The mysterious story of Robert Stafford 

America

With another man named Armstrong, Rob begged a place on a brig which was taking coal from Blyth to Calais. The brig had to wait in Blyth harbour several hours for the tide and, with soldiers in the town, the captain feared his vessel might be searched.

He made the two men go down in the hold where they lay upon the coal. The hatches were fastened securely and they were not released until the vessel had left Blyth Harbour and was safely out to sea. On landing in France they remained there for some time, perhaps saving for their passages, then they sailed to America.

Of the things Rob did in America the only one Old Jim spoke of was the time he spent in the American army. He was in a cavalry regiment (the horse connection again) and was stationed part of the time at Fort Leavenworth in Missouri, serving under a frontier general called Kearney.

Rob's son was born while he was around these forts. This was Old Jim's father. He remembered attending a school at one fort where he was the only white boy. The others were all Native Americans.

In 1846 the regiment became involved in a war against the Mexicans. Old Jim actually used the word 'greasers' and, at first, I thought he perhaps meant some Native American tribe who maybe painted themselves with buffalo grease. But, as with the Chartists, I understood better after I had researched the background. In fact 'greasers' was a derogatory name which the Americans gave to Mexicans.

Kearney's regiment marched to the town of Santa Fe in what is now New Mexico. This territory was then part of Mexico. The Mexicans offered no resistance.

Upon reaching Santa Fe, Kearney left a small garrison there (which included Rob) while he pressed on with most of his men to California which was the Americans' main objective. Seeing their enemy now in greatly reduced numbers the Mexicans plucked up courage and rebelled.

An American governor had been appointed to the territory to introduce some form of democracy. While he was up the Rio Grande River without an escort the Mexicans killed him. The rebellion was ruthlessly suppressed.

The Americans despised Mexicans and were not over particular whether they were hanging the guilty men. The war ended in 1848 with the Americans taking California, Arizona and New Mexico.

Rob's later history >