A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
=Saint-Pierre, Henri C.=, Advocate, Montreal, was born in the parish of
Rigaud, county of Vaudreuil, province of Quebec, on the 13th of
September, 1844, but was brought up at Isle-Bizard, in Jacques-Cartier
county. He is the last child but one of a family of nine, composed of
seven girls and two boys. His father, Joseph Saint-Pierre, a farmer of
Isle-Bizard, died, when his son Henri was only two years old. His
mother, Domithilde Denis, is still living. His first ancestor on his
father’s side in Canada was Pierre Breillé-Saint-Pierre, who was usually
called Pierre Saint-Pierre. He had emigrated from Normandy, and on his
arrival in Canada settled at Isle-Bizard. In 1741 he was married to
Françoise Thibault, by whom he had a large family. He was killed at the
battle of Carillon in 1758. His eldest son, bearing the same name, was
married to Marie Josephte Tayon, and from that marriage was born, on the
23rd of August, 1772, Guillaume, the father of Joseph, and the
grandfather of the gentleman who is the subject of this sketch.
Domithilde Denis, the mother of Mr. Saint-Pierre, belonged to a family
of farmers from La Pointe Claire, which traces its origin in Canada as
far back as the days of the first French settlements, the first colonist
of that name, Jacques Denis, having settled at Lachine in 1689. After
the death of his father, Mr. Saint-Pierre was adopted by a near
relative, C. Raymond, a merchant at Isle-Bizard, who took charge of his
education. At twelve years of age he entered the Montreal College, where
he went through a brilliant classical course of study. He was the
college mate of the unfortunate patriot, Louis Riel. From his childhood
Mr. Saint-Pierre had always exhibited a strong liking for military life;
but as he grew older, this liking ripened into an uncontrollable
passion; so much so, that on leaving college one of the first things he
did was to solicit from his mother and his adopted father the permission
to enlist in the United States army. At this time the war between the
North and South was raging at its highest pitch. It is almost needless
to say that his request was unhesitatingly and peremptorily refused.
With no small degree of disappointment and reluctance, he at last chose
the study of the law, and was sent to Kingston in Ontario, in order that
he might improve his knowledge of the English language. At Kingston he
was articled to James Agnew, one of the leading lawyers of that city. He
soon got tired of the law, however, and on the very day when he was to
undergo his preliminary examination at Osgoode Hall, in Toronto,
yielding to his passion for military life, he crossed over to Niagara
Falls, and thence took the first train to New York. On his arrival there
he enlisted in the 76th New York volunteers, which was then forming part
of the first corps in the Potomac army. To his honour be it said, it was
only after considerable hesitation that General Johnson, the chief
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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