The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-04-05
Two OF Our 1915 Veterans.-An 1n'
teresting Meeting After their Sight
Is Restored TO Them.
IN. O. Democrat, Feb 23.)

Tho military pagenant Of yesterday
must have stirred the hearts OF the few
veterans nov left, who so gallently de-:
f.uded our city against the advance OF
the British in 1916. Two that We happen
ed to meet We know felt the old soldier
spirit come hack when the piercing
tif." sounded on the street These tw"
were Messls. Joseph St. Cyr and Charles
Raymond.
Mr.. St. Cyr is eighty.two years Of age,
and belonged to the rife company of the
Battalion d'Orl-sns, which was COM
manded on thu memorable eight If jam
airy by Major Plauche. He is still an act
i've man, and moves 0bout with the eIas-
ITCHY Of youth.
MI. Raymond is eighty live, and was a
member Of the same bstalliOn in the bat.
tic at Chalnette. Full Of vigor aud
well.preserved strength, he, like this fell
low veteran, looks twenty years younger
than he il. Both strange to say, enjoy
conpaniouship of wives they married six
ty years ago
It was interesting yesterday TO listen
to their story of the battle, to note how
the eye would sparkle, and the chest
heave as they recOunted the fighting Of
that day. Planche's command was on
the right, they said, and had for its pro-
lection only low breastwork of earth.
In the embrasures for the cannon there
were two or three bales of cotton, but
none in hreastwOrks The battle was
hot from the time the first gun was fired,
until the red coats withdrew from the
field.
Plauche's command, Mr.. Raymond says.
vas composed of rifle company, one Of
dragons, tho Blues of Capt. Mauusel
White, the Le Francs and the Chasseurs.
OF the whole command hut six are now
a live, and they are c. Raymond. S. St.
Cyr, 8. St. Cya. Jean Gervis. Jean Lamo-
the and P. NJ. Lapice.
The occasion which brought about the
meeting " tn these tried veterans was to
congratulate them on new lease of ife
they had just received.
For some years they were almost blind
from cataract of the eye. and could barrel y
| tell daylight from darkness. The skill.
full hand and knife Of that celebrated &C.
Mist here DR.. Cornlius Beard, opened the
portals of vision to those old soldiers,
and they see again. The cure must have
been wonderful, for nature at eighty five
years has but little vital force Of revivi
cation left. Both were happy over the
gift Of sense Of which they were 30 long
bereft, and spoke of the doctor in feel.
ing manner, Of his delicacy and extreme
| tenderness. The doctor has, it seems,
been remarkably fortunate in all ofhi'
cases Of catan1ct among elderly men
Our fellow tOwnsman, AdOlph Dupre
ESQ.,. c. Toledsna and many others bav,
been also restored to sight,
Mr.. Dupre il one of the noblest exam
pies of our creole stock. Sevety-eight
years Of age, he has all the vivacity o
bis youth, and in conversation is NOR
agreeable than those whose years fal
short of him to score. His face il elias
sicall aud shows the trne type Of Louis
ianan, and now that bis sight is nearl!
restored will enjoy for years to come TIL
caresses of his grandchi dren. In 1871
he was too young to enlist in the caus
Of New Orleaus, but since Our victory h
has ever been firm and unflinching de
fender Of the peoples rights.
| 1t is somewhat remarkable that sucl
q number of our oldest families shonl,
Ike 80 successfully operated upon by tn
same physician.
During the long conversation Messre
st. Cyr and Raymond gave many Incl
dents Of the eight a January which W
have not space to publish. W. left then
looking as happy aud contented as younI
l0YerN.