Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-29

Col. John McElroy. acting commander
Of the Department of the Potomac, is
being greeted by thousands of old sol,
diers as official host of this jubilee en-
campment. For months past he has
been busy every day working out the
details from this end of the line for
the Grand Army and now his office is
the first place to which most of the
veterans wend their way as they come
to Washington. They give large meas
ure of credit to him for the careful ar
rangements made here for their COM
fort, convenience and entertainment.
Col. McElroy is editor of the National
Tribune. the organ of the veterans of
the civil war. He was just past his
sixteenth birthday anniversary when he
first enlisted in McClernands Body
Guards in 1852, and was not nineteen
years old when he completed his three
years service, sixteen months of which
had been spent in Andersonville prison,
Blackshear, Savannah, Camp Lawton,
Florence, Libby and others. He was
born in 1876. He has not college edu-
cation. only that which he acquired in
the common schools, and that acquired
in the school of the world as a news
paper man. but he is the author of
a great many books, chief of which is
his "Andersonxille," which has reached
a sale of more than 100000 copies 1t is
a story of the sufferings of the more
than $4,000 men confined in Anderson
willie stockade. He was a charter mem
Der of this Georgia prison, the gates
opening for himself and squad of
other prisoners February rs. 1862
There he saw forty-nine members of
his company die and their bodies lie
in the little cemetery close by with
nearly $4,000 of their comrades who
starved to death while he was there.
Avoids Talking of Prison Days.
1t is difficult to get Col. McElroy to
talk of his prison days. He says the
only terror of his life is that even yet
he will start from the soundest sleep
in the dark of the night, and imagine
for a few seconds that he is back amid
the horrors of Andersonville.
Col McElroy was born in Greenup,
Ky He spent a few of his earlier years
before the war in st. Louis. and when
he finally got into the service it was
in the 10th Illinois Cavalry. He was
taken prisoner at Jonesville. Va, jan
uary 8. 1864. and was prisoner until
the close of the war.
From 1868 TO 1872 he was reporter
on different Chicago newspapers, and
from 1874 to 1884 was editor of the To-
ledo Blade. While upon that paper he
wrote his story of Andersonville. He
came to the National Tribune as edi-
or-in-chief in 1884, and is now it's edi-
tor and owner.
AS an authority on military affairs,
Col. McElroy probably stands unri-
vailed. He has at his tongues end the
accurate number of troops which
served in every campaign and engage
ment, with the day and date and year.
together with the killed and wounded
in every battle and skirmish of the
civil war.
To the veterans of the civil war Col.
McElroy has been bulwark of
strength. Letters every day that ex-
plain the boundless faith they have in
the National Tribune and their undying
gratitude to its editor prove this.
His Farm a Beauty Spot.
Besides editing the National Tribune
Col. McElroy is a farmer. owning a
600-acre farm in Fairfax county, Va.
which he purchased for the purpose OF
trying out few of his theories OIL
farming. Some of these are rather
costly. but that they have value Is
shown by the fact that he has made of
his farm one o fthe beauty spots of
Virginia.
Col. McElroy has filled nearly every