The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-03-26
TWO, OF OUR 1916 VETERANS
AN INTERESTING MEETING AFTER THEIR
SIGHT is RESTORED TO rs5ga
THEM. -aE

IL
The military pageant of yesterday
must have stirred the hearts qof the
few veterans now left, who so gallant
~ defended our city against the an
vance of the British in 1915. Two
that we happened to meet We know
lelt the old soldierly spirit come back
when the Gear piercing fife" sounded
on the street. These two were Messrs.
Joseph St. Cyr and Charles Raymond.
MIR. St. Cyr is eighty two years Of
age, and belonged to the rifle company
of the Battalion d'Orleans, which was
commanded on the memorable eighth
of January by Major Plauche. He is
still an active man, aud moves about
will, all the elasticity of youth.
Mr.. Raymond is eighty-fve, and
wa, a member of the same battalion in
the battle at Chalmette. Full of vigor
and we'll preserved strength, he, like
his fellow veterans, looks twenty years
younger than be is. Both, strange to
say, enjoy the companionship of wives
they married sixty 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 reconnted the
lighting of thatsday. Plauche's com.
mand was on the right, they said, and
had for its protection only low
breast work of earth. In the embra-
sures for the cannon there were two or
three bales of cotton, but none in
lbreastw0rks. The battle was hot from
rhs time the last gun was fred until
] the red coats withdrew from the field.
| Plauche's command, Mr.. Raymond
saws, was composed of a rifle company,
one of dragons, the Blues of Captain
Maunsel White, the LIE Francs and the
4 Chasseurs. OF the whole command
bul six are now alive, and they are G.
/ Ray moud, j. St. Cyr, S. st. Cyr, Jean
Gel eais, Jean Lamothe aud z. NJ
Laplaee. ~
Tire occasion which brought about
the meeting with these tried veterans
was to congratulate them on a new
lease Of life they had just received
For some years they were almost
blind from cataract of the eye, ant
could barely tell daylight from dark
! ness. The skillful hand and knife o
that celebrated oculist here, DR.. Cor
: nelips Beard, opened the portals I"
!. vision to those old soldiers, and the.
2 see again. The cure must have beef
wonderful, for nature at eighty -fv
wears has bnt little vital force of re
+: yivication left. Both were happ.
r over the kift of q sense of which the,
= were so long bereft, and spoke of tn
!, doctor in feeling manner, OF his deli
r cacy and extreme tenderness. Th
s doctor has, it seems, been remarkabi
:. fortunate in all of his cases of catarae
o amongst elderly men. Our felloy
q townsmen, Adolph Dupre, Esq, {
4 Toiedano and many-others have bee
: also restored to sight.
i Mr.. Dupre is one of the noblest ex
amples of our true creole stock. Sew
'|enty eight years of age, he has all th
n yivacity of his youth, and in CONVEX
sation is more agreeable than th0s
whose years fall short Of him tw
u score. His face is classical and show
the true type of a Louisianian, an
Q now that his sight is nearly restore
. will enjoy for years to come the Ct
. resses Of his grandchildren. In l6l
}. he was too young to enlist in I'll
10 cause of New Orleans, but since OF
: victory he has ever been a firm az
70 unflinching defender Of the people
y rights.
NJ 1t is somewhat remarkable that sui
number Of our oldest families shou
be 80 successfully operated upon
10 the same physician.
During the long conversation Messl
St. Cyr and Raymond gave many inc
dents of the eighth of January viii
g. we have not space to publish. Y
is left them looking as happy and co
J. tented as two young lovers.--tNew Q
D. leans Democrat.