The discoveries which are being made in and about the old French Fort under the direction of Annie E. (Mrs. Walter C.) Witherbee, are such as may lead to the rewriting of a description of these forts. She has located the ovens and found the oven doors, candle-sticks, snuffers, glassware, blue and white china of Fort St. Frédéric, built in 1731, the underground drain, from the English Forts, built of stone two and one-half feet high, resting on a solid rock and twenty inches in width in perfect condition. She has also found the casemate and bastions around the English Forts, which were built in 1759 by Amherst. She has opened up the old forge and found many relics such as a gun-carriage, chairs, knives, spades, iron bars, bolts and other articles. The most remarkable discovery from a geological point of view was that of a glacier mill 14 feet and 7 inches in depth, containing spherical stones, unknown in the vicinity. Mrs. Witherbee has procured copies of old charts and maps from British archives relating to the region. She is also making a valuable historical collection of books, manuscripts and autographs of persons, who have written about or have been occupants of the forts now in ruins, but included in the State Reservation. These will throw new light on the history of the region to the lasting credit of Mrs. Witherbee, who intends to continue her researches in this hitherto unexplored field.
At three-forty o’clock, P. M., the Commissioners, accompanied by His Excellency Ambassador Jusserand and the French delegation, boarded the special train for Plattsburgh under the escort of Hon. John H. Booth and Hon. John B. Riley. Upon their arrival at Plattsburgh, they were officially welcomed by Mayor Andrew G. Senecal, the Guard of Honor, and St. Jean Baptiste Society in full uniform. The depot was trimmed with the American and French flags and the U. S. Reservation at Plattsburgh Barracks had been put in readiness by Colonel Cowles, Post Commandant, for the reception of the visitors to witness a dress parade in their honor. As they entered the Reservation, a national salute was fired and the regimental band played La Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner. The Fifth Infantry in full dress uniform was drawn up and saluted the distinguished visitors with military honors. Colonel Cowles and his staff were formally presented by Hon. H. Wallace Knapp to Ambassador Jusserand, M. Gabriel Hanotaux, General Lebon, Count de Chambrun, M. Étienne Lamy and others. The visitors were escorted to the temporary platform, whereupon the Hon. V. F. Boire, speaking in French in behalf of the people of Plattsburgh, welcomed the visitors. The English version of his address is substantially as follows:
Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure as well as a special privilege to welcome you to the city of Plattsburgh and the county of Clinton on this important occasion of your peace errand. It is a pleasure to welcome you for many reasons. The personnel of your delegation has so many illustrious and honored names; so many of them dear to the hearts of the American people, that we welcome you individually and personally, and we feel that you should be at home here. In the average American heart, there is enshrined on either side of George Washington the memory of Rochambeau and Lafayette, so no man bearing either name is a stranger in the country of Washington, nor is he a stranger here, who is accredited from their native land.
As representatives of the great French Republic, you are welcome to the nation that the old France sustained and befriended in the hour of its almost hopeless struggle for liberty. You are twice welcome in this particular spot; discovered and explored by the great Champlain, trodden by the intrepid foot of Montcalm, and sought out by the zealous heart of Jogues. It would be impossible to honor us more than to permit us to see and hear representatives of so many branches of French activities and learning, of men and institutions that have made for the progress and enlightenment of the world; and in this particular locality, where there are so many descendants of the French, this occasion affords an entirely distinct and peculiar pleasure to the people.
Significant at this time and indirectly connected with your visit, and of interest in connection with your visit, are the great peace projects now planned between the United States and the British Empire. One is the Quebec-Miami International Highway which is an assured fact, as a result of which a great International Highway is actually being built, connecting the southern part of Florida with the city of Quebec, and linking Canada and the United States with a strong bond of friendship and good will. This road will pass through the city of Plattsburgh and its length will be dotted with monuments dedicated to peace. And it is intended that all travellers of this highway between Canada and the United States will pass beneath an arch dedicated in the hope that no hostile foot will ever tread beneath. This we believe to be a practical peace pact.
The monuments and arch just referred to are part of the second and most widely known of the peace projects. By that I mean, the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of peace between the English speaking peoples (which also seems to be an assured fact), to occur in 1914. By a singular coincidence, the year 1914 will also mark the one hundredth anniversary of the last war between French speaking and English speaking peoples. It would seem to me a most lamentable thing if this celebration were not made a double celebration in commemoration of the one hundred years of peace between the great French speaking peoples and English speaking peoples as well as between the English speaking peoples. And let us hope that the year 1914 will also witness the adoption of all the Arbitration Treaties under French speaking nations and English speaking nations;—and thus we may hope that the year 1914 will not only be as a monument to the century of peace in the past, but that it will also be a monument for the peace of the centuries that are to come.
The visitors demonstrated their pleasure over his remarks by vigorous applause. M. Étienne Lamy was then introduced and, speaking in French, told of the pleasure of himself and his associates at the hearty reception they had received at every place they had visited since coming to America and said that at no place was the reception more cordial than at Plattsburgh. General Lebon was the next speaker and his remarks were also in French. He spoke of the great achievements of the French people in all walks of life and especially in the military sphere. Count de Chambrun spoke in English and told of the great friendship which has existed between France and the United States ever since the first blow was struck by the colonies for liberty; how the Republic of the East, through him and his associates, sent greetings and promises of everlasting friendship to the Republic of the West. M. Gabriel Hanotaux spoke briefly in French and Ambassador Jusserand made a few remarks in both English and French, expressing his pleasure in again visiting Plattsburgh. The Saranac Chapter of the D. A. R. turned out in force with their regent. Mrs. George F. Tuttle, and were accompanied by the Nathan Beman Chapter of the Children of the American Revolution bearing the American colors. The D. A. R. delegation was seated on the grandstand at the left of the French visitors.
Mrs. George F. Tuttle, the regent of the Saranac Chapter, D. A. R., and president of the Nathan Beman Chapter, D. A. R., of Plattsburgh, both of which organizations took part in the reception of the French Delegation, expressed her pleasure and that of her Chapter at taking part in welcoming the visitors, and also said:
The Saranac Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and Nathan Beman Society, Children of the American Revolution wish to extend greetings to the French delegation who have so honored us by their presence. It may be of interest to one of this distinguished company, the Count de Chambrun, to know that among the Daughters who listened with delight to his remarks, was one whose mother, Mrs. Frederick Sailly, had the pleasure of entertaining, as the wife of Major Russell, at Fort Niagara, the Count’s honored ancestor, General Lafayette.