The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-02-07
TALES OF
BOY WAS SAVED.


than fiction is proved by the roman
tic life history of Charles Merrick
Stewart, supposed by all his relatives
to have been killed by the Indians
during the massacre Of 1862, and
who grew up, lived and died in total
ignorance of them, says the st. Paul
fMinn.) Despatch. The strange tale
ias to do with different people, and
localities in Minnesota, but was
Brought from the Far North by Ed.
Andrews, now a resident of Oregon,
but who is visiting his former home
in this city. Mr.. Andrews, until re-
Gently, was at the head of an opera
company, but has retired and taken
up "the simple life" on fruit ranch.
1t was while on the last tour that his
company made that Mrs. James Stew
art told him the story at her home
at Prince Albert, in the Northwest
Territory.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stewart lived in Win
nipeg in 1862. The former was then
and has for fifty years been trader
in the employ of the Hudson Bay Fur
Company. They are a highly re-
spectacle Scotch family. 1t was one
evening shortly after the terrible In
dian outbreak and massacre in Min
nesota in the year named that some
Sioux Indians from this side of the
international border came to Winni-
peg, then mere cluster of stores and
houses. They visited the Stewart
home, seeking supplies. A squaw
was carrying a white child OF per-
haps two years, which when placed
upon the floor ran to Mrs. Stewart,
piteously calling mamma" which
was the only English word that it
knew. Mrs. Stewart fed the lad and
asked as to it's family and home, but
the squaw only shook her head and
replied that she did not know. When
the Indians left the child clung SO
closely to Mrs. Stewart that it was
necessary for the Indians to pull it
away, sobbing violently.
The incident affected Mrs. Stewart
greatly, and she regretted that they
had allowed the child to go. When
the squaw again called at the home
the next morning the child ran to
Mrs. Stewart as before and clung to
her. Mrs. Stewart was able to learn
no more of it's history than she had
the evening before. but arranged to
buy it from the squaw for quantity
of supplies. She reared the lad with
her own children, and it gained a
deep hold upon her affections.
Eight years later the squaw visited
Winnipeg again and called upon Mrs.
Stewart, begging for food. This time
she was prevailed upon, in return for
a liberal supply of bacon and -four,
to tell what she knew of the child S
history. She said that at Lac qui
Parle, Mimi, the entire family of
Charles Merrick had been massacred
by her band, except the two-year-old
boy, which had toddled to- her for
protection. Her mother heart had
warmed toward the little one and
she had taken it and carried it upon
her back, walking on foot, all the
way to Winnipeg. Of the child's 9TH
er relatives she knew nothing.
postmaster at Lac qui Parle, who
verified the Indians statement, eX-
cept that he said it had been the gen.
eral supposition that the entire fam
lily had been killed.
The SteWarts were never able to
learn of any relatives that the boy
had, and the latter grew to manhood
in their family and was educated the
same as their own sons, graduating
with honors from the University of
Manitoba. 1t had been intended that
he should adopt a profession, but his
health failed and he went to San
Francisco in hopes of securing ben
eft from a change of climate. He
took up stenography and became an
official court reporter, but the white
plague" took him Off A few hours
before the end came he wrote a letter
to Mrs. Stewart, telling her how he
appreciated the many kindnesses
shown him by the family.
1t was with frequent tears and
sighs of emotion that Mrs. Stewart
told the story to Mr.. Andrews, after
having learned that he was from
F; Minnesota and knew some OF. the
Merricks. She asked him to seek out
some of the family and tell them of
the escape OF the child and how he
had grown to manhood.
The Merrick family that was mas
sacred at Lac qui Parle lived at Tra-
verse des Sioux, near st. Peter, in
the sos, and Charles Merrick, with
his brother, Samuel, was a trad er and
had large brick store He moved
to Lac qui Parle, while the family of
Samuel Merrick moved to Elysian.
Samuel's son, Rush Merrick, later
went to Duluth, but trace of the fam
lily has since been lost. 'r
Mr.. and Mrs. Stewart, by a strang
coincidence, gave the name of Charles
to the boy, it being his fathers
name. When they learned that the
father was Charles Merrick they
added 'Merrick," and called the boy
Charles Merrick Stewart.