By James Patton
The Wreaths of Lafayette's Tomb
The wreath shown above was not the one laid by Gen. Pershing on 4 July 1917 at Lafayette's Tomb in Picpus Cemetery, Paris. On that day, on his behalf, his Chief Disbursing Officer Col. Charles E. Stanton (1858–1933) delivered the stirring "Lafayette we are here!" speech (Nous voilà, Lafayette). A floral wreath was laid that day and Pershing rendered a salute.
In December, soon after his arrival, President Wilson made a similar visit to Lafayette's Tomb and the Saint Louis Dispatch Journal reported: “Entirely unannounced, the President drove to the old Picpus Cemetery, where the amazed gatekeeper was almost too flustered to unlock the gates when he learned who his caller was.”
Dr. Cary T. Grayson, who was also present, wrote in his diary: "The President removed his hat, entered the tomb, carrying a large floral wreath composed with oak leaves and laurels which he had arranged for. In the center, he had attached his personal card on the back of which he had written with his own handwriting: “In memory of the Great Lafayette, from a fellow Servant of Liberty, Woodrow Wilson. December 1918.” As the president placed the wreath on the tomb, he bowed his head and stood silent before the resting place of the famous Frenchman who helped America in her fight for liberty.
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| President Wilson and Premier Clemenceau |
In the course of his many months in France, President Wilson decided he wished to make the gesture permanent, and he commissioned French sculptor Auguste Seyesses to create a bronze replica of his wreath, plated in gold. This metal wreath was laid in front of Lafayette’s tomb by President Wilson on 8 June 1919, shortly before the conclusion of the Versailles Conference. Wilson paid for the bronze creation himself (“It cost me a pretty penny”). The inscription reads exactly like that of his earlier wreath: "To the Great Lafayette, from a fellow Servant of Liberty", Woodrow Wilson, December 1918.
One hundred and three years passed. On a biking excursion in Paris, two members of the Society of Cincinnati, American student John Beall and his host, Yorick de Guichen, visit Picpus Cemetery. They noticed a weathered metal plaque behind and detached from the tomb, —one part was missing. They came to realize it is a wreath and learned its story. They decided they had a mission to restore President Wilson's wreath. Eventually, their organization, the Society of Cincinnati, the Curator of Picpus Cemetery, and the Military Governor of Paris combined resources to restore the wreath, and it was rededicated on 5 July 2022.
Considering the value of the metal content, it’s amazing that it’s still there. It was restored in July 2022 to like-new condition by the Society of the Cincinnati (the oldest hereditary organization in America) to honor the marquis, who was a member.
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| Lafayette's Tomb without the Wilson Wreath |
What Is the Society of the Cincinnati?
Founded in 1783 by Gen. Henry Knox (1750–1806), the society is named for the Roman soldier and statesman Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519–430 BCE), who is regarded as a model of civic virtue and devotion to duty. The first president was George Washington, and the second was Alexander Hamilton. Full membership was originally restricted to officers who served with the Continental Army or who died while in service (including eligible foreigners), then to their direct male heirs according to primogeniture, or their collateral heirs (if there are no direct heirs), but there can be only one member at a time from a hereditary line, even though there may be more than one eligible heir.
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| July 2022 Re-dedication Ceremony |
U.S. President Franklin Pierce (1804–69) was a direct heir; the British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was a collateral heir through his American mother Jennie (née Jerome) Spencer-Churchill (1854–1921), and Sir Winston’s great-grandson is a current member.
Twenty-three signers of the U.S. Constitution and five Nobel Peace Prize laureates were hereditary members. Additionally, hundreds of VIPs have been made honorary (non-voting) members, including an additional 15 U.S. presidents, the most recent being George H.W. Bush.
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| Lafayette's Tomb Today |
Is there a connection between the society and the city in Ohio? Yes. In 1790, a member of the society, Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair (1737–1818), the governor of the 1787 Northwest Territory renamed Losantiville, a settlement on the Ohio River, as Cincinnati in honor of the society.
Source: "What Two Giants of History Say to Each Other in Silence," The Society of the Cincinnati, 2022
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