Roy "Royal" Lee

Roy "Royal" Lee Starling was born nearly 146 years ago in the Sunshine State of Florida on October 8th, 1873 to his Father a native of Alabama, William Henry Starling and Mother Josephine Adams who was reared in the Peach State of Georgia...

** Interesting events that occurred around the World during Roy's birth year of 1873 included.

• On March 4th, 1873 Ulysses S. Grant is sworn in for a second term as President of the United States...

• On July 21st, 1873 at Adair, Iowa Jesse James and the James–Younger Gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West...

• On August 4th, 1873 while protecting a railroad survey party in Montana, the Seventh Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer clashes for the first time with the Sioux, near the Tongue River.

• On November 22nd, 1873 the SS Ville du Havre, on passage from New York to France collides with the Scottish 3-masted iron clipper "Loch Earn" and sinks in 12 minutes... 226 people perish

• On December 16th, 1873 the Heineken Brewery is founded in Amsterdam, the Netherlands..

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

*** Special Note: ***

** Royal's Grandfather Levi Starling a pioneer settler of Hillsborough County Florida at the age of 47 enlisted as a private with Captain Francis M. Durrance's Company during the Third Seminole War on December 29th 1855... On the afternoon of May 16th, 1856 three wagons containing grain and earmarked for Captain Durrance at Fort Fraser departed Fort Brooke which is now downtown Tampa...

"The Florida Peninsular" in its issue of Saturday May 24th, 1856 reported that the expedition which became known as the " Simmons Hammock Massacre " and included Roy's Grandfather Levi and his Uncle James Starling were killed by Seminole Indians when they stopped for water at Pemberton Creek, near Simmons Hammock...

•• Here is an excerpt from the 1856 Florida Peninsula article... ( It is Graphic )

" On Saturday, the 17th inst., while a train of three wagons in the service of the state, accompanied by two men of Captain Durrance's Company, was halted at a creek about 12 miles from this place (Tampa) and 3 miles from the Campground, for the purpose of watering, a little boy, the son of Mr. Starling, one of the teamsters, inquired of his father, 'What strange man is that?' pointing to a tree but a short distance from them.

"Before the father could reply, his son lay mortally wounded at his feet-a deathful volley having been fired from behind the adjacent pines. All was confusion for a moment; as soon, however as the unfortunate men could realize their situation, they commenced a gallant defense. A Negro man, who had charge of one of the wagons, fired on the Indians. Mr. Hinson took his gun from him (the Negro), mounted the best horse on the ground, and, with the word 'charge,' started at full speed for Campground. Mr. Roach kept up a vigorous snapping, his gun failing to fire, until shot down by the enemy. Mr. Starling, whose distress at seeing his son wounded disqualified him for efficient service, received two fatal wounds. Mr. Hinson, after loading and firing several times, received a ball in the thigh, and immediately fled toward the Campground, which place he reached in safety.
"During the entire conflict, Mr. Hatfield kept up a steady fire on the Indians. He, having taking a position between two mules, was untouched. When Mr. Hinson retreated, Mr. Hatfield maintained his ground.
"Three or four Indians made a charge for the purpose of dislodging him, but seeing his gun presented, they abandoned their intention and returned to their hiding place. Mr. Hatfield then looked around him; Roach was dead on the ground; Starling was sustaining himself by the wagon, while his son was expiring inside. The old man said that he must die, and that he (Hatfield) had better make his escape.
“It was but the work of a second to cut a mule from the harness and mount; at this instant a volley was fired upon him, but he escaped without serious injury-only one ball having scorched him. When a few yards distant, he ventured to look back; saw several Indians advance to the train; one presented his gun at the dying boy and blew his brains out.
"Hatfield soon reached the Campground and found that Hinson and the Negro had preceded him. A company of seven or eight men were just starting for the late scene of action. Hatfield wheeled and in a few minutes they were at the spot, but too late to encounter the Indians-they having dispatched their business and escaped to the hammock a few minutes previous. The three bodies were on the ground dead. The savages did not scalp them, nor did they do much damage to the wagons. A large pine tree, behind which several Indians were concealed during the engagement, proved that it answered its purpose-it being perforated by balls and shot fired from the train. Considerable blood was found behind this tree, and it is supposed Hatfield wounded one of them. The trail was followed into the hammock where it was lost. The hammock was secured, but in vain.
"The Indians were supposed to be 10 or 15 in number, and the same party that attacked Captain Bradley's house on the night of the 14th inst. Detachments from several companies are on the lookout for them, and the day of retribution may not be far distant.
"Messrs. Hatfield and Hinton deserve great credit for their bravery. They fought gallantly as long as fighting would avail them; and had but one or two such men been there, the tide of battle might have changed. It will be consolation to the bereaved relatives of the deceased to know that they died like men with their faces to the foe.
“Where is the boasted protection of the frontier? This question may well be asked after the depredations of last week."

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

** Roy Lee's Father, William Henry Starling was a Veteran of the Civil War... In 1863 the Confederate Army was suffering severe food shortages and Captain John T. Lesley was commissioned to recruit from Ichepucksassa ( Modern day Plant City) a company of pioneer men including 17 year old William Henry Starling ( Whose Father as noted above was killed 7 years earlier by Seminole Indians ) to round up and drive the wild cattle of Florida North to the railroad stations... Many were too young or too old for regular military service. With great effort, along with 8 other companies in Florida, these men successfully completed their mission overseeing drives as far north as Charleston, South Carolina.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Roy Lee was the second of 7 verifiable children born to his Mother and Father. He had 4 Sisters and two Brothers. ( One of the articles below mentions that the Starling's had nine children but I could not confirm more than seven )

Starling Patriarch William Henry supports his family in the field of farming...He would run for political office in 1914 when he aspires to become "Supervisor of Registration".

Interestingly Mr. Roy Lee Starling left few records or clues for us to follow but I was able to determined a few things...

According to a newspaper blurb from 1905, he opened a small tin shop and was "doing a good business"

He served with the United States Army during the Spanish-American War and belonged to the General Joe Wheeler Camp for Spanish-American War Veterans... In a Tampa Daily times article from January 14th, 1913 that we will share below, R L was appointed a Color Sergeant at the Tampa Bay Hotel during a banquet and celebration...

Roy Lee never married nor did he have children.
He would pass away at his parents home from the effects of tuberculosis on Friday, August 14th 1914 at the age of 40...

Roy Lee Starling... Beloved Son, Brother, and Patriotic Veteran of the Spanish-American War...