RECEPTION BY THE NEW ORLEANS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
Captain Glazier returns to New Orleans.--A general ovation.--
Flattering opinions of the press.--Introduction to the Mayor.--
Freedom of the City tendered.--Special meeting of the New Orleans
Academy of Sciences.--Presentation of the "Alice" to the
Academy.--Captain Glazier's address.--The President's Response.--
Resolutions of thanks and appreciation passed.--Visit to the
Arsenal of the Washington Artillery.--Welcome by the Old Guard of
the Louisiana Tigers.--Pleasant memories of the "Crescent City."
After standing for some time looking out upon the vast expanse of water
which lay before him, Captain Glazier hailed a passing boat and, towing
the "Alice" after them, he and Mr. Paine were rowed back to Port Eads.
Here they were very hospitably entertained until the arrival of the
homeward-bound steamship "Margaret," which they boarded and on which
they returned to New Orleans. There they met with the most cordial
reception; people everywhere were curious to see Captain Glazier, and
anxious to show their appreciation of his enterprising spirit and the
success which had attended his last remarkable exploit. The press, not
only of New Orleans, but all through the Mississippi Valley, gave
glowing accounts of his voyage and of the reception tendered him at its
conclusion. The Mayor offered him the freedom of the city, and the New
Orleans Academy of Sciences gave him a public reception, at which
resolutions were passed recognizing the important results of his
expedition, and thanking him for the beautiful canoe "Alice," which he
had presented to that learned body.
The following account of this reception is taken from the "_St. Louis
Republican_" of November twenty-eighth, and is presented to the reader
because, being the testimony of an eye-witness, it cannot fail to give a
clear idea of the manner in which the scientists of the city, and the
people generally, appreciated Captain Glazier and the work which he had
accomplished.
[Correspondence of the _Republican_.]
"New Orleans, _November 23, 1881_.
"The termination of the noted and unprecedented exploring expedition and
canoe trip of the Soldier-Author, Captain Willard Glazier, extending
from his new-found true source of the mighty Mississippi River to the
Gulf of Mexico, culminated, after one hundred and seventeen days'
voyage, in a very general and complimentary recognition and ovation on
the part of the officials and distinguished citizens of New Orleans. In
company with Dr. J. S. Copes, President of the Academy of Sciences, the
successful explorer was presented to his honor, Mayor Shakespear, and
was by him warmly welcomed, and the freedom of the city generously
tendered him. In appreciative recognition of the hospitality extended
him the distinguished soldier, author, and explorer, felt it a pleasing
as well as an appropriate opportunity to present his beautiful canoe,
which had safely carried him through his long and perilous voyage, to
the New Orleans Academy of Sciences. The occasion of the presentation
and acceptance was one of high order and much manifest interest. In
presenting the canoe Captain Glazier tendered the following letter:
"St. Charles Hotel,
New Orleans, _November 21, 1881_.
Joseph S. Copes, M. D.
President New Orleans Academy of Sciences:
Dear Sir:--I have just concluded upon the border of the State of
Louisiana, a voyage of observation and exploration; and as you have
expressed considerable interest in the results of my expedition,
and manifested a desire to possess the canoe in which the
explorations were made, I find pleasure in presenting it to your
honorable society as a souvenir of my voyage and discoveries.
During this canoe journey of over three thousand miles, beginning
at the headwaters of the Mississippi and extending to the Gulf of
Mexico, I had the satisfaction of locating the source of the Great
River which we have traversed, and feel a pride in having corrected
a geographical error of half a century's standing.
I will not now enter into a detailed account of my explorations on
the Upper Mississippi, but shall take the earliest opportunity of
transmitting to your secretary a complete history of the voyage,
which will be issued in book form as soon as the matter can be
prepared for publication.
Very respectfully yours,
Willard Glazier.
"A special meeting of the Academy of Sciences was held at No. 46
Carondelet street, Dr. J. S. Copes, president, in the chair, for the
purpose of receiving from Captain Willard Glazier the handsome cedar
canoe 'Alice,' with which he navigated the Mississippi River from Aitkin
to the Gulf.
"By invitation Captain Glazier gave an account of his explorations on
the Upper Mississippi and especially of that section of country beyond
Lake Itasca, which body of water has hitherto been considered the
fountain-head of the Great River.
"Dr. Copes in the name of the Academy thanked Captain Glazier for his
valuable gift, which would be highly prized, and then congratulated the
explorer upon his contribution to American geographical knowledge,
comparing him with De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, Hennepin, and Joliet,
whose highest fame was connected with discoveries relating to the
Mississippi.
"In the course of his remarks the learned doctor said that De Soto
penetrated the continent of North America in pursuit of gold and
accidentally discovered the Mississippi. Marquette, the zealous
missionary, traversed the river from the mouth of the Wisconsin to the
mouth of the Arkansas. La Salle pursued his explorations from the mouth
of the Illinois to the Gulf, his sole aim seeming to be the conquest of
North America in the name of the King of France. Hennepin explored but a
small section of the stream, extending from the mouth of the Wisconsin
to St. Anthony's Falls, while Captain Glazier has made the important
discovery of its primal reservoir and traversed its entire length from
source to sea.
"The members of the Academy listened with great interest to Captain
Glazier's graphic account of his discovery, and also to the intellectual
and historical address of Dr. Copes.
"Dr. J. R. Walker then offered the following resolutions:
_Resolved:_--That the thanks of this Academy are due and are hereby
tendered to Captain Willard Glazier for the donation of his
beautiful canoe "Alice," and for the brief narrative of his
explorations at the source of the Mississippi River, and of his
voyage thence to the Gulf of Mexico.
_Resolved:_--That this Academy not only gratefully accepts this
handsome gift, but promises to preserve and cherish it as a
souvenir of Captain Glazier's high qualities as an explorer and
contributor to the increase of American geographical knowledge.
"Mr. H. Dudley Coleman moved as an amendment thereto that a copy of the
resolutions be appropriately written and framed, and presented to
Captain Glazier, and that a committee of three be appointed to prepare
the same in accordance therewith.
"The resolutions as amended were unanimously adopted, when Dr. Copes
appointed as the committee, Messrs. Coleman, Walker, and Blanchard.
"The suggestion made by Mr. Coleman that the canoe remain at the arsenal
of the Battalion Washington Artillery until such time as the Academy
prepare a suitable place for it was acceded to.
"At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. Coleman escorted Captain Glazier
to the Washington Artillery Arsenal, and introduced him to Colonel J. B.
Richardson, commanding the battalion, who accepted for the command the
care of the canoe, and extended to Captain Glazier the hospitalities of
the battalion during his stay in the city. Colonel Richardson and Mr.
Coleman then took him around the arsenal and showed him its attractive
features."
* * * * *
It will be readily seen from this letter that the members of the New
Orleans Academy of Sciences were much impressed with the importance of
the discovery Captain Glazier had made. The resolutions which they
passed were afterwards handsomely framed and sent to him at St. Louis.
Among the many courtesies which were tendered the Captain during his
stay in New Orleans, he perhaps felt most deeply the royal welcome which
was given him by the Old Guard of the Louisiana Tigers. In his own words
"they could not do too much" for him, and when we remember that only
twenty years have passed away since these brave men and the gallant
Union soldier fought on opposite sides on the battlefields of Virginia,
it cannot be wondered at that he was much impressed with the cordiality
of his reception by his former foes.
At the headquarters of the Washington Artillery, too, he found many who
as Confederate officers and soldiers had formerly been his opponents in
the war, but nothing could exceed the heartiness of their welcome and
the good-fellowship which they displayed. They showed him their old
battle-flags still religiously kept, but a moment afterwards pointed to
the Stars and Stripes which occupied a prominent position in the room.
Altogether Captain Glazier found it difficult to realize that there had
ever been other than the most cordial feeling between the North and
South, and this as much as anything else tended to make his stay in New
Orleans a pleasure which he will long remember.