New Detail for my "John M. 'Rattlesnake Jack' Robson" persona ...

[RattlesnakeJack]

I have recently received some documents from the National Archives of Canada which help flesh
out the detail available to me regarding the original John M. 'Rattlesnake Jack' Robson.    The
information previously available to me was to the effect that, although Robson had scouted for
the North West Mounted Police, it was not believed that he was actually enrolled as a member
of the Force, even though a photograph survives of him in a NWMP uniform. 

However, in addition to documents relating to his service as a Scout for the Rocky Mouintain
Rangers in the 1885 North West Rebellion, I received the entire surviving contents of the
NWMP service record of a John Maseby(?) Robson - consisting only of the Medical Examination
report at the time of his enlistment, a handwritten report of a "Proceeding of a Board of Officers
assembled at Fort Walsh on the 18th day of June 1880, for the purpose of verifying and
recording the Service of Constable J. M. Robson",  and a copy of his Discharge effective
June 18, 1880. 

The Discharge was signed at Fort Walsh (located in the Cypress Hills, about 75 miles from
Medicine Hat, and now a National Historic Site) by the Commissioner of the NWMP, Col.
James T. Macleod -



This reduced copy is a bit hard to read, but the body text reads as follows (portions filled in by hand
being italicized) -

This is to certify that John M. Robson
served as Constable               
in the above Force from 17th June 1878 to 18th June 1880
and is now discharged in consequence of at his own request
(under an Order in Council of 5th April 1880
Dated at Fort Walsh, 2nd Sept. 18780
James T. Macleod
Commissioner N.W.M.P.
--------------------------------------------
Conduct during service  Very good
James T. Macleod
Commissioner N.W.M.P.

The above-mentioned Proceeding report is even more difficult to decipher (being a rather fuzzy
microfim copy, and entirely in 19th Century handwriting) but here is the entire text as near as I
have been able to decipher it, transposed in the same layout as the one-page record.
The marginal note at bottom left signifies the approval of Commissioner Macleod.
(By the way, Insp. Francis J. Dickens was one of the sons of the famous author, Charles Dickens!)

[River City John]

What, no description of the one pair of riding pants? 

Cool, RJR. Now you can work on that NWMP uniform.