to go about in the country at all. I was working for Peter Vrooman, a
trader, and was living at his house on the Mohawk. One Sunday morning I
found a negro boy who was shot through the body with two balls as he was
hunting for stray sheep, and all this within half a mile of Vrooman's
house. Then an express came up the valley who left word that the
Province was levying troops at Albany to fight the French, and I took my
pay from Vrooman saying that I would go to Albany for a soldier. Another
young man and myself paddled down to Albany, and we both enlisted in the
York levies. We drawed our ammunition, tents, kettles, bowls and knives
at the Albany flats, and were drilled by an officer who had been in her
Majesty's Service. One man was given five hundred lashes for enlisting
in some Connecticut troops, and the orders said that any man who should
leave His Majesty's service without a Regular discharge should suffer
Death. The restraint which was put upon me by this military life was not
to my liking, and I was in a mortal dread of the whippings which men
were constantly receiving for breaches of the discipline. I felt that I
could not survive the shame of being trussed up and lashed before men's
eyes, but I did also have a great mind to fight the French which kept me
along. One day came an order to prepare a list of officers and men who
were willing to go scouting and be freed from other duty, and after some
time I got my name put down, for I was thought too young, but I said I
knew the woods, had often been to Andiatirocte (or Lake George as it had
then become the fashion to call it) and they let me go. It was dangerous
work, for reports came every day of how our Rangers suffered up country
at the hands of the cruel savages from Canada, but it is impossible to
play at bowls without meeting some rubs. A party of us proceeded up
river to join Captain Rogers at Fort Edward, and we were put to camp on
an Island. This was in October of the year 1757. We found the Rangers
were rough borderers like ourselvs, mostly Hampshire men well used to
the woods and much accustomed to the Enemy. They dressed in the fashion
of those times in skin and grey duffle hunting frocks, and were well
armed. Rogers himself was a doughty man and had a reputation as a bold
Ranger leader. The men declaired that following him was sore service,
but that he most always met with great success. The Fort was garrissoned
by His Majesty's soldiers, and I did not conceive that they were much
fitted for bush-ranging, which I afterwards found to be the case, but
they would always fight well enough, though often to no good purpose,
which was not their fault so much as the headstrong leadership which
persisted in making them come to close quarters while at a disadvantage.
There were great numbers of pack horses coming and going with stores,
and many officers in gold lace and red coats were riding about directing
here and there. I can remember that I had a great interest in this
concourse of men, for up to that time I had not seen much of the world
outside of the wilderness. There was terror of the Canada indians who
had come down to our borders hunting for scalps--for these were
continually lurking near the cantanements to waylay the unwary. I had
got acquainted with a Hampshire borderer who had passed his life on the
Canada frontier, where he had fought indians and been captured by them.
I had seen much of indians and knew their silent forest habits when
hunting, so that I felt that when they were after human beings they
would be no mean adversaries, but I had never hunted them or they me.
[Illustration: 31 NOT MUCH FITTED FOR BUSH-RANGING]
I talked at great length with this Shankland, or Shanks as he was called
on account of his name and his long legs, in course of which he
explained many useful points to me concerning Ranger ways. He said they
always marched until it was quite dark before encamping--that they
always returned by a different route from that on which they went out,
and that they circled on their trail at intervals so that they might
intercept any one coming on their rear. He told me not to gather up
close to other Rangers in a fight but to keep spread out, which gave the
Enemy less mark to fire upon and also deceived them as to your own
numbers. Then also he cautioned me not to fire on the Enemy when we were
in ambush till they have approached quite near, which will put them in
greater surprise and give your own people time to rush in on them with
hatchets or cutlasses. Shanks and I had finally a great fancy for each
other and passed most of our time in company. He was a slow man in his
movements albeit he could move fast enough on occassion, and was a great
hand to take note of things happening around him. No indian was better
able to discern a trail in the bush than he, nor could one be found his
equal at making snow shoes, carving a powder horn or fashioning any
knick-nack he was a mind to set his hand to.
The Rangers were accustomed to scout in small parties to keep the Canada
indians from coming close to Fort Edward. I had been out with Shanks on
minor occasions, but I must relate my first adventure.
A party... (here the writing is lost)... was desirous of taking a
captive or scalp. I misdoubted our going alone by ourselvs, but he said
we were as safe as with more. We went northwest slowly for two days, and
though we saw many old trails we found none which were fresh. We had
gone on until night when we lay bye near a small brook. I was awakened
by Shanks in the night and heard a great howling of wolves at some
distance off togther with a gun shot. We lay awake until daybreak and at
intervals heard a gun fired all though the night. We decided that the
firing could not come from a large party and so began to approach the
sound slowly and with the greatest caution. We could not understand why
the wolves should be so bold with the gun firing, but as we came neare
we smelled smoke and knew it was a camp-fire. There were a number of
wolves running about in the underbrush from whose actions we located the
camp. From a rise we could presently see it, and were surprised to find
it contained five Indians all lying asleep in their blankets. The wolves
would go right up to the camp and yet the indians did not deign to give
them any notice whatsoever, or even to move in the least when one wolf
pulled at the blanket of a sleeper. We each selected a man when we had
come near enough, and preparing to deliver our fire, when of a sudden
one figure rose up slightly. We nevertheless fired and then rushed
forward, reloading. To our astonishment none of the figures moved in the
least but the wolves scurried off. We were advancing cautiously when
Shanks caught me by the arm saying “we must run, that they had all died
of the small-pox,” and run we did lustilly for a good long distance.
After this manner did many Indians die in the wilderness from that
dreadful disease, and I have since supposed that the last living indian
had kept firing his gun at the wolves until he had no longer strength to
reload his piece.
[Illustration: 32 THE MARCH OF ROGERS'S RANGERS]
After this Shanks and I had become great friends for he had liked the
way I had conducted myself on this expedition. He was always ar-guying
with me to cut off my eel-skin que which I wore after the fashion of the
Dutch folks, saying that the Canada indians would parade me for a
Dutchman after that token was gone with my scalp. He had.... (writing
obliterated).
Early that winter I was one of 150 Rangers who marched with Captain
Rogers against the Enemy at Carrillion. The snow was not deep at
starting but it continued to snow until it was heavy footing and many of
the men gave out and returned to Fort Edward, but notwithstanding my
exhaustion I continued on for six days until we were come to within six
hundred yards of Carrillion Fort. The captain had made us a speech in
which he told us the points where we were to rendevoux if we were broke
in the fight, for further resistence until night came on, when we could
take ourselvs off as best we might. I was with the advance guard. We lay
in ambush in some fallen timber quite close to a road, from which we
could see the smoke from the chimneys of the Fort and the Gentries
walking their beats. A French soldier was seen to come from the Fort and
the word was passed to let him go bye us, as he came down the road. We
lay perfectly still not daring to breathe, and though he saw nothing he
stopped once and seemed undecided as to going on, but suspecting nothing
he continued and was captured by our people below, for prisoners were
wanted at Headquarters to give information of the French forces and
intentions. A man taken in this way was threatened with Death if he did
not tell the whole truth, which under the circumstancs he mostly did to
save his life.
The French did not come out of the Fort after us, though Rogers tried to
entice them by firing guns and showing small parties of men which
feigned to retreat. We were ordered to destroy what we could of the
supplies, so Shanks and I killed a small cow which we found in the edge
of the clearing and took off some fresh beef of which food we were sadly
in need, for on these scouts the Rangers were not permitted to fire guns
at game though it was found in thir path, as it often was in fact. I can
remember on one occassion that I stood by a tree in a snow storm, with
my gun depressed under my frock the better to keep it dry, when I was
minded to glance quickly around and there saw a large wolf just ready to
spring upon me. I cautiously presented my fusee but did not dare to fire
against the orders. An other Ranger came shortly into view and the wolf
took himself off. We burned some large wood piles, which no doubt made
winter work for to keep some Frenchers at home. They only fired some
cannon at us, which beyond a great deal of noise did no harm. We then
marched back to Fort Edward and were glad enough to get there, since it
was time for snow-shoes, which we had not with us.
The Canada indians were coming down to our Forts and even behind them to
intercept our convoys or any parties out on the road, so that the
Rangers were kept out, to head them when they could, or get knowledge of
their whereabouts. Shanks and I went out with two Mohegon indians on a
scout. It was exceedingly stormy weather and very heavy travelling
except on the River. I had got a bearskin blanket from the indians which
is necessary to keep out the cold at this season. We had ten days of
bread, pork and rum with a little salt with us, and followed the indians
in a direction North-and-bye-East towards the lower end of Lake
Champlain, always keeping to the high-ground with the falling snow to
fill our tracks behind us. For four days we travelled when we were well
up the west side. We had crossed numbers of trails but they were all
full of old snow and not worth regarding--still we were so far from our
post that in event of encountering any numbers of the Enemy we had but
small hope of a safe return and had therefore to observe the greatest
caution.
As we were making our way an immense painter so menaced us that we were
forced to fire our guns to dispatch him. He was found to be very old,
his teeth almost gone, and was in the last stages of starvation. We were
much alarmed at this misadventure, fearing the Enemy might hear us or
see the ravens gathering above, so we crossed the Lake that night on
some new ice to blind our trail, where I broke through in one place and
was only saved by Shanks, who got hold of my eel-skin que, thereby
having something to pull me out with. We got into a deep gully, and
striking flint made a fire to dry me and I did not suffer much
inconvenience.
The day following we took a long circle and came out on the lower end of
the Lake, there laying two days in ambush, watching the Lake for any
parties coming or going. Before dark a Mohigon came in from watch
saying that men were coming down the Lake. We gathered at the point and
saw seven of the Enemy come slowly on. There were three indians two
Canadians and a French officer. Seeing they would shortly pass under our
point of land we made ready to fire, and did deliver one fire as they
came nigh, but the guns of our Mohigons failed to explode, they being
old and well nigh useless, so that all the damage we did was to kill one
indian and wound a Canadian, who was taken in hand by his companions who
made off down the shore and went into the bush. We tried to head them
unsuccessfully, and after examining the guns of our indians we feared
they were so disabled that we gave up and retreated down the Lake,
travelling all night. Near morning we saw a small fire which we spied
out only to find a large party of the Enemy, whereat we were much
disturbed, for our travelling had exhausted us and we feared the pursuit
of a fresh enemy as soon as morning should come to show them our trail.
We then made our way as fast as possible until late that night, when we
laid down for refreshment. We built no fire but could not sleep for fear
of the Enemy for it was a bright moonlight, and sure enough we had been
there but a couple of hours when we saw the Enemy coming on our track.
We here abandoned our bear-skins with what provissions we had left and
ran back on our trail toward the advancing party. It was dark in the
forest and we hoped they might not discover our back track for some
time, thus giving us a longer start. This ruse was successful. After
some hours travel I became so exhausted that I stopped to rest, whereat
the Mohigans left us, but Shanks bided with me, though urging me to move
forward. After a time I got strength to move on. Shanks said the
Canadians would come up with us if we did not make fast going of it, and
that they would disembowel us or tie us to a tree and burn us as was
their usual way, for we could in no wise hope to make head against so
large a party. Thus we walked steadily till high noon, when my wretched
strength gave out so that I fell down saying I had as leave die there as
elsewhere. Shanks followed back on our trail, while I fell into a drouse
but was so sore I could not sleep. After a time I heard a shot, and
shortly two more, when Shanks came running back to me. He had killed an
advancing indian and stopped them for a moment. He kicked me vigorously,
telling me to come on, as the Indians would soon come on again. I got
up, and though I could scarcely move I was minded diligently to
persevere after Shanks. Thus we staggered on until near night time, when
we again stopped and I fell into a deep sleep, but the enemy did not
again come up. On the following day we got into Fort Edward, where I was
taken with a distemper, was seized with very grevious pains in the head
and back and a fever. They let blood and gave me a physic, but I did not
get well around for some time. For this sickness I have always been
thankful, otherwise I should have been with Major Rogers in his
unfortunate battle, which has become notable enough, where he was
defeated by the Canadians and Indians and lost nigh all his private men,
only escaping himself by a miracle. We mourned the loss of many friends
who were our comrades, though it was not the fault of any one, since the
Enemy had three times the number of the Rangers and hemmed them in. Some
of the Rangers had surrendered under promise of Quarter, but we
afterwards heard that they were tied to trees and hacked to death
because the indians had found a scalp in the breast of a man's hunting
frock, thus showing that we could never expect such bloody minded
villiains to keep their promises of Quarter.
I was on several scouts against them that winter but encountered nothing
worthy to relate excepting the hardships which fell to a Ranger's lot.
In June the Army having been gathered we proceeded under Abercromby up
the Lake to attack Ticonderoga. I thought at the time that so many men
must be invincible, but since the last war I have been taught to know
different. There were more Highlanders, Grenadiers, Provincial troops,
Artillery and Rangers than the eye could compass, for the Lake was black
with their battoes. This concourse proceeded to Ticondaroga where we had
a great battle and lost many men, but to no avail since we were forced
to return.
The British soldiers were by this time made servicible for forest
warfare, since the officers and men had been forced to rid themselvs of
their useless incumbrances and had cut off the tails of their long coats
till they scarcely reached below thir middles--they had also left the
women at the Fort, browned thir gun barrells and carried thir provisions
on their backs, each man enough for himself, as was our Ranger custom.
The army was landed at the foot of the Lake, where the Rangers quickly
drove off such small bodies of Frenchers and Indians as opposed us, and
we began our march by the rapids. Rogers men cleared the way and had a
most desperate fight with some French who were minded to stop us, but we
shortly killed and captured most of them. We again fell in with them
that afternoon and were challenged Qui vive but answered that we were
French, but they were not deceived and fired upon us, after which a hot
skirmish insued during which Lord Howe was shot through the breast, for
which we were all much depressed, because he was our real leader and had
raised great hopes of success for us. The Rangers had liked him because
he was wont to spend much time talking with them in thir camps and used
also to go on scouts. The Rangers were not over fond of British
officers in general.
[Illustration: 33 THE STORMING OF TICONDEROGA]
When the time had come for battle we Rangers moved forward, accompanied
by the armed boatmen and the Provincial troops. We drove in the French
pickets and came into the open where the trees were felled tops toward
us in a mighty abbatis, as though blown down by the wind. It was all we
could undertake to make our way through the mass, and all the while the
great breast-works of the French belched cannon and musket balls while
the limbs and splinters flew around us. Then out of the woods behind us
issued the heavy red masses of the British troops advancing in battle
array with purpose to storm with the bayonet. The maze of fallen trees
with their withered leaves hanging broke their ranks, and the French
Retrenchment blazed fire and death. They advanced bravely up but all to
no good purpose, and hundreds there met their death. My dear Joseph I
have the will but not the way to tell you all I saw that awful
afternoon. I have since been in many battles and skirmishes, but I never
have witnessed such slaughter and such wild fighting as the British
storm of Ticondaroga. We became mixed up--Highlanders, Grenadiers, Light
Troops, Rangers and all, and we beat against that mass of logs and maze
of fallen timber and we beat in vain. I was once carried right up to
the breastwork, but we were stopped by the bristling mass of sharpened
branches, while the French fire swept us front and flank. The ground was
covered deep with dying men, and as I think it over now I can remember
nothing but the fruit bourne by the tree of war, for I looked upon so
many wonderous things that July day that I could not set them downe at
all. We drew off after seeing that human valor could not take that work.
We Rangers then skirmished with the French colony troops and the Canada
indians until dark while our people rescued the wounded, and then we
fell back. The Army was utterly demoralized and made a headlong retreat,
during which many wounded men were left to die in the woods. Shanks and
I paddled a light bark canoe down the Lake next day, in the bottom of
which lay a wounded British officer attended by his servant.
[Illustration: 34 PADDLING THE WOUNDED BRITISH OFFICER]
I took my discharge, and lived until the following Spring with Vrooman
at German Flats, when I had a desire to go again to the more active
service of the Rangers, for living in camps and scouting,
notwithstanding its dangers, was agreeable to my taste in those days. So
back to Albany I started, and there met Major Rogers, whom I acquainted
with my desire to again join his service, whereat he seemed right glad
to put me downe. I accordingly journeyed to Crown Point, where I went
into camp. I had bought me a new fire-lock at Albany which was provided
with a bayonet. It was short, as is best fitted for the bush, and about
45 balls to the pound. I had shot it ten times on trial and it had not
failed to discharge at each pull. There was a great change in the
private men of the Rangers, so many old ones had been frost bitten and
gone home. I found my friend Shanks, who had staid though he had been
badly frosted during the winter. He had such a hate of the Frenchers and
particularly of the Canada Indians that he would never cease to fight
them, they having killed all his relatives in New Hampshire which made
him bitter against them, he always saying that they might as well kill
him and thus make an end of the family.
In June I went north down Champlain with 250 Rangers and Light Infantry
in sloop-vessels.
The Rangers were.... (writing lost).... but it made no difference. The
party was landed on the west side of the Lake near Isle au Noix and lay
five days in the bush, it raining hard all the time. I was out with a
recoinnoitering party to watch the Isle, and very early in the morning
we saw the French coming to our side in boats, whereat we acquainted
Major Rogers that the French were about to attack us. We were drawn up
in line to await their coming. The forest always concealed a Ranger
line, so that there might not have been a man within a hundred miles for
all that could be seen, and so it was that an advance party of the Enemy
walked into our line and were captured, which first appraised the French
of our position. They shortly attacked us on our left, but I was sent
with a party to make our way through a swamp in order to attack their
rear. This we accomplished so quietly that we surprized some Canada
indians who were lying back of the French line listening to a prophet
who was incanting. These we slew, and after our firing many French
grenadiers came running past, when they broke before our line. I took a
Frenchman prisoner, but he kept his bayonet pointed at me, all the time
yelling in French which I did not understand, though I had my loaded gun
pointed at him. He seemed to be disturbed at the sight of a scalp which
I had hanging in my belt. I had lately took it from the head of an
Indian, it being my first, but I was not minded to kill the poor
Frenchman and was saying so in English. He put down his fire-lock
finally and offered me his flask to drink liquor with him, but I did not
use it. I had known that Shanks carried poisoned liquor in his pack,
with the hope that it would destroy any indians who might come into
possession of it, if he was taken, whether alive or dead. As I was
escorting the Frenchman back to our boats he quickly ran away from me,
though I snapped my fire-lock at him, which failed to explode, it having
become wet from the rain. Afterwards I heard that a Ranger had shot him,
seeing him running in the bush.
[Illustration: 35 THE CAPTURE OF THE FRENCH GRENADIER]
We went back to our boats after this victory and took all our wounded
and dead with us, which last we buried on an island. Being joined by a
party of Stockbridge Indians we were again landed, and after marching
for some days came to a road where we recoinnoitered St. John's Fort but
did not attack it, Rogers judging it not to be takeable with our force.
From here we began to march so fast that only the strongest men could
keep up, and at day-break came to another Fort. We ran into the gate
while a hay-waggon was passing through, and surprised and captured all
the garrison, men women and children. After we had burned and destroyed
everything we turned the women and children adrift, but drove the men
along as prisoners, making them carry our packs. We marched so fast that
the French grenadiers could not keep up, for their breeches were too
tight for them to march with ease, whereat we cut off the legs of them
with our knives, when they did better.
After this expedition we scouted from Crown Point in canoes, Shanks and
myself going as far north as we dared toward Isle au Noix, and one day
while lying on the bank we saw the army coming. It was an awesome sight
to see so many boats filled with brave uniforms, as they danced over the
waves. The Rangers and Indians came a half a mile ahead of the Army in
whale-boats all in line abreast, while behind them came the light
Infantry and Grenadiers with Provincial troops on the flanks and
Artillery and Store boats bringing up the Rear.
Shanks and I fell in with the Ranger boats, being yet in our small bark
and much hurled about by the waves, which rolled prodigious.
The Army continued up the Lake and drove the Frenchers out of their
Forts, they not stopping to resist us till we got to Chamblee, where we
staid. But the French in Canada had all surrendered to the British and
the war was over. This ended my service as a Ranger in those parts. I
went back to Vroomans intending to go again into the indian trade, for
now we hoped that the French would no longer be able to stop our
enterprises.
Now my dear son--I will send you this long letter, and will go on
writing of my later life in the Western country and in the War of
Independence, and will send you those letters as soon as I have them
written. I did not do much or occupy a commanding position, but I served
faithfully in what I had to do. For the present God bless you my dear
son.
JOSHUA GOODENOUGH.
CRACKER COWBOYS OF FLORIDA