Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-06

of its age; and VI is great gratiAca-
tlon and pleasure to us that we are
permitted to come mere this bright
September day, the second birthday OF
the Marietta, and thus show our ap-
probation of her service and our de-
SIRE to honor her name; and It is fit
eng that we should consider for a mo-
ment, and know you will parodn me
for taking up your time to recount
what led up to the name of Marietta,
and why this magnificent gunboat was
chrlstened under that name.
A good name Is better than riches,
and when coupled with the wealth of
the record that has been made by this
vessel, it is a source of great pride to
all who may have knowledge of or are
in any way connected with the name.
No more appropriate place for the
of the Marietta and the presentation of
this gift could be found than the COM
monwealth of Massachusetts,; for eX-
ceept for The citizens of this noble
commonwealth there should have been
no Marietta in Ohio and no Marietta
on the seas.
OF the 4S pioneers who made the
first settlement in the northwest terri
tory at the mouth of the Muskinum,
90 were citizens of Massachusetts,
and gathered at Ipswich on Dec. BLISS,
where, at about the dawn of day, they
paraded in front of the house of Rev,
Manasseh Cutler, among them Jona-
lnan Duvoll, a master shipbuilder, and
after short address from Dr. Cutler,
three volleys were fired and the party
went forward. Dr. Cutler accompan-
led them to Danvers, wnere he placed
them under command of Major Han
| hill white and Capt. Ezra Putnam.
After a tedious journey on foot for
nearly eight weeks, in the dead of win
ter, they arrived at Slmrlll's Ferry, on
the Youghiogheny river, Jan. %, 1888.
The other party OF 26, including Gen
eral Putnam, were from Connecticut,
and left Hartford Jan. /, 1888, in com
mand of Gen. Ebenezer Sproat. -Four
weeks after leaving Hartford, by the
utmost eXertions, they reached Coop
er'5 tavern, at the foot of the Tuscar-
ora mountains. Here, on account of
heavy SHOWS, they were obliged to
leave their wagons and resort to sleds
to carry their goods and implements
over the mountains. After two weeks
of arduous travel and severity of the
weather, phey reached Slmrill's FRY,
Feb. IA, 1888.
Little progress mad yet ben made in
the building of boats, but Gen. Putnam
infused new spirit into the enterprise
and all went heartily to work under
his supervision and the work went
rapidly ON. The largest boat, As feet
long and 12 feet wide, with curved
bows strongly timbered and covered
with deck high enough for a man to
walk upright under the beams, and the
sides thick enough to resist the bullets
of any wandering party of Indians that
might attack it,they named it the May
flower, in honor of the famous vessel
that bore the Puritan Immigrants into
Plymouth bay. the Mayfiower
could not carry the AZ men, horses,
wagons, baggage, tools and provisions
they constructed large fiatboat and
several canoes. This flotilla was ready
the first of April, and on the afternoon
of the second of April, 1888, left Sim
rill's Ferry for the Muskingum. After
five days floating with the current and
a very few s'toppages, they arrived at
the mouth of the Musklngum. 1t was
a cloudy, rainy morning, and as they
neared the foot of Kerr's island Capt.
Duvoll said to Gen. Putnam: 81
We must be near the mouth of the
Muskingum." In a few moments they
came in sight of fort Harmar, which
had been erected in 1855 and 4.S6. On
account of the density of the foliage
the mouth of the river was abscured,
and the fotilia had passed by without
noticing it. Before they could correct
lnelr mistake they had fioated too far
to land op the upper point, and were
forced to land short distance below
the fort.
The town was first called Adelphia,
but on July 2, at the first meeting of
the directors of the company the
name was changed to Marietta, in hon
or of Marie Antoinette, the unfortu-
nate queen of France, whose king and
the nation had helped these brave men
in the times tnat tried mems souls.
Among uhese no pioneers who uhus
landed on that stormy morning of
April 7, 1888, to establish the first set
l.ement and civil government in the
northwest erriory, / am proud to say,
was my great uncle, Daniel Bushnell,
and to that extent had the honor of
being one of the early settlers of Ma
rletta.
Now, word with reference to the
adoption of the name Marietta for this
grand tile vessel, which has only
commenced her career. and will, l am
sure go forward TO greater achieve
ments and to more valuable service to
her cOuntrV