Ron Pearse

The misadventures of Captain Stobo describe the mishaps and exploits of a British soldier, drawn from his memoirs, who fought in the Battle of Quebec in 1775. Stobo’s language is somewhat deferential and even obsequious, which suited his purpose and his times. Moreover, he considered the Colonial Militia of Virginia and other militia of the other colonies as somewhat below par to the regular British Army, as indeed was the case for many colonial officers including George Washington, and Stobo’s ambitions reflect this view. Yet he was a remarkable soldier and in resisting his captors’ ‘persuasive’ methods proved himself both loyal to his home state and his Mother Country, England. In the words of Mark Antony: “This was a man!"