hookey] PATRIOTIC OFFERS OF AID 81)3 



New York, claiming: to be of the renowned Iroquois blood, and styling 

 herself the "Doctor Princess Viroqua," who, with her sister "Wynima," 

 wrote tn the Indian Office for a commission to go out to try the effect of 

 moral suasion on the belligerent Sioux, representing that by virtue of 

 her descent from a long' line of aboriginal princes she would be wel- 

 comed with enthusiasm and accomplish her mission of peace. [O.D.,49.) 

 As a matter of fact, neither of the names Viroqua or Wynima could 

 be pronounced by a genuine Iroquois knowing only his own tongue, and 

 the second one, Wynima, is borrowed from Meacham's sensational his- 

 tory of the Modoc war in California. 



The proprietor of a "wild west" show in New York, signing himself 

 Texas Ben, wrote also volunteering his services and submitting as 

 credentials his museum letter-head, stating that he had served with 

 Quantrell, and had the written indorsement of Cole Younger. An old 

 veteran of the Iowa soldiers' home wrote to Secretary Noble, with a 

 redundance of capitals and much bad spelling, offering his help against 

 the hostiles, saying that he had been "RAZeD" among them and could 

 "ToLK The TUN" and was ready to "Do eneThin Foil mY CuntRY." 

 (G. I)., 50.) 



A band of patriots in Minnesota, whose early education appears to 

 have been somewhat neglected, wrote to the Secretary of the Interior 

 offering to organize a company of 50 men to put down the outbreak, 

 provided the government would look after a few items which they 

 enumerated: "The government to Furnish us with Two good Horses 

 Each a good Winchester Rifle, Two good Cotes Revolvers and give us 

 $300.00 Bounty and say a Salary of Fifty Per Month, Each and our 

 own judgment and we will settel this Indian question For Ever, and 

 Rations and Ammunition. We Should Have in addition to this say 

 Five dollars a Head." (G. D., 51.) 



A man named Albert Hopkins appeared at Pine Ridge in December, 

 1890, wearing a blanket and claiming to be the Indian messiah, and 

 announced his intention of going alone into the Bad Lands to the 

 Indians, who were expecting his arrival, with the " Pansy Banner of 

 Peace." His claims were ridiculed by Red Cloud and others, and he 

 was promptly arrested and put off the reservation. However, he was 

 not dead, but only sleeping, and on March, 1893, having come to Wash- 

 ington, he addressed an urgent letter to Secretary Noble requesting 

 official authority to visit the Sioux reservations and to preach to the 

 Indians, stating that " with the help of the Pansy and its motto and 

 manifest teaching. 'Union, Culture, and Peace,' and the star-pansy 

 banner, of which I inclose an illustration, I hope to establish the per- 

 manent peace of the border." He signs himself "Albert C. Hopkins, 

 Pres. Pro. tern. The Pansy Society of America." 



The letter was referred to the Indian Office, which refused permission. 

 This brought a reply from Hopkins, who this time signs himself "The 

 Indian Messiah." in which he states that as the Indians were expecting 

 the messiah in the spring, " in accordance with the prophecy of Sitting 



