 Stanley spent his remaining years defending himself and the expedition from criticism made principally in Britain of excessive force and mismanagement of the expedition's Rear Column commanded by Barttelot.In 1891 on Stanley's recommendation, Stairs was appointed by King Leopold II of Belgium to command a mission to take Katanga also known as Garanganze with or without the consent of its powerful king, Msiri.Leopold had used Stanley's services before and agreed with his use of force and understood Stairs to be in the same mould, and he had a reputation for carrying out orders completely and without hesitation.