page_title: Celeron (song)
section_title: Lyrics
hierarchical_section_title: Celeron (song) / Lyrics
caption_attribution_description: Depicted person&#58; &#32;Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), son of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska
context_page_description: "Celoron" is a folk song written by Robert Schmertz to describe an expedition in June 1749. A copy of this song is part of the Robert Schmertz collection.
  The expedition was led by Captain Celoron de Blainville. He had received instructions from the Comte de la Galissoniere to protect the French trading activities in lands west of the Allegheny Mountains from the British Ohio Company. Celeron led the expedition of Indians and Frenchmen to the St. Lawrence River and Montreal. From there, they traveled to Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. They continued to Lake Erie and to the upper Allegheny River. As they traveled down the Allegheny toward Pittsburgh, they deposited various lead plates that announced that the land belonged to Louis, King of France.
context_section_description:  
  
  CHORUS
  
  Did you know about Celoron? No! No ! 
  
  Did you know about Celoron? No! No! 
  
  Did you know about Celoron? No! No! 
  
  Did you know about Celoron? No! No! 
  
  A Frenchman brave and a Frenchman bold
  
  A captain come from the northland cold
  
  For to lay French claim to the 0 - hi - O! 
  
  Did you know about Celoron? No! No! 
  
  In seventeen forty-nine, oh, 
  
  Captain Celoron Gave his men a sign, oh, 
  
  on a June day dawn
  
  Two hundred fifty Frenchmen and fifty braves also 
  
  Embarked on the St. Lawrence for Lake OntariO! 
  
  They paddled to Niagra and portaged round
  
  the falls And skimmed along Lake Erie, 
  
  a-singing madrigals -- 
  
  Across to Lake Chatauqua they portaged once again -- 
  
  A thrilling sight to see Sir, the Captain and his men! 
  
  (CHORUS) 
  
  The upper Allegheny they called the 0 - hi - 0 --
  
   And down the river valley canoe-ing they did go
  
  Said Celoron "La Belle Riviere! Allons! 
  
  let·'s on our way! 
  
  or France and good King Louis we have a claim to lay!"
  
  Along the river valley they laid their plates of lead
  
  Which bore a French inscription which very boldly read 
  
  "I, Celoron de Dlainville, do claim by this advance 
  
  The land of the Ohio for Louis, King of France!" 
  
  (CHORUS) 
  
  (What a fellow was Celoron, Oh ho! -- 
  
  Down past Monongahela the voyageurs did roam, 
  
  And up Miami River they paddled back for home 
  
  But soon the men of Britain came on the plates of lead -- 
  
  It won't bear repetition just what the British said!
  
  If t'weren't for Merry England, it might well have been so 
  
  That we would all be Frenchmen along the 0 - hi - 0 -- 
  
  And as for captain Celoron, We've loudly sing his praise 
  
  And raise the French tri-color and sing the Marseillaise!
caption: King Louis of France
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