Search the Encyclopedia Mavericana:   ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Corbett, Steve

Mercenary and saloon owner of La Cantina Americana in Tampico, Mexico, in 1877.[1] (June 11, 1841 – July 16, 1877)[2]

Fair and congenial to his friends, but ruthless in chasing money. In April of 1862, Corbett acted against his own American nationalism as a well-paid blockade runner for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He was shot with three Yankee bullets[1] during the Union Army's capture of New Orleans,[2] but his sacrifice was condemned for his getting paid.[1]

Late one night in March of 1876, Corbett broke into the House of Gireaux's workshop in New Orleans and stole a great amount of silver while master silversmith Victor Gireaux worked alone. Gireaux tried to stop him, but Corbett killed him to affect his escape.[1]

Corbett fled into Mexico to evade American authorities and arrived in Tampico[1] in April.[2] He established La Cantina Americana[1] with the silver he had stolen[2] and turned it into a thriving casino to cater to American tastes. Through local connections, he was able to avoid extradiction.[1] In June,[2] he hired Amy Lawrence as a singer at La Cantina Americana and began to fall in love with her.[1]

Having learned in June of 1877 that all attempts at extradiction had failed, Roul Gireaux hired Bret Maverick to find Corbett in Tamoico and persuade him to return to the States where he could be brought to justice. Bret quickly gained Corbett's confidence by reforming the crooked games being run in the casino and turning a much higher profit.[1]

By July,[2] Bret had come to trust Corbett as well and, when hearing Corbett's side of the story, he paid Gireaux off to end his obligation in returning Corbett to the States. One morning[1] that month,[2] Amy sailed from Tampico for Corpus Christi, leaving a note for Corbett not to follow her. Deeply in love, Corbett could not abide by her request. He sailed on the next boat for Texas, traveling under the alias of James Stevens and leaving Bret in charge of the casino. Careful to disembark on the Mexican side of the border to evade American authorities, Corbett traveled undetected overland from there to Corpus Christi. A few days later, Paul Brooks told Bret he had seen Amy greeted in Corpus Christi by Rene Gireaux. Realizing that Amy had succeeded in luring Corbett into the hands of the House of Gireaux, Bret closed the casino to follow Corbett to Corpus Christi. Catching up with him at the Gireaux residence there, he learned that Corbett was truly guilty of the accusations against him and was forced to kill him in self-defense to stop him from getting away again.[1]

See: Escape to Tampico