Family Member Gets a Mulligan from Abraham Lincoln

I spent the weekend learning about my family history in Minnesota.  I dug up something about my great-great-great grandfather, a man who needed a mulligan in order to get a second chance after he was court martialed and found guilty of padding his enlistment in order to provide adequate provisions for his troops.

My time at Ft. Snelling on Saturday inspired me to probe deep and gain a better understanding of what life was like during the civil war era.  Those of us in the Midwest may be groveling about the cold weather this week.  How about temps in the -60 degree range?  That's what it was like in the Winter of 1863-1864.    The natives were starving to death.  Tensions were high.  Our government wasn't honoring the treaties in place.  Captain James Starkey, my great-great-great grandfather, and a couple of his sons, signed up to protect settlers in the area from the uprising related to the Dakota War.  Starkey led Company E that was formed as an independent battalion of cavalry under Maj. E.A.C. Hatch.  My understanding is that my ancestor was found guilty of signing up underage kids to patrol the area of Minnesota.  He was trying to make sure his people had enough supplies and he failed to follow the rules.

Starkey's sentence was harsh.  He was prohibited from ever serving in the military again or doing public service.  As an army captain who desired to serve his community, he found himself out in the cold.  President Lincoln intervened and amended his sentence to allow elected office.  The rest of the story is history.  Starkey was elected to the state House and served one session as speaker.  He used the mulligan President Lincoln gave him for good and set up what is now the modern day sewer system in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I'm thankful for all our ancestors who came before us and for their willingness to deal with difficult situations.  I'm also thankful Captain James Starkey got a second chance to serve his country.  And I'm really thankful it won't be -60 degrees this week and that my toilet actually flushes.  Have a great day.