USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol. I > Part 12
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CHAPTER VI
Robert Rogers and His Rangers
After the destruction of Fort William Henry and the return of Montcalm to Canada, about a year passed before another important campaign was begun. English prestige, if possible, had declined to a new low. The French nominally were left in complete control of both Lake George and Lake Champlain. Indians and scouting parties wended their way up and down these waterways, spying on the enemy, falling into each other's ambushes, and writing the story of these years with human blood. The most famous of all these bands of scouts consisted of the rangers commanded by Robert Rogers, ably assisted by Stark and Putnam.
The work of the ranger was both exceedingly difficult and extremely important. Small bands were sent down the lakes, or slinking around the backs of mountains to find out where the enemy was, what he was doing and, if possible, what he was going to do. Whenever an army set out there were always rangers in front, in back, and generally on both sides to find the way and to prevent a surprise attack by the enemy. Sometimes under cover of darkness they would pass the French forts in canoes, lie in ambush in enemy territory, and capture supply boats. Frequently they would prowl around the forts in the night capturing prisoners, collecting infor- mation, shooting stragglers, burning dwellings and slaughtering cat- tle. They were a constant thorn in the flesh of the enemy.
Their expeditions were not confined to any particular season. They often made long and fatiguing marches through the snow, which was sometimes four feet deep. Advancing on snowshoes, they were frequently forced to spend the night in the forest in sub-zero weather without fire or warm food. Sometimes they were compelled to travel without any food when the firing of a gun would mean capture. They
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often advanced five hundred miles into enemy territory to destroy French settlements and Indian villages. Probably no white man was ever so universally respected and feared by the red men of this sec- tion as was Robert Rogers.
The rangers were of such importance in the French and Indian War, and their methods of fighting differed so radically from those of the other participants, that it is interesting to examine closely the rules under which they operated. When a small group of rangers was sent out to spy on the enemy, the men customarily marched in single file, keeping far enough apart to prevent one shot killing two of them. If possible, one ranger was sent in advance of the others, and one was placed on each flank. If the party came to soft ground, the men abandoned their single file and marched in line. They seldom stopped to camp before dark, and carefully selected their ground when doing so, two men being sent ahead to select the best location. When the rangers were on their way back to their own base, they always returned by a different route to avoid interception.
If a relatively large force of three or four hundred rangers was on its way to attack the enemy, the party was divided into three col- umns, marching in three parallel files twenty yards apart with flanking parties on each side and men in front and in the rear. It was the practice of the rangers to fall to the ground to receive the enemy's fire, and then to rise and discharge their guns in their turn. If pressed by the enemy, in order to keep up a continual fire and prevent the enemy breaking through their lines, the rangers in front would fire and fall down, then letting the men in the rear advance through them and do likewise, giving those who were in front time to reload. While pursuing the enemy they kept out flanking parties to prevent their gaining eminences on which they could make a stand.
The rules applying to the conduct of the rangers when on the defensive were fully as clever as the regulations pertaining to the offensive. When compelled to retreat, those in front would fire and then fall back until those in the rear could do the same in order to keep up a continual fire. If they were in danger of being surrounded by a superior force of the enemy, the whole body of rangers would disperse, each scout going by a different route to the place of rendez- vous appointed for that evening. Such a meeting place was decided upon every morning before the rangers began their day's march. If actually surrounded, they formed themselves into a compact body, and then attempted to fight it out until darkness arrived.
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Naturally the rangers, when selecting a place for a stand against the enemy, chose the most elevated ground obtainable. It was their habit not to fire upon the opposing force until very close and then immediately to rush upon them with hatchets and cutlasses. When camped for the night they arranged their sentinels in such a way as not to be relieved from the main force until morning. Each guard consisted of two men. In case of alarm, one remained on duty while the other retreated silently to inform the commander.
All rangers were awake at dawn because that was the favorite time for Indians to attack. On the other hand, if the scouts dis- covered an enemy in the morning, formidable enough to be consid- ered dangerous, the rangers would not attack until dark, when the opposing force could not determine the number of rangers present, and when retreat would be easy if defeated. Whenever the rangers halted while on the march, sentinels were always posted and men were sent to way-lay the path by which they had come to intercept any pursuers. They avoided the usual fords in crossing rivers, and while on lakes they kept themselves at a safe distance from shore to avoid being ambushed or cut off. If pursued, they would take a circuit to come back on their own tracks to ambush the opposing force. When following the enemy, they did not advance along exactly the same path because they might be discovered by the others' rear guard. The main idea was to pass by and form an ambush in some narrow pass and surprise them.
When journeying by water the rangers invariably advanced under cover of darkness, remaining hidden in daylight. Each boat had to wait for the craft next in line in order to avoid separation. A con- stant watch was kept for enemy fires. In case of emergency, the commanding officer could depart from any of these rules if, in his judgment, such action was advisable. Otherwise the regulations were lived up to completely. No matter how remote danger seemed, an unguarded moment was apt to invite death or torture. Their com- plete regulations for wilderness warfare explain to some extent why the rangers were so much more effective than regular soldiers in fight- ing the French and Indians.
The life of a ranger was one that tended to make him similar in character to the red man whom he was stalking. Feeling his way
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through the foliage, half expecting at any moment to dodge a toma- hawk, his senses had to be sharp and keen, and his respect for life small. Inured to all kinds of privations, ready at any time to start rigorous hikes in all types of weather, preferring to scalp rather than to be scalped, he was truly as much Indian as white. He has some- times been bitterly criticized and condemned for the scalps he occa- sionally took home with him. Such censure has never been heard from anyone who survived the fiendish outrages of torture at the hands of the red man, however. It certainly did not represent a very good example of the Golden Rule; but in justice to the ranger it is well to remember that the quality of mercy was apt to be forgotten when close friends and relatives were having sharp-pointed sticks pushed under their finger nails, their eyes gouged out, their flesh stripped from their own bodies while yet alive, and their fingers chewed to ribbons.
The success of the rangers was due in large measure to the per- sonal genius and the great leadership of Robert Rogers. His men and officers, principally from New Hampshire and accustomed to the arduous and dangerous life of frontier communities, would generally have been able to hold their own in wilderness fighting without him, but it was his great personal prowess, his administrative resourceful- ness, and his ability to discipline these hard-boiled frontiersmen with- out offending them that made their success so outstanding. John Stark and Israel Putnam are only two of a surprisingly large number of rangers who ascended to places of importance in the events to come, particularly the Revolution.
The services of Rogers himself were largely confined to the French and Indian War. His career after 1763 remains rather puz- zling. Like other commanders, he had borrowed money when some was needed during the war and none was forthcoming from govern- mental organizations. In return, he gave his personal notes. Also like other commanders, when peace was declared and his deeds became remote, his claims for remuneration were denied or forgotten. He attempted to further his fortunes by restless dabbling in various enter- prises. The most famous of these was the attempt to find a north- west passage across the continent by way of the Great Lakes. He ultimately was made the English commander at Michilimackinac, but his ambitions ran contrary to the interests of Sir William Johnson.
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This was fatal to him as it had been to so many others. His moves were quickly checkmated and Johnson's scheming and propaganda were so successful that Rogers was arrested, placed in irons and brutally treated.
He was finally exonerated, but the adversity he had encountered since the French and Indian War at the hands of his associates had apparently worn away the old Rogers as does the ceaseless battering of the sea against the coastline. Surrounded with debts, hounded by enemies, and concerned more and more with personal pleasure, when the Revolution broke out he was distrusted by some of the leaders on both sides. He finally did raise a company of rangers to fight against the patriots, but his heart was never in it and he never inflicted much damage on his old comrades. Regardless of these later chapters in his life, however, it should not be forgotten that in the war to decide whether North America was to be fundamentally French or English it is difficult to over-estimate the importance of Robert Rogers.
His expeditions down Lake George began in 1755. They were too numerous to describe in detail and most of them were quite simi- lar. In 1756 alone there were at least thirteen daring raids into the territory around Ticonderoga. The story of these white savages living on the very fringe of life is one of unbroken and monotonous hardship and suffering. For example, although a party of sixteen rangers skated down Lake George in the middle of January, 1756, and formed an ambush between Crown Point and Ticonderoga, another group of fifty rangers set out in the latter part of the same month on snowshoes to discover the strength of the enemy at Fort St. Frederic. They climbed a mountain west of the fort, where they could obtain a good view of the enemy and study the works. In the evening they formed an ambush and captured a prisoner, but later were discovered. After setting fire to houses and barns, destroying large quantities of grain, and killing about fifty cattle, horses and hogs, they returned home in safety. Spring, summer and fall wit- nessed similar activity on the part of Rogers and his men. The month of June saw them embark in fine whaleboats in which they pro- ceeded some distance down Lake George. Landing on the eastern shore, the rangers carried these boats six miles over the mountain to South Bay on Lake Champlain. Continuing northward, they passed beyond Crown Point and destroyed enemy ships and supplies, eventu- ally bringing back valuable information concerning the French.
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In the meantime, the French were not enduring these attacks without retaliation. Sixty of the enemy under the leadership of De la Columbiere succeeded in capturing and plundering an English force near Lake George. In January, 1757, there was a bloody battle fought between Crown Point and Ticonderoga, from two o'clock in the afternoon until dark. On this occasion, Rogers and his men absorbed considerable punishment and retreated in the night. Sev- eral rangers had been lost and many were severely wounded. It was necessary to halt the next morning to relieve their suffering. John Stark and two others were then sent to Fort William Henry to pro- cure sleighs for the wounded, these conveyances arriving the next morning. In that time Stark covered a distance of forty miles on snowshoes through the wilderness with the snow four feet deep on the level. The assistance arrived in time and the rangers returned to Fort William Henry without mishap.
In December, 1757, Rogers left Fort Edward with one hundred and fifty men to reconnoitre Fort Carillon, starting out in a snow- storm. So many of the rangers became exhausted while fighting the elements that the force was soon reduced to one hundred and twenty- three. Upon reaching Ticonderoga an effort was made to entice the enemy outside the fort, but without success. After killing the cattle and burning the firewood they returned southward. The main impor- tance of this expedition was that a prisoner was captured who reported that the French garrison at Carillon consisted of only three hundred and fifty regulars, and that there were only one hundred and fifty regulars and fourteen Indians altogether at Crown Point. A sec- ond prisoner soon confirmed this situation. This information was extremely valuable news and there is no question but that the English could have easily won possession of Lake Champlain if they had made the effort. As it was, the habitual English policy of hesitation and inactivity was pursued as effectively as on previous occasions and nothing was done.
In March, 1758, Rogers set out again with one hundred and eighty men. From the very first the outlook was gloomy. Colonel Haviland, who was in command at Fort Edward, for some reason or other, had publicly announced ahead of time that the expedition was to be sent. Since that announcement the French had taken an English prisoner, and it was also known that one Englishman had
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deserted. There was no question but that the enemy would be on the watch for Rogers, and that they would greet him with vastly superior numbers. Thus we find our rangers setting out on an expe- dition that was predestined to end in failure and from which one hundred and seven men never returned. Marching as far as Halfway Brook on the tenth, advancing to the Narrows in Lake George on the eleventh, they arrived at Sabbath Day Point on the twelfth. As
IN THE NARROWS, LAKE GEORGE
soon as darkness arrived the rangers proceeded down the lake, a party of fifteen going ahead on skates. They failed to surprise the French advance guard because the latter had learned that Rogers was coming and had retreated to Carillon.
On the thirteenth the rangers donned their snowshoes and marched along the backs of the mountains on the west side of the lake. Push- ing ahead over snow four feet deep, they surprised an enemy force of ninety-six, chiefly Indians. These they slaughtered in great numbers,
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but while chasing the survivors, the rangers ran into an ambush of six hundred French and Indians. In view of such overwhelming odds the result could not be in doubt. A few rangers surrendered under promises of quarter, but were tied to trees and hacked to death. Needless to state, the remainder fought furiously, but only Rogers and a few others escaped. Each man looking out for himself, those that had not been killed or captured hurriedly retreated. The Indians pursuing the fleeing rangers seized the wounded and fatigued who could not keep up with the others. The remnants spent the bitterly cold night without fire or blankets, freezing being preferable to Indian tortures. The next morning, reliable John Stark came to their relief bringing provisions, blankets and sleighs, and they arrived at Fort Edward the evening of the fifteenth.
This bloody engagement is known in history as the "Battle on Snowshoes" and was fought southwest of Ticonderoga, slightly west of the steep precipice called "Rogers' Rock." The result was a hard blow to the English cause, and was thoroughly enjoyed by the French and Indians whom the rangers had defeated so often in the past. It has been charged that Rogers, who was then only twenty-six years old, was sent on this expedition because Colonel Haviland wanted to get rid of him. The circumstances surrounding the start of the expe- dition lend color to this accusation, but from our knowledge of other leaders in the French and Indian War it is barely possible that an offi- cer could honestly be as stupid as Haviland must have been if he did not intend Rogers' death. In any event, the ranger leader outlived the terrible day and continued his extremely important work.
The imposing landmark, Rogers' Rock, which is so well known to everyone who is acquainted with Lake George, received its name from an interesting and peculiar story concerning the ranger leader's retreat from the scene of the battle. Although he always found time to write down his adventures in detail, Rogers personally never made any men- tion of such an experience. Nevertheless, the story has had such widespread popular acceptance that I shall reproduce the version most commonly told. Making his way as fast as was possible on his snow- shoes he finally came to the top of the high cliff. To go forward was impossible because it descended precipitously into the lake and, if he tried to slide down it, he would strike the ice with terrific force. On the other hand, the pursuing savages certainly were not far behind.
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Something had to be done quickly. He threw his belongings down the cliff, unbuckled his snowshoes, and without moving them, he turned around and fastened them on again so that they were on back- wards. He then retreated along the same path from whence he had come until he reached some dense underbrush. He then branched off to one side, escaped down a ravine to the lake and hastened away toward Fort William Henry. The Indians followed the tracks to the edge of the precipice, and since none led away, they concluded that Rogers had jumped off. Soon they saw him hurrying down the lake in the distance, but they did not chase him because they concluded that since he had slid down the cliff in safety he must be under the special protection of the Great Spirit.
One of Rogers' rangers, named William Moore, had an interest- ing experience with the Indians on another occasion. While on a scouting expedition with ten others, he was captured by the savages. After being forced to travel with the heart of a fellow-ranger forced into his mouth, he was on the point of being sacrificed. His body was filled with splinters to which the Indians were preparing to apply a torch when a squaw, whose son he had killed, came forward and adopted him into her household. He remained with the savages for six years. Finally he persuaded them to take him to a physician in Montreal to obtain treatment for bleeding at the mouth which he caused by running a stick down his throat. By this method he obtained his freedom and returned to his friends.
In the summer of 1758, Israel Putnam had an exciting experience between Fort Ann and Fort Edward. He was in the front ranks of the English force when it was attacked by the enemy. The French and Indians rushed in and forced the English to flee. In the midst of this turmoil, Putnam's musket missed fire just as he had it pressed against an Indian. His red adversary immediately lifted his hatchet over the head of our unlucky hero and forced him to surrender. Putnam was tied to a tree by his captor to secure him until the fight was over. The English force soon recovered from their impulse to flee and pressed forward. The battle seesawed back and forth, and Putnam remained for more than an hour directly in the line of fire from the opposing forces, while bullets whistled by him and pierced his clothes. At one time an Indian brave practiced throwing his tomahawk as near as possible to Putnam's head, barely missing it. After this continued
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for a while, a French officer appeared on the scene and tried to shoot him in cold blood, but his gun would not fire. After hitting Putnam with his musket, he left.
When the enemy retired, Putnam was stripped of much of his clothing, and walking barefoot through the forests, was compelled to carry huge packs. Finally his hands were so swollen, his fatigue so great, and his feet so scratched and bloody that he entreated the enemy either to kill him or free his hands. A French officer ordered his hands unbound, and his pack lightened, while the Indian who had captured him gave him a pair of moccasins. That night the Indians stripped him of the remainder of his clothes and decided to roast him. He was bound to a tree and dried brush was piled around him, to the accompaniment of screams and whoops. The fuel was set on fire but a sudden shower put it out. The savages then rekindled the fire a second time. As the heat became greater and greater, Putnam gave up all hope of life. Just as he became resigned to his fate, the com- mander of the enemy, who happened to be the great Marin, learned of the episode, rushed to the Indian group, and scattering the burning brush, rescued him. Marin severely reprimanded the savages, and took Putnam to Ticonderoga, where he was sent to Montreal by Montcalm. Thus this brave officer was saved from burning at the stake to serve his country in the Revolution.
The climax of the brilliant work of Rogers and his rangers occurred in the latter part of 1759. Situated about half way between Montreal and Quebec was the Indian village of St. Francis. Notori- ously attached to the French, for a century they had continuously harassed the frontiers of New England, murdering and torturing peo- ple of all ages and sexes, not only in war but also in time of peace. Rogers claimed that in the short period of six years he knew of more than six hundred people who had been killed or carried away, and when his force finally reached St. Francis, he found six hundred scalps hanging over the doors of their wigwams. The barbarities of these savages exasperated General Amherst to such an extent that he finally ordered Rogers and his rangers to attack them. This com- mand was carried out so effectively that the entire community was wiped out, but to accomplish this task the rangers were forced to undergo unbelievable hardships, and Rogers' qualities of leadership were tested to the limit.
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Setting out with a force of about two hundred men which was reduced to one hundred and forty-two men by the time St. Francis was reached, Rogers made his way down Lake Champlain, finally landing in Missisquoi Bay at the northern end. Here the boats were hidden and some supplies were left, under the charge of two Indians, for use on the return trip. The rangers then proceeded on foot, but the friendly redskins who had been left on guard soon caught up with them with the news that four hundred of the enemy had discovered the boats and that two hundred of them were in pursuit. Knowing that a superior force of the French was in his rear, and his boats lost, Rogers decided to outmarch the enemy, destroy St. Francis and return to the English posts by way of the Connecticut River. The next nine days were spent passing through a spruce bog, much of which was cov- ered by water a foot deep. At night the men slept in hammocks made from the boughs of trees. They were always on their way before the arrival of dawn, the usual time for an Indian attack, and they always marched until after dark. Fording swirling rivers and hunt- ing their way over ground unknown to them, the rangers pressed reso- lutely on and on.
When they approached the village of St. Francis, it was found that the Indians were engaged in celebrating a wedding. Occupied with their frolic it is possible that the savages were not as alert as usual. In any case, the rangers completely surprised them when the attack was launched the next morning a half hour before sunrise. So swiftly did Rogers' men operate that the enemy did not have much chance to fight. Those attempting to escape by water were killed as surely as the others. Many trying to protect themselves by hiding in cellars and lofts were destroyed when all but three of the houses were burned. Out of the village of three hundred people, two hundred were killed and twenty were taken prisoners by the time the slaughter ended at seven o'clock. Thus ended the settlement at St. Francis and all the terror and cruelty connected with it.
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