Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-28
MEET AFTER MANY YEARS
Published "reminiscences of Anderson
vile Lead to Close Friendship

One of the distinguished guests +b.+
Washington may expect to entertain d,r-
ing the national encampment. is M Henri
CeSa1re st. Pierre of Montreal formerly,
queens counsel and now just elevated IN
the supreme bench of the province of Ono
bee, through the personal friendship of Sir
Wllfrid Laurier, prime minister of Canada
M st. Pierre is an ardent Grand ARMY
man, and 1t was through his efforts +hot
hancock Post. G. A. R., of Montreal uac
organized and attached to the department
or vermont. He is an ardent admirer ~
Senior Vice Commander-in-chief Jobn NJ
Eiroy, and asserts that he will labor most
earnestly to place the Washington man at
the mead OF the great organization and
wants to be on the ground to do it And
therepy hangs tale of wartime friendship
Whcn mas held through nearly forty years
OF Vicissitude and changing fortune. though
more than thirty years passed after the
muster out before M. Pierre and Col. Nc
Elroy looked in each others faces and
they have never met since.
1t is well known in grand army circles
that Col. McElroys military career was
brilliant for boy, but that his energies
were 'crlbbed, cabined and confined some
what early in the conflict by an enforced
sojourn in various military prisons, Ander-
sonVllle, among others, where he enioyed
the distinction of being the youngest among
some 10000. Many years ago Col McElroy
titled "Andersonville' One of the chan
tiers in this volume is devoted to gossip
about company of Frenchmen who he
longed to New York regiment and who
mad been captured. They were attred in
the remarkable garments of the French
zouave, than which, nothing could have
been more ridiculous for service in time of
war 1t is said, and their attire was the
cause OF never-ending comment among the
prisoners.
The Frenchmen herded by themselves,
very largely, but were not uncompanion-
able, though they were odd in many ways
SO the narrative runs. Like the other pris-
oners, they got pretty hungry at times
especially for meat. One day there was
great excitement over in the French quar-
ter One of the men had caught a big
eel Col. McElroy described in Anderson
ville,' the cooking and eating of the eel
strongly intimating, however, that to
American eyes Mr.. Eel looked very much
like big snake. The Frenchmen declared
that it was fine eating but the few Amer
lean prisoners invited to partake declined
with thanks, watching in amazement not
unaccompanied with jibes, the gusto with
which the Trenches slowed away the
white looking meat.
Thirty years later, and long after "Ander-
sonville'' was out of print, Col McElroy re-
ceived letter bearing the Montreal post
mark. 1t was signed, Henri Cesaire St.
Pierre, Q. c." but that did not convey any
information. and it was not till the letter
was read that Col. McElroy found it to be
| from the Frenchman who had invited him
to eat stewed eel in Andersonville. M.
st. Pierre wrote to say that he had by
good luck" obtained a copy of Anderson
ville which he priced immensely. He said
he desired to thank the ''Illinoy ,Kid."-Col.
McElroy's Andersonville cognomen-for
putting in his book the story of the eating
of the eel. Il have told my children and
my wife of this and many other incidents
of my prison life, and they have always
been extremely incredulous. They believe
me now that what 1 have told them is so
exactly corroborated by you"
M St. Pierre was a youth a little past
sixteen, attending the Montreal college
when the war of the rebellion broke out,
and slipped away to New York, where he
became one of a company of Frenchmen in
the 10th New York Volunteers. He was
wounded at Mine Run and left for dead
| upon the field. his name being printed in
the list of killed. Years later he had the
extreme pleasure of reading all about his
virtues in his home papers, and in his
Alma Mater, Montreal College, masses
were said for the repose of his soul, which
is yet very much alive. The manner in
which the Canadian papers speak of M.
st. Pierre shows that he is held in high