Hi, I'm sending out a call to Degruy-L to anyone who might be in the Houston area... and who could go to the Clayton Library and retrieve some of the documents listed below in this email I received from Robert de Berardinis, one of the premier historians who has done research on the Fort de Chartres area. He gives specific citations for documents which can only be obtained by personally going to the Clayton Library. As I have no idea when I could make that trip, I thought that perhaps someone local could do this at their convenience. I'd be happy to reimburse you for expenses incurred. Here's the information.... in case there is someone out there for whom this would be possible. Thanks, Renee Dear Renée, See below for your two questions. The Illinois State Genealogical Society Journal from 1999 on to about 2003 has all my stuff on Illinois. Book with many translated records coming out when I index the 600+ pages. As to reading the journal, might I suggest finding a good translation (from Ill State Historical Soc. Journal) and using it side by side with journal. In the 18th Century, French was spelled phonetically by the writer, even écrivains. As Winston taught me, "You learn by doing." The abbreviations are the worst, but in journals, there shouldn't be any. The Canadian National Archives has an index to Colonies B, there may be one or two in Illinois. Check not only de Gruys (how he called himself), but Illinois, Kaskaskia, Missouris, Ft. Chartres, and the officers he served under as well such as Macarty. Then order the film. Same with C13. Get that film from Loyola Univ of New Orleans (for free). Colonies E has an index of dossiers on Archivianet at Canadian National Archives web site. See if he or wife is in there (should be as I recall). Then order film--archivianet will give you roll number. Clayton will not ILL-you must come to beautiful Houston. Also, Clayton has largest collection of Cuban Papers in U.S., so you can kill two birds with one stone. robert and in another email he give more specific references: You also need to check Colonies C 13 (index is by Menier) and Colonies B. At Clayton we have complete run of Colonies D 2C and D 2D as well as Colonies F5B-the ship passenger lists made by Naval Ministry. How's that for starters? robert