On our Degruy Family Collaboration web site, there is a photograph of a gentleman in a uniform at one of the annual Fort de Chartres reenactments which are usually held every summer [ a mini Williamsburg!]. Beside and under it I've made a note saying: Description: To appreciate this reenactment costume properly, check out the article by Robert de Berardinis, OMPL in "Mississippi Valley Mélange, Volume IV [Winston de Ville], entitled: "The Order of St. Louis." On pages 15-16 there are several photographs of crosses and colliers, including: the Cross of the Order of St. Louis, Grade of Chevalier; Collier of the Order of St. Lazaire; Collier of the Order of St. Michel and Collier of the Order of St. Esprit. And another note saying: David Perrin tells me that our Antoine should have received the Order of St. Louis since he was a Captain in 1759. Perhaps this never happened because Antoine died sometime between July and September of that year. David thinks this could be done posthumously and that we would have to go through the French Embassy. Anyone want to volunteer to follow up on this????? In a recent email correspondence with historian Carl Ekberg [the author of, among others, a book on "Colonial Ste. Genevieve", Dr. Ekberg told me that: Legislation is now going through Congress to designate a "French Colonial Heritage National Historic Site", centered on Ste. Genevieve, as part of the National Park System. This is being pushed by, among others, a group of French aristocrats led by the Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne. She, the French ambassador, and Senator Talent are hosting a reception in Washington on April 20. Anyone on our list have connections with or know about any of this? We could convince these "French aristocrats" that attention should be paid to our Antoine for the contribution he made.... that a highway sign should be erected [idea of Carl Ekberg's, see below] and that he should receive the Order of St. Louis posthumously..... This is based on another comment made by Ekberg in another email: I've often thought that the State of Missouri should have a historic marker somewhere along de Gruy's route of exploration, for his description of that part of the State of Missouri is the earliest--by far--that exists. Somewhere where his route crosses what is now a Missouri highway the Department of Highways should erect a sign, for, when one thinks a bit about it, de Gruy was to Missouri what Lewis and Clark were to Louisiana. Keep in mind that Antoine's journal, which was sent to France and which contained geographical descriptions of the area he was exploring in his search for mineral riches for France became the basis of a map created by a French cartographer [possibly the same one that appears in Ekberg's article on our ancestor]. So Antoine made a contribution to the geographical understanding of the New World. It's just that no one has appreciated and acknowledged his contributions.... Let's all think about the significance of these facts and consider what could be done to, for the sake of history, bring attention to his efforts. Renée