St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-23
When Gov. German Invented
the Name Of Moeeasin
5a al Democracy.
Some Comments Upon Capt.
Starkey's Loyal Legion
Story.
To the Editor of the Globe.


dations in Minnesota" by Capt James
Starkey," read before the society Feb.
10, 1891. OF course my attention was
particularly engaged by the title. as l
am somewhat reminiscent on the subject
myself and | thought | remembered
Capt. Starkey'S connection with Indian
matters very we'll. so read it, and was
pleased to find in it very correct his
tory of what he calls the Sunrise EX-
pedition," an event in our early history
which occurred in 1857, but which was
known generally by the people of that
era as the "CornStalk War;"
The governor of the territory was
Sam Medary, of Ohio. He knew very
little about Indians, and on the occasion
mentioned ordered out Capt. Starkey's
cavalry company. as he relates, to pro-
ceed to place called Sunrise and pro-
tect the settlers from the alleged depre-
dations of the Chippewa Indians. The
captain and his company promptly re-
sponded to the order of the governor
and went to the frontier, where they
met the Indians and engaged them, los
ing young member Of the company
named Donnelly, who resided in what
is now known as West st. Paul, whom |
knew very we'll and esteemed very
highly. He was killed. and his remains
brought home together with some dead
and wounded Indians, whom the COM
pany succeeded in killing and captur-
ing.
Capt. Starkey and his company did
their whole duty, and did it well, but
the trouble was that there was no rea-
son for their being sent out against In
dians at all: at least large part of the
community so thought, and they re-
gretted and resented the affair. A good
deal was said about it in the public
press and otherwise, many siding with
the movement, and many being against
it. | don't think any one criticised the
troops, who simply obeyed the orders of
the governor; but. of course, in con-
demning the expedition. those who took
part in it had to come in indirectly for
their share of the censure. The captain,
in his address, reflects upon those op-
posed to his raid in the following Ian
guage, found on pages 276277:
LiOnized the Brutes.
"However incredible it may appear
yet it is true that, after the Indians
were delivered to the agent. there were
parties in this city who actually lion
lied the brutes. Even while the corpse
of the murdered Donnelly was lying in
his fathers house awaiting the laSHSad
rites, men were here who purchased blan
kets, guns, trinketS, ETC., for these MUIR
;derers. In fact. they were allowed to
parade our streets in their gaudy attire,
and one Joseph Roiette. conspicuous
among the rest, had the audacity to
TAX ethem to theater. then exhibiting
in the city under canvas, and Miss
n
Order,' having been rendered benefit,
these redskins. under the guide of MI.
Rolette, were marched up to the foot
lights during the evening of the per-
formance and one of them deputed to
perform the ceremony of presenting
Miss st. Clair with diamond ring"
The captain then tells how the SOL
dierS of his company, having heard OF
their proposed insult to them. had pre-
pared themselves to shoot all the Indi-
ans in the theater, and how by his
timely intervention he succeeded in
Quieting them down, so no blood was
shed. He further adds the following
comments on the character of the popu-
lation of st. Paul at the time:
''Such was the mixed character of the
population at the time that large pro-
portion of the citizens were either by
ties OF consanguinity or trading interest
allied to the Indians and their interests.
and these were known and designated
as the 'Moccasin Democracy or IN
dian Dynasty Gov. German invented
the name of 'Moccasin Democracy,
which was not far from the truth. |
was a member of it in good
standing" 1t is simply delightful
to have an event of this
OH ,r,ti I oh
called. as this article has brought back
to my mind all the particulars connect.
ed with it. As | said before, the people
were divided as TO the necessity of call
ing out the troops, but no one had a
word to say against the men themselves.
No man was warmer friend of Capt
Starkey than | was at the time, and | am
happy to say that our friendship con-
tinued to the time OF his death, and no
one regretted the death of young Don
nelly more than l did. but some of US
felt that we ought to rebuke
The EIl-Advised Affair.
and we determined to do so. Whether
the method decided upon was wise
one or not have my doubts, but it was
thirtv-Seven years ago, and we were
much Younger then than we are now,
Capt. Starkey wrote his account of it
thirty-four years after the occurrence,
and he does not narTate it exactly as il
happened. 1t was IN this way: was
at the time United States Indian agent
for the Sioux. Joseph Rolette was an
Indian trader living at Pembina. on the
British border; we were devoted
friends. and were both members of the
constitutional convention which, as the
captain says, was in session in st. Paul
and we were both opposed to the raid.
There were two. and think three, the
aters running in st. Paul at the time
Salfv st. Clair had one called "Sally St
Ciair's Varieties" which was located in
the7upper story of the old market house
which was on the same site as the pres
ent market. Another was conduct
ed by Van Lew, and, although
| / do not think that it was
"under canvas" as the captain says,
remember very distinctly that the roo
was so leaky that it was common thing
fer9 the audience to put up their EN-
| brellaS when 1t rained. There was
x1t A Celebrated Actor
| here by the name of Couldock, who haC
| an engagement at one of the theaters
bue not Sally st. Clair's. He had {
| pupil in the person of very sprightly
| and lovely young woman, whose name
/ cannot for the life of me remember. bu
/ do remember that Joe Rolette and my
! self were very fond or her, and had in
terested her in Indian matters. which
| we illustrated by 1mprovised camps il
| the parlors of the Fuller house, where
we would sit on the floor Indian fashion
| and partake of little suppers after the
play.
At this time there was the most hide
| GUS Cree Indian in town that the eyes o.
a white man ever looked upon. He was
friend Of Rolette. We introduced
him to the young lady actress and tolt
her that if she would enter into the plo
which we contemplated enacting iE dis
appreciation OF the raid we would give
her a diamond ring. She, of course
readily consented. Then Joe and my
self arranged that when the company o
Capt. Starkey appeared at the theater