John McElroy (1846–1929) was an American printer, soldier, journalist and author, known mainly for writing the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

''The Red Acorn'' and the four-volume ''Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons'', based upon his lengthy confinement in the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Andersonville prison camp during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Biography

McElroy was born to Robert and Mary Henderson McElroy in

Greenup County, Kentucky Greenup County is a county located along the Ohio River in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,962. The county was founded in 1803 and named in honor of Christopher Greenup. Its c ...

. When his father died, he traveled to St. Louis to become an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

in the printing business. As a sixteen-year-old in 1863, McElroy enlisted with the Union Army as a private in Company L of the

16th Illinois Cavalry regiment The 16th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 16th Illinois Cavalry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois, between January and April 1863 from numer ...

, having earlier served with local Union troops in operations near St. Louis. In January 1864, he was among dozens of men captured in a skirmish near

Jonesville, Virginia Jonesville is a town in and the county seat of Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 872 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Jonesville was a small but thriving center of local commerce in the late ninet ...

, by Confederate cavalrymen commanded by William E. Jones. According to his book, ''Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons'', McElroy was first sent to Richmond, then to Andersonville in February 1864. In October 1864 he was moved to

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

and within about six weeks was sent to the new prison in

Millen, Georgia Millen is a city, and the county seat of Jenkins County, Georgia, Jenkins County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down from 3,492 at the 2000 census. The city i ...

(Camp Lawton); thence to several other camps before the war ended. After the war ended, McElroy was released from captivity and transported back to the North. He settled in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and resumed the printer's trade. He became a local reporter and newspaperman before relocating to

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, to become an editor of the ''

Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issu ...

''. He married Elsie Pomeroy of

Ottawa, Ohio Ottawa is a village (United States)#Ohio, village and the county seat of Putnam County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population is 4,456 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hist ...

, and raised a family. In 1879, he wrote ''Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons'', a non-fiction work based on his experiences during his fifteen-month incarceration. It quickly became a

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

and remained popular for the next twenty years. In 1884, he relocated from Toledo to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

to become editor and co-owner of the newspaper ''National Tribune,'' where Elsie Pomeroy McElroy wrote "The Better Half" column. He was active in the local

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

, serving as commander of the Department of the Potomac during 1896. In 1908, McElroy published ''The Economic Functions of Vice''. The next year, he published ''The Struggle for Missouri'', a history of the controversy concerning

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

that resulted in armed conflict in Missouri. In 1910, he published a Civil War novel entitled ''Si Klegg: His Transformation from a Raw Recruit to a Veteran''.

References

* McElroy, Rev. John McConnell, ''The Scotch-Irish McElroys in America: A. D. 1717-A. D. 1900.'' Albany, New York: Brandow Printing Company, 1901.

External links

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McElroy
{{DEFAULTSORT:McElroy, John 1846 births 1929 deaths 20th-century American novelists American Civil War prisoners of war American male novelists American military writers People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Greenup County, Kentucky Writers from Toledo, Ohio Union army soldiers Novelists from Kentucky 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Ohio 20th-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Grand Army of the Republic officials