked, to retreat in apparent confusion in order to entice the savages into a less advantageous position, and upon con- certed signals to turn with his infantry, which included the renowned Wayne legion, the right flank of the enemy. But the day was rainy, the signals from the drums could not be distinctly heard and the plan was not wholly executed. His victory, however, was complete. After a stubborn resistance, the savages were defeated and fled to the very walls of Fort Miami. The battle is known in history as the battle of the Fallen Timbers. After the Indians had retreated, General Wayne devastated their fields and burned their buildings, among them the house of Col. McKee. While he had defeated the Indians he did not know how soon he must defend himself against an attack by the British from the fort, but in the crisis the doughty warrior never flinched. He proudly paraded his army in front of the fort and although he saw the British gunners standing at their guns with lighted matches in their hands, eagerly awaiting the order to fire, he 'hi* 11 .-^u»«*» ***^-*"*'**'~;-> -»»i»* — " rode forward with his staff to the very battlements and reconnoitered the position with the utmost deliberation. No attack was made upon him and he advanced by easy marches toward Fort Defiance, destroying the Indian cornfields on the bottom lands of the Maumec, then proceeded up the Maumee River and built Fort Wayne. There is no doubt that in this battle a detachment of militia from Detroit were associated and fought with the Indians, General Wayne in his official report describes the enemy " a combined force of the hostile Indians and a considerable number of the volunteers and militia of Detroit." A Mr. Smith, clerk of the court at Detroit, was killed in the action at head of a company which fought against the Americans. It was estimated that thirteen hundred I'.dians fied to Detroit for British protection after the battle. In the fall of that year Governor Simcoe approved of the pro- vision of an extra surgeon and another hospital and made extensive preparations to strengthen the post at Detroit. Fort Lernoult was newly fortified, a new block house erected, and six boats ordered to be built at Chatham. Simcoe still encouraged the Indians. He told them that Ohio was their right and title and that he had given orders to the commandant at Fort Miami to fire on the Americans when they made their appearance again, but the Indians had been severely punished by General Wayne and were distrustful of the ability of the English to protect them. The battle of the Fallen Timbers ended all the Indian hostilities for the time being and was followed in the next year by the treaty of Greenville. Before this, and almost contemporaneous with Wayne's victory. Jay's admirable diplomacy had accomplished the 27 , ^gii»^.*g|^. i treaty of 1794 which bears his name, under which England bound herself to deliver up the northwestern posts. The treaty called for the surrender of the post by the British on June ist, 1796, but the order to evacuate was not given until June ad. It was dated at Quebec and signed by George Beckwith, adjutant general. On the 7th day of July, 1796, General Hamtramck sent on to Detroit two small vessels from Fort Miami with a detachment of artillery and infantry consisting of sixty- five men, together with a number of cannon with ammuni- tion, etc., under the command of Captain Moses Porter. Upon his arrival on the nth of July, the British troops, under the command of Col. Richard England, evacuated the town. The Union Jack was hauled down. Old Glory floated on the breeze, and Detroit was free. Under the benign influence of the constitution and the incomparable privileges of the ordinance of 1787, the little post of 3,000 souls has grown in a single century to a superb and peerless city, and the wilderness of the north- west is jeweled with the happy homes of r Mions of freemen. I h I I .; IH M ^.^rfga 1} A « LI c r F , E N c fl>' ■^ ■ *' 3^ ^'wi L^a..lR —I..,. ,(«* THE ORATION. BY HON. lUUUS C BUSROVS. Fellow Ci/izens— That p.itriotic impulse which prompts the people to search cut, preserve, dedicate, and fittingly mark, with tablet or monument, the places of historic interest along the highway of a nation's course, made memorable by the happening of some important event i" the history of the country, is a spirit deserving the highest commendation. It is prompted by and serves a double purpose. It not only pays a fitting tribute to the memory of the actors in such events, but it serves, for all times, as an inspiration to the passing generations. We may read, unmoved, the story of the Pilgrim Fathers, or the history of the Declaration of Independence, but we cannot stand on Plymouth Rock, or within the shadow of Independence Hall, without feeling a quicker heart-throb, and being imbued with something of that spirit of devotion to the cause of civil and religious liberty, which inspired the men and women who made these places immortal. I regard, therefore, every step taken toward the preservation of these landmarks of history as most auspicious otnens. And here I pause to say that public acknowledgment ought to be made to those patriotic orders, in the United States, engaged to-day in the laudable undertaking of res- cuing from oblivion and preserving from desecration, places made historic by the events which there transpired. They are not only writing history, but they are doing that which will exert a silent, yet potent, influence on all the generations to come. In this spirit, and with this purpose, we mark to-day a spot of historic interest, not only to the state, but to the nation. In recognition of the importance J.H. 1^ 29 I' s 15- *.iai.- «*W -jt_ii J"^ -■•^t*2"-i f} .' •.^aiw-Tft^^^ \ ,.,5.,-Bfes. ^ - 4^-^-h*^ ~ l^;,?^Hltofc. *^-S^-'"''^ of the event, the Congress of the United States co-oper- ates in the designating and preserving of the place which will be forever memorable in the annals of our country. Here it was, a hundred years ago, that the British flag gave way to the banner of the republic, and the Stars and Stripes were unfurled in toicen of the sovereignty of the United States. I have neither the time, nor is this the occa- sion, to rehearse the story of the struggle of the colonies for national independence. It is sufficient for my purpose to-day to say that the termination of the War of the Revo- lution found the British government in possession of the military posts on the western frontiers, among the most important of which was that at Detroit, which she had occu- pied since the French relinquished their claim to the terri- tory in 1760. The seat of war for national independence being chiefly confined within the limits of the colonies par- ticipating in the struggle, England was permitted to hold these outlying posts practically undisturbed, which she used as recruiting stations for her Indian allies, whom she invited into her service, and whom she subsequently employed to harass the settlers on the frontier, and impede, if not prevent, the settlement of the northwest territory. These points were too remote, and the forces holding them too insignificant to engage the attention of the Continental army. By the terms of the treaty of peace, however, between Great Britain and the United States, concluded in 1783, it was expressly stipulated and agreed that "His Britannic Majesty shall with all convenienl speed, and without causing any destruction of property, or carrying away any negroes or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from the United States, and from every part, pla^e and harbor within the same." ■^ ^'e"->'.W4* 'sf,, A strict compliance with the terms of this treaty, imposed upon Great Britain the obligation to withdraw her military forces from every portion of the territory of the United States and abandon all assumption of power over any part of their domain. It is a matter of history, however, that the British government, while conforming to the terms of the treaty within the limits of the states, persisted for a period of nearly thirteen years thereafter in retaining possession of the posts on the frontier, including that of Detroit, and in exercising authority and asserting dominion over an extensive territory in the northwest. After the close of the war, and during the entire period of the existence of the government of the confed- eration, and prolonged under the national constitution of 1787, even until near the close of Washington's second administration as President of the United States, the British flag continued to float over a British garrison quartered within the limits of this city. To us of to-day, removed by more than a century of time from these startling events, it seems incredible that the British government should have been permitted to have asserted and maintained even a show of authority over any portion of the territory of the United States. Circumstances, however, contributed to this assumption of power, and rendered its exercise comparatively safe. The country had just emerged from a protracted and exhaustive struggle for independence and found itself with a bank- rupt treasury and a ruined credit. The government of the confederation set up in 1781, and continued until 1789, was too feeble to command confidence at home or respect abroad, and was powerless to assert itself even within the limits of the confederated states. |I -jf.wir'*,:««f!,. — ^- ' "' ';ibtt«.'-- 'i^^iJ^&w.'M^ '" i •'. ! i 1 i : '1 J >H' It has been well said, " The Continental Congress, under the articles of confederation, may make and conclude treaties, but can only recommend the observance of them. They may appoint ambassadors, but they can- not defray even the expenses of their table. They may borrow money in their own name on the faith of the union, but they cannot pay a dollar. They may coin money, but they cannot import an ounce of bullion. They may make war and determine the number of troops necessary to carry it on, but they are powerless to raise a single soldier. In short, they may declare everything, but they can do nothing." Such was the character of the government set up during the struggle for independence, and permitted to continue until the 4th of March, 1789. It is not surprising, therefore, that Great Britain, in the continued occupancy of these western posts, after the treaty of 1783, should be wholly indifferent to the wishes or existence of a govern- ment rapidly falling into decay, and should be actuated in her course solely by considerations of personal interest. What these considerations were which prompted the retention of these posts, history fails fully to disclose; but that they were inimical to the interests of the United States does not admit of question. It is not improbable that considerations of trade, to the promotion of which Great Britain is always keenly alive, was the mainspring of her action, and it is barely possible she may have indulged the hope, if not the expectation, that the experi- ment of free government in the new world, as exemplified in the confederation, was doomed to a speedy and disastrous issue, in which event, by the retention of her foothold on the western frontier, she would be in a position to regain her power and reassert her sovereignty. |t ■-i :_.^.,., ■ t^ . . i; »i€:^ Whatever may be the truth of the matter, either of these considerations would have been sufficient to influence her judgment and determine her course ; but it is more than probable that the importance of her trade with the northwest, which in 1785, in furs alone, is said to have reached the magnitude of one hundred and eighty thousand pounds annually, coupled with the advantages of an enlarged market for British goods, to which con- sideration she is never indifferent, was the primary, if not the controlling motive for the retention of these frontier posts. - The question of promoting British trade and British interest would seem to have been uppermost in the minds of the representatives of the English government, when every application for permission to build or navigate private vessels on the lakes was refused, and the recom- mendations made to the home government as late as 1785, "That a sufficient number of the queen's ships be kept upon the lakes to do the carrying trade and that all other crafts whatever be prohibited." But whatever the motive, whether trade or territorial retention or acquisition, the fact remains that when shortly after the treaty of peace a demand was made for the surrender of this and other points in the northwest, the request was flatly refused and the occupancy con- tinued. This could be done with impunity, for there was not sufficient vitality remaining in the old government of the confederation to effectively assert the rights of the people, or enforce the mandates of the government. Fortunately for the inhabitants of the United States, doubly fortunate for the cause of hrman liberty and free government, the rotten fabric of confederation speedily gave way to the substitution and enduring structure of 33 ' '.^tfAafc. 1787, under and by virtue of which a national government was inaugurated, possessed of ample power, not only to maintain its own existence, but to enforce obedience to its rightful demands. Yet even then British occupancy cou- tinued. It seems incredible that for more than seven years after the establishment of the national government, and the inauguration of Washington as President of the United States, the British flag continued to float above the posts of the western frontier. When we consider, however, the difficulties attending the inauguration of a new government, the exhausted resources of the people just emerging from a protracted war, perplexed by a burdensome debt, a doubtful credit, it is not surprising that the authorities were slow to take any step which might provoke a renewal of hostilities and involve the new government in the wastes and uncertain- ties of war. Time and diplomacy might be relied upon to accomplish the desired end. The continued occupancy, however, by the British, of these strongholds on the western frontier, was not only a flagrant usurpation of authority, but was characterized by a spirit of animosity, which made their retention peculiarly exasperating and ofiEensive. Not content during the War of the Revolution, with invoking the aid of her savage allies, now, when the war was concluded and peace declared. Great Britain sought by every means at her command to create, foster and perpetuate a spirit of hostility among the Indians of the northwest towards the hardy frontiersmen pushing their settlements across the Ohio. To this end they encour- aged the Indians to insist upon the Ohio River as the southern boundary of their possessions, to decline to enter into any treaty with the United States touching these u S4 lands, and were made to believe that the English govern- ment in retaining the posts, was actuated only by a desire to protect the Indians in the rightful possession of their territory. It was an English Indian superintendent, Johnson, who said to the Indians, "It is for your sakes, chiefly, if not entirely, that we hold these forts." Lord Dorchester, speaking through Capt. Matthews, whom he sent to command at Detroit in 1786, after express- ing regret that the Indians had consented to permit the Americans to construct a road to Niagara, said to them ; " In the future. His Lordship wishes you to act as is best for your interests. He cannot begin a war with the Americans because some of their people encroach and make depredations upon parts of the Indian country ; but they must see it is His Lordship's intention to defend the posts, and that while they are preserved, the Indians must feel great security therefrom, and consequently the Amer- icans greater difficulty in taking possession of their land. But should they once become masters of the posts, they will surround the Indians, and accomplish their purpose with little trouble. You seem apprehensive that the English are not very anxious about the defense of the posts. You will soon be satisfied that they have nothing more at heart, provided that it continues to be the wish of the Indians, and that they remain firm in doing their part of the business, by preventing the Americans from coming into their country, and consequently, from march- ing to the posts. On the other hand, if the Indians think it more for their interest that the Americans should have possession of the posts, and be established in their country, they ought to declare it, that the English need no longer be put to the vast and unnecessary expense and incon- veniences of keeping the posts, the chief object of which 1 IS iiiMii J - 1 is to protect their Indian allies, and the loyalists who have suffered with them." This artful pronunciamento was well calculated, as it was evidently designed, to encourage the Indians to persist in their claim of territorial jurisdiction, and incite them to fresh acts of hostility against the venturesome pioneer. With such assurances of friendship and support, backed by the presence of the British garrisons, and the sight of the British flag, it is not to be wondered at that the Indians were encouraged to persist in their hostility towards the United States, and that all efforts to secure possession of this territory by peaceful instrumentality proved wholly abortive. The defeat of the forces of Gen. Harmer, sent against the Indians in 1790, followed a year later by the defeat of St. Clair, served to increase their hostility, and demon- strated how thoroughly British influence aroused and solidified the Indians in defense of what they had been taught and encouraged to believe were their inalienable rights. Brant, the chief of the Six Nations, whose influ- ence was solicited by President Washington, after the defeat of Harmer and St. Clair, to bring about a peace with the western tribe, to which end a commission was appointed on the part of the United States in 1793, in explanation of the failure of such commission, did not hesitate to declare it was British influence which prevented its consummation. "To our surprise," he said, "when upon the point of entering upon a treaty, with the com- missioners, we found it was opposed by those acting under the British government, and hope of assistance was given to our western brethren to encourage them to insist upon the Ohio as the boundary between them and the United States." ■■.j^««fj -.^ IBM ) The response of the Indians to the overtures of this commission disclosed the "power behind the throne," when they declared : " We desire you to consider that our only demand is the peaceable possession of a small part of our once great country. We shall be persuaded that you mean to do us justice if you agree that the Ohio River shall remain the boundary between us." I have .said this much in explanation of the motive for the retention of the posts on the frontier. Thus ended this renewed eflfort on the part of the government to con- ciliate the Indians, and establish, by treaty stipulation, the peace and security of the border. The Indians elated with the victories over Harmer and St. Clair, were emboldened in their manifestations of hostility, while the governor of Canada proceeded to erect a new fort on the banks of the Maumee, which was interpreted by the Indians as a fresh assurance of sym- pathy and support. This attempt on the part of the British to entrench themselves more securely on the border, was declared by Washington to be the most daring act yet committed by the British agents in America, though not the most hostile or cruel, for he declared : " There does not remain a doubt in the mind of any well- informed person in this country, not shut against con- viction, that the murders of our helpless women and innocent children, along our frontiers, result from the conduct of the agents of Great Britain in this country." With increased hostility on the part of the Indians, and a fresh assumption of power on the part of Great Britain, it was manifest affairs were rapidly approaching a crisis, when it would become necessary for the govern- ment to assert its rightful dominion and admonish the Indians and their British allies, that the savagery of the 17 ...^._,*^':^ one and the domination of the other could not longer be tolerated. To this end Gen. Wayne, in command of the United States forces, entered the territory on the aoth of August, 1794, fought a bloody but decisive battle with the Indians within hearing of the newly erected British fort on the Maumee. The officer in command of the fort, Maj. Campbell, having inquired of Gen. Wayne what inteqiretation was to he placed upon the near approach of his command to the garrison which he had the honor to command, must have received the impression from the general's reply that it was none of the major's particular business, as he said: "The most full and satisfactory answer was given the day before from the muzzle of my guns in an action with a horde of savages in the vicinity of the fort, and which terminated gloriou.sly to the American arms. " And the general took occasion to add, for the information of the British commandant, which must have served as food for reflection, that, •' Had the battle continued until the Indians were driven under the influence of your fort and guns, they would not much have impeded the progress of the victorious army under my command. " It was the beginning ot the end. In spite of the efforts of British emissaries to induce the Indians to prolong the conflict, on the 3d of August, 1795, the Indians responded to the invitation of Gen. Wayne to meet him in council, at Greenville, where they entered into and concluded a treaty of peace. By the terms of this treaty extensive g^rants of land were ceded to the United States, among them a strip six miles wide on the eastern shore of Michigan from the Raisin River to Lake St. Clair, and all claims to the posts at Detroit and Mackinac wholly surrendered. In the meantime a treaty |i had been concluded with Great Britain, by which it was stipulated among other things, that '* on or before the ist day of June, 1796, the British garrison should be withdrawn from all posts and places within the limits of the United States." The execution of the terms of this treaty was some* what delayed, but on the nth day of July, 1796, a hundred years ago this very day, the American flag was for the first time unfurled at Detroit, proclaiming the departure of an alien power and the ascended sov- ereignty of the United States. It is most fitting, there- fore, that the centennial anniversary of that day should be commemorated on the very spot made memorable by the happening of this great event and that it should be marked with enduring tablet that the memory of it may be preserved and transmitted to those who are to come after us. And let me say in this connection, that what occurred here a century ago to-day, was fraught with more than local interest. It meant the enforcement of that great ordinance of 1787 which, for wise statesmanship and patriotic purpose, is entitled to hold a place in American history second only to the Declaration of Independence. For it was by this ordinance that the territory northwest of the Ohio, embraced within the present limits of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, was set apart and forever dedicated to free government and enlightened citizenship. It guaranteed freedom of religious worship, a compre- hensive bill of rights, encouragement of schools, that the states to be formed from this territory not less than three nor more than five should remain permanently in the confederacy, and finally that there should be neither 39 ' . ^> ■.s*«*'?* %: (I V' I 1 i f slavery nor involuntary tervitude within the limits of said territory, except in the punishment of crime, of which the party shall have been duly convicted. By this ordinance the great northwest was made the nursery of civil and religious liberty — the cradle of free staleM and free men. And what was of incalculable value, as subsequent events demonstrated, its terms were to remain forever unalterable, except by common consent. Every attempt to abrogate or suspend its provisions proved wholly abortive. This great ordinance, irrevocable in character, defended by resolute and uncompromising men, proved to be an insurmountable barrier to the exten- sion of slavery in the northwest, and a wall of defense to the champions of free states and free men. We do well, therefore, to commemorate an event which is not only of local interest, but which, in its far- reaching influence, has been felt through the intervening years, and made itL- lasting impress on the century. The flag which a hundred years ago was here unfurled, on the then borders of civilization, proclaiming the sovereignty of the nation over the northwest, has been borne across and subdued a continent, and ."loats to-day, with augmented power and glory, o\cr seventy-five millions of people, possessing a domain imperial In extent, ;Md a government securely reposing on ^i-c public will. May thsL. 'aaf'er, symbolizing unity and liberty, float on forever, coniiianding tli'j allegiance of the citizen and the • "jspfcct of i..^Hnkind. Senator Burrows' oration was enthusiastically ap- plauded. 4» }( Mid Ich the ide the jf free value, ere to }nsent. visions 'ocable mising exten- snse to event its far- vening . The on the jnty of >ss and nented people, ■nment en and lly ap- ftm *; i' 1 8E. ' ^^^Bhj^B ' ■^St,...:_^H 1 ^tf^^Jl^^. f '^^mlK i L^ % JAMES B. ANGELL. LL. D. President of the University of AMchijran. I PRESEDE^rr ANGELL'S ADDRESS. Pres. James B. Angell, of the University of Michigan, was then called upon by the chairman, for a few words. He was received with hearty cheers, and spoke as follows : Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen — He must be a bolder or a vainer man than I am, who can willingly rise to his feet here, to speak at this late hour, and to follow the two distinguished men, whose instructive and eloquent addresses we have listened to with such delight. But I remember that Gen. Alger is in command, and whenever he has faced a foe, it has proved useless to resist. And, indeed, it is not easy to keep silent, when one stands in this inspiring presence, and on this sacred spot, and sur- rounded by these precious relics of the past. Rhode Islander as I am by birth, I cannot, unmoved take in my hand this telescope, which that brave Rhode Islander, Oliver Hazard Perry, captured from the ship of the British commander, in the decisive battle of Lake Erie, and he must have a colder heart than I, who can lay his hand on this old flag staff v ithout feeling something of the touch of patriotic joy with which those sixty-five brave American soldiers saw the Stars and Stripes raised to its peak a hundred years ago this day, in token of the estab- lishment of our sovereignty over the whole northwest. It was a happy thought to celebrate this day. I have often wondered that Detroit has not given more oppor- tunities to commemorate the great men and the great events in its remarkable history. Long years ago, the sagacious men, who laboriously ascended this stream, saw that this place was " beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth," that here was sure to be a city, " the Queen 41 I I v?l^.^. *-.^' ' ---■ -•■ -.-=-'^-------jf |||--(|||| -iBi'riMiiirti[iil|igiif"gMi(iiiiBHtipiltMM iiaiiiH :H of the Straits," wearing at her girdle the key to the upper lakes, and to the great northwest. You make pilgrimages to Bunker Hill, to Valley Forge, and to Yorktown, as to sacred shrines. But to what spot in all this land are more romantic and thrilling historic associatious attached than to this, when one recalls the adventures of the old explorers and missionaries, the gifted men who administered afiEairs under the French rule ; the shrewd English administrators and soldiers who succeeded them ; the Indian wars, which centered here ; the painful events of the Revolutionary, days, and of the War of 1812. Our children and our chil- dren's children should all be made to feel, by celebrations like this, and by historic monuments and commemorative tablets, that here, at their own homes, is a spot as sacred in their country's history, as any in all our broad domain. The distinguished speakers who have preceded me have suggested, and truly, that one of the reasons why Great Britain retained this and other frontier posts for thirteen years after the Treaty of Independence, was their doubt whether we were really going to be able to retain our independence. Under the weakness of our old confederation this doubt on the part of the English was perhaps not unreasonable. But, may I call your attention to the more surprising fact that long after the establishment of our stronger government under the con- stitution, the English seemed to cherish the same doubt. In 1 8 14, at the opening of the negotiations for the Treaty, of Ghent, the very first proposition made by the British commissioners to ours, and made as a sine qua twn of the treaty, was that we should set apart for Indians the vast territory now comprising the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and a considerable part of the states of Indiana and Ohio, and that we should never purchase 4« ^■.«^ ■ it from them. A sort of Indian sovereignty under British guaranty was to be established in our domni Coupled with this was a demand that we should have no armed force on the lakes. There were other demands scarcely less preposterous. Think of making such "cheeky" demands as these to John Quincy Adams and Henr)' Clay and James A. Bayard and Albert Gallatin and Jonathan Russell. It did nol take these spirited men many minutes to send back answer in e£Eect that until the United States had lost all sense of independence, they would not even listen to such propositions. They threatened to go home. Castlereagh, the Prime Minister, happening to reach Ghent on his way to Vienna, ordered an abatement of the British demands, and so an honorable peace was made. But the same idea of a "buffer state" of Indians under British influence, to be used in need as a means of regain- ing power here, was cherished at the outset as was enter- tained in 1790. And even if we come down to our Civil War, who has forgotten how Lord John Russell, in response to our demands for the suppression of cruisers like the Alabama, replied that Great Britain had no municipal law which forbade the construction of such vessels, and refused to consider our contention that international law called for the prohibition of them. He did not believe that we were to survive as a nation long enough or strong enough to enforce our demands. He afterwards manfully con- fessed his mistake. But his first answer to us afterwards cost Engi id fifteen and a half million dollars. And did not Hon. Mr. Gladstone declare that Mr. Jefferson Davis had created a nation ? With all our respect for him, it is hard for us to forget that unhappy remark, which he had no business to make. m 'Tf^Ri. /^ But, thank God, when the brave veterans at Appo- mattox struck the last fatal blow and ended the war of secession, you also won a victory of which perhaps you little thought at the time you slew the last lingering doubt in the English mind of the ability and will of this nation to maintain its integrity and its independence. From that day to this no Englishman has raised the question whether we are to remain a mighty and free nation. But I say all this without any spark of bitterness toward England. Thank God, when her troops quitted our soil they did not take away with them those muniments of liberty, which we brought from the home of our fathers, the habeas corpus, the right of trial by jury, the right of petition, the spirit of obedience to law, the inextinguishable love of civil and religious liberty. These English-speaking races, now that England recognizes thoroughly our inde- pendence and our strength, bound together by the ties of a common language, common blood, similar laws and political institutions, fondly hope to settle all their mis- understandings without war, and by their example of good government, to commend free institutions to all nations. The whole world respects us now. There is no sea so remote, and no pathway of the traveler so excluded, that the flag of our Union is not there sufficient protection to the humblest American citizen. And it is to you, brave old veterans of the war, that we owe this proud position of our nation. When the applause which greeted the speaker had subsided, a benediction was pronounced by Rt. Rev. John S. Foley, D. D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Detroit, after which the great gathering dispersed. 44 « - <«!■> ■- ._.* .JrtHI war THE LUNCH ON THE RIVER. Immediately after leaving the hall, the speakers and distinguished visitors were driven to the foot of Wood- ward avenue, where the steamer Pleasure was awaiting them. About 300, including the committees of the day and the members of the Fourth Infantry, M. N. G., who had acted as ushers at the hall, boarded the vessel and were carried several miles down the river. An excellent lunch was served, and Haug's mandolin orchestra enliv- ened the occasion with music. There was no set pro- gramme, but conversation and music made the time pass very pleasantly. The day was fine and nothing could have been wished to add to the perfect enjoyment of the occasion. THE MILITARY PARADE Between the hours of four and six in the afternoon the celebration took the form of a grand military parade. Major Ford H. Rogers was chief marshal and Gen. Arthur Bresler chief of staflE. The parade formed on Jefferson avenue at Dequindre street, and the route of march was down Jefferson to Woodward, up Woodward and Monroe avenues to Miami avenue, thence up to the Grand Circus and back by Woodward to Michigan avenue; thence by Wayne street to Lafayette avenue, to Third street, to Fort street and by that thoroughfare to the Campus Martins, where the various companies and organizations participat- ing were disbanded. Forty-five minutes were consumed in passing a given point. SwitemniiBiiiBHiiiTijia yy^S'g ■i ' ;! lii On the Fort street side of the new Federal Building, to the east of the main entrance, a reviewing stand had been erected, where the members of the executive com- mittee, the invited guests and the members of the city government occupied seats. On the entire line of march the sidewalks were thronged by tens of thousands of spectators. The build- ings on the route were gaily decorated and every window was filled with heads. All along the route the enthusi- asm was as great as the crowds. The parade was led by a detachment of mounted police followed by the entire force under the command of Chief Starkweather. Then in order: The chief marshal and his aides. The 19th Infantry U. S. A., with its band. Col. Snyder leading in person. Gov. John T. Rich, in citizen's clothes, riding on a black horse, and attended by his staflE, mounted and in full uniform. The 4th Infantry Michigan National Guard, with its band. A battalion of the Michigan Naval Reserve, in naval uniform. A small detachment of the Detroit Light Guard Veteran Corps. The second division, under command of Capt. John Conline, U. S. A., was made up of Parke, Davis & Co.'s Band. Detroit Post No. 384, G. A. R. Fairbanks Post, No. 17, G. A. R. Farquahar Post No. 153, G. A. R. Michigan Post No. 393, G. A. R. 46 m A body of the Union Veterans' Union. A party of 21 little girls, in patriotic r<^lors, carrying red, white and blue umbrellas. Ten colored veterans. The second division was completed by the "living flag " — a body of 250 girls and boys dressed in white, blue or red clothes throughout, and so disposed that when looked down upon from any height the phalanx presented an exact representation of the American flag. The third division, under Assistant Marshal A. P. T. Beniteau, embraced: ' The Detroit Guardmen's Band. The Maybury Cadets. The Detroit Catholic Cadets. The Detroit Catholic Grays. The St. Elizabeth's Catholic Cadets. The St. John's Catholic Cadets. The St. Boniface Cadets. The Detroit Catholic Rifles. The St. Paul's Cadets, (St. Casimir's Parish). The Kosciusko Guards. St. Michael's Commandery. St. Ladislaus Commandery. St. Stanislaus Commandery. All the cadets were uniformed and armed, and attracted attention by their excellent drill. The fourth division, under Col. Fred. E. Farnsworth, wafi made up as follows: The Metropolitan Band. Knights of St. John and Patriarch's Militant. The Elks, in white uniforms and white umbrellas. ■0 I'jiiiiiiiiMiiMWiiirinii ^^1llli>«l||||ll^^feil u> The fifth division was marshaled by Ralph Phelps, assisted by Col. R. G. Butler. It included : The two Newsboys' Bands. The Letter Carriers in uniform and admirably drilled. The Fire and Police Notification Company. The Newsboys' Association. It was six o'clock when the parade terminated and the exercises of the day were at an end. LETTERS OF REGRET. Letters of regret were received from Governors Busiel, of Njw Hampshire; Woodbury, of Vermont; Coffin, of Connecticut ; Morton, of New York ; Griggs, of New Jersey ; O'Ferrall, of Virginia ; Carr, of North Caro- lina ; Atkinson, of Georgia ; McCorkle, of West Virginia; Bradley, of Kentucky; Foster, of Louisiana; Stone, of Missouri; Altgeld, of Illinois; Matthews, of Indiana; Bushnell, of Ohio; CuUen, of Texas; Thornton, of New Mexico ; Rickards, of Montana, and Lord, of Oregon. Also from President Cleveland, Postmaster- General Wilson, Secretary of State Olney, Secretary of the Navy Herbert, Attorney-General Harmon, and Justices Brewer, Peckham and Fuller of the Supreme Court, also the French and Russian Ambassadors, Senators Sherman, Vilas, Frye, Allison and McMillan, and Representatives Reed, Fischer and Henderson, and many others. LETTER FROM GOVERNOR O'FERRALL . Governor Charles T. O'Ferrall, of Virginia, who had expected to attend the festivities, with his entire stafiE, . - 4t k-<*„; was unavoidably prevented. The following letter was received from him: COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, governor's office. Richmond, Va., July 8th, iSgfe. My Dear Mr. Dickinson : I regret exceedingly I cannot attend Detroit's great celebration. An official engagement over which I have no control will prevent. Our statute requires tho board of public works, of which the gover- nor is ex-officio president, to assess during the present week the railroads of the state for purposes of taxation, and the board is now engaged in the performance of this important duty. I beg to assure the good people of your historic city I would be more than happy to be with them, and that i appreciate beyond measure the high compliment they have paid this old commonwealth in their cordial invitation to me as her governor, to be present and address them upon the interesting occasion. Virginia reciprocates warmly their kind and generous considera- tion, and her people are more than gratified to find in their hearty action unmistakable evidence that all feelings of estrangement resulting from civil strife have been forever buried, and the two sections stand together in soul and spirit, under one flag and one constitution. Each section has memories which she will ever cherish with peculiar tenderness, yet they are in fact common memories, for they spring from the glories of the American soldier whether he fell under the stars and stripes or the sUrs and bars. I speak for the South when I say she is as loyal to the flag of our reunited country as he was to the southern cross, and that her sons will be ready at all times to sUnd shoulder to shoulder with their northern brethren in the maintenance of their country's honor and the defense of their country's rights. This old dominion State, immortalised in song and story, crowned with glories and hung with memories, and who gave to the cause of republican liberty her Henry, Jefferson, Washington and 49 ^ — r-'^^f^#g*s^«r/ik>«(B»j't*