Rogers' Rock Lake George
March 13, 1758
A Battle Fought
on Snow Shoes
_By_ MARY COCHRANE ROGERS
Great-Great-Granddaughter of
Major Robert Rogers
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR
DERRY. N. H., 1917
[Illustration: MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS,
_Commander in Chief of the INDIANS in the Back Settlements of_ AMERICA.
Publishd as the Act directs Oct. 3 1776 by The Hart.]
MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS--1731-1795
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY
MARY COCHRANE ROGERS
_Rogers' Rock_ _Lake George_
_March 13, 1758_
A Battle Fought on
Snow Shoes
_By_ MARY COCHRANE ROGERS
Great-Great-Granddaughter
of Major Robert Rogers
Lake George was frozen and the snow four feet deep in the woods, when on
March 10, 1758, Colonel Haviland, commanding at Fort Edward, sent Major
Rogers with one hundred and eighty men to reconnoitre the French
position at Carillon, or Ticonderoga.
Rogers and his Rangers marched from Fort Edward in snow shoes to the
half-way brook, in the road leading to Lake George, and there encamped
the first night.
On the 11th they proceeded as far as the First Narrows on Lake George
and encamped that evening on the east side of the lake.
At sunrise of the 12th they marched from their encampment. When they had
gone some three miles, the Major saw a dog running across the lake.
Thinking that the Indians might be lying in ambush, he sent a detachment
to reconnoitre the island. None, however, could be seen. To prevent the
enemy from discovering his force, Rogers halted at Sabbath-Day Point, on
the west side of the lake. From the hills he looked northward over the
lake with his perspective glass, but could see no signs of French or
Indians. As soon as it was dark the party advanced down the lake.
Lieutenant Phillips and fifteen men, laying aside their snow shoes and
putting on skates, glided down the lake, as an advanced guard. The main
body, flanked on the left by Ensign Ross, marched under the west shore.
It was a very dark night and the band of rugged foresters kept close
together to prevent separation. In this manner they continued their
silent march close to the mountains fringing the lake until within eight
miles of the French advanced guards, when they were informed by
Lieutenant Phillips, who had hastened back, that a fire had been
discovered in the woods on the east shore.
The Rangers, after hiding their sleighs and packs in a thicket, marched
to attack the enemy's encampment, but when they reached the place no
fires were to be seen. They did not know that the French had discovered
their advanced guard and, putting out their fire, had carried the
intelligence to Ticonderoga. The Rangers then returned to their packs
and there lay the remainder of the night without fire, so that no column
of blue smoke would reveal their hiding place.
At sunrise of the 13th the Rangers left the lake and on snow shoes
struck into the woods on the west side, keeping on the back of the
mountains that overlooked the French advanced guards.
They halted at noon at a point nearly west of the mountain--that from
that day was to bear the name of Rogers--and some two miles from the
French lines. Little did they know what that tragic afternoon held in
store for them. Here they refreshed themselves until 3 o'clock, that the
day scout from the fort might return before they advanced, since the
Major intended at night to ambuscade some of the roads in order to trap
the enemy in the morning.
Once more they began their toilsome march, one division headed by Major
Rogers, the other by Captain Buckley; a rivulet at a small distance was
on their left, and a steep mountain on their right. They kept well to
the mountain, for the Major thought that the enemy would travel on the
ice of the rivulet since it was very bad travelling on snow shoes. When
they had gone a mile and a half a scout from the front told Rogers that
the enemy was approaching on the bed of the frozen stream,--ninety-six
of them--chiefly savages. The Rangers, concealed by the bank of the
rivulet, immediately laid an ambush, gave the first fire and killed
above forty Indians whom they scalped on the spot. The rest retreated,
followed by about one-half of the Rangers, who were exulting over their
victory, only to be suddenly confronted by more than six hundred
Canadians and Indians fresh from Fort Ticonderoga, under Durantaye and
De Langry, French officers of reputation, who were fully prepared to
meet four hundred Rangers, of whose movements they had been apprized
both by the prisoner taken and by the deserter from Putnam's men. Rogers
ordered a retreat, which he gained at the expense of fifty men killed;
the remainder he rallied and drew up in good order. They fought with
such intrepidity and bravery that they obliged the enemy "tho seven to
one in number," to retreat a second time, but Rogers had not sufficient
numbers to follow up the advantage. The enemy then rallied and,
recovering their ground, fought with great tenacity and determination,
but were so warmly received that they were put to rout the third time.
Finding the Rogers party so much inferior to themselves in number, the
enemy again rallied and renewed the fight with vigor for some time. A
body of two hundred Indians were now discovered going up the mountain on
the right in order to gain the rear of the Rangers. Lieutenant Phillips
with eighteen men gained the first possession and beat them back.
Lieutenant Crafton with fifteen men stopped the French on the left from
gaining the other part of the mountain. Two gentlemen volunteers
hastened up and supported him with great bravery. The enemy now pushed
so closely on the front that the combatants were often not twenty yards
apart, and sometimes were mixed together. Lieutenant Phillips,
surrounded by three hundred Indians, surrendered under promise of good
quarter, but a few minutes later he and his whole party were tied to
trees and hacked to death in a most barbarous manner. The savages
maddened, it is said, by the sight of a scalp they found in the
breast of a man's hunting frock, revenged themselves on their victims by
holding up their scalps. The Rangers were now broken and put to flight,
each man for himself, while the Indians, closely pursuing, took several
prisoners.
[Illustration: ROGERS' ROCK]
My great-great-grandfather in his modest narrative does not mention his
own hairbreadth escape. The Rangers, when put to flight, retreated in
the best manner possible. Rogers was singled out by the French; the
Indians, closely pursuing, ran him up the steep mountain then known as
Bald Mountain, since Rogers Rock, to its face, and there on the brow of
the precipice he threw away his knapsack and clothes together with his
commission. There was but one chance for his life, and death was
preferable to capture and torture by the savages.
Slowly the sun is setting over the mountain tops, gilding the lake
below, as down the face of the precipitous rock for more than a thousand
feet he slides in his snow shoes to the frozen lake below, and there,
quickly changing his snow shoes for skates, glides over the vast white
desert. Scarcely had he disappeared from sight when the foremost warrior
reached the cliff sure of his prey--"No Roger!" There were his tracks!
Other warriors came running up to the cliff sure of the prize--Rogers'
scalp--for the enemy dreaded him, and with reason--and gazed upon his
tracks.
Soon a rapidly receding form on the ice below attracted their notice,
and the baffled savages, seeing that the famous Ranger had safely
effected the perilous descent, gave up the chase fully persuaded that
Rogers was under the protection of the Great Spirit. The Indians have a
superstition, that the witches or evil spirits haunt this place, and
seizing upon the spirits of bad Indians, on their way to the happy
hunting grounds, slide down the precipitous cliff with them into the
lake where they are drowned. Atalapose is their word for a sliding
place.
During the one and one-half hours of battle the Rangers lost eight
officers and more than one hundred privates killed on the spot. The
enemy lost one hundred and fifty killed and some one hundred and fifty
wounded, mostly Indians.
Was Colonel Haviland so indifferent and shortsighted as to send Robert
Rogers with his brave Rangers to meet this impossible situation at such
a great loss of life, or was he influenced by improper motives?
Evidently Rogers's suspicions were awakened, for the clause, "but my
commander doubtless had his reasons, and is able to vindicate his own
conduct," is italicized in his journal.
This is what Major General John Stark, the friend and companion of
Rogers says, though not in the engagement, of Colonel Haviland's act:
"This officer was the same who sent him (Rogers) out in March, 1758,
with a small force, when he knew a superior one lay in wait for him. He
was one of those sort of men who manage to escape public censure, let
them do what they will. He ought to have been cashiered for his conduct
on that occasion. He was one of the many British officers who were
meanly jealous of the daring achievements of their brave American
comrades, but for whose intrepidity and arduous services, all the
British armies, sent to America during the seven years' war would have
effected little toward the conquest of Canada."--Memoir of Gen. John
Stark, page 454.
Rogers was saved by a miracle and by his own daring. Thus ended his
brave but unfortunate battle on snow shoes.
General Montcalm in a letter dated less than a month after the
encounter, says: "Our Indians would give no quarter; they have brought
back one hundred and forty-six scalps."
We can not with certainty say what Rogers, at this time twenty-six years
of age, might have done had he had four hundred strong--but there is
every probability that he would have put the enemy to rout.
When I visited this beautiful and romantic region, where one hundred and
fifty years ago, and something more, the famous action took place, my
mind passed in swift review through that notable afternoon when the
Rangers fought one of their most desperate and unequal battles in the
"Old French and Indian War."
In fancy I saw this picturesque body of Rangers, clad in skin and gray
duffle hunting frocks; each man well armed with firelock, hatchet, and
scalping knife, a bullock's horn full of powder hanging under his right
arm by a belt from the left shoulder, and a leathern or seal skin bag,
buckled around his waist, hanging down in front full of bullets and
smaller shot, the size of full grown peas, and in the bottom of my
great-great-grandfather's powder horn a small compass, while the French
officers were clad in bright uniforms and the Indians in true Indian
fashion gaily decorated with war paint.
I seemed to hear this peaceful solitude made hideous with the yells of
the savages.
Behind this bank the Rangers lay in ambush for the Indians and killed
and scalped about forty of them. Here they were confronted by more than
six hundred Canadians and Indians well versed in forest warfare.
In this place the Rangers fought, "seven to one," from behind forest
trees, for this theatre of action retains much of its original character
preserved, improved and owned by Mr. David Williams. The Rogers Rock
property includes the Slide and extends for more than a mile and a half
along the shore of Lake George and some half of a mile back of Rogers
Rock.
For more than an hour and a half this unequal contest raged. The Rangers
after a long toilsome march on snow shoes and having camped three
nights, sleeping in hammocks of spruce boughs, the third and last night
without fire and chilled--the French and Indians fresh from the Fort.
The brave Rangers were fast falling everywhere, and the snow is
crimsoned with their blood. They were the most hardy and resolute young
men New Hampshire and other Colonies could produce, and their
descendants are now filling their places in the world's niches well
to-day.
Here is the trail Rogers followed up the steep mountain to the brow of
the cliff, and there is the rock down which he made his miraculous
escape. As the vision passes one cannot help saying, "ALL HONOR TO THOSE
BRAVE MEN WHO HERE FELL MARCH 13, 1758."
An anecdote which my grandfather used to tell deserves to be mentioned.
While Major Rogers was in garrison at Fort Edward in the winter of
1757-8, two British officers, half seas over, were one evening bemoaning
their country's enormous debt. Rogers, coming in, and hearing the
patriotic bewailing, cried: "Give yourselves no more uneasiness about
the matter, gentlemen, I will pay half of the debt and a friend of mine
the remainder. We will clear the nation at once of her difficulties."
The officers treated the Major and pronounced him the nation's
benefactor. Hence the saying: "To pay one's debts as Rogers did that of
the nation."
A Gentleman of the army, who was a volunteer on this party, and who with
another fell into the hands of the French, wrote the following letter,
some time after, to the officer commanding the regiment they belonged to
at Fort Edward.
Carillon, March 28, 1758.
"Dear Sir,
"As a flag of truce is daily expected here with an answer to
Monsieur Vaudreuil, I sit down to write the moment I am
able, in order to have a letter ready, as no doubt you and
our friends at Fort Edward are anxious to be informed about
Mr. ---- and me, whom probably you have reckoned amongst the
slain in our unfortunate rencontre of the 13th, concerning
which at present I shall not be particular; only to do this
justice to those who lost their lives there, and to those
who have escaped, to assure you, Sir, that such dispositions
were formed by the enemy (who discovered us long before), it
was impossible for a party so weak as ours to hope for even
a retreat. Towards the conclusion of the affair, it was
cried from a rising ground on our right, to retire there;
where, after scrambling with difficulty, as I was
unaccustomed to snow-shoes, I found Capt. Rogers, and told
him that I saw to retire further was impossible, therefore
earnestly begged we might collect all the men left, and make
a stand there. Mr. ----, who was with him, was of my
opinion, and Capt. Rogers also; who therefore desired me to
maintain one side of the hill, whilst he defended the other.
Our parties did not exceed above ten or twelve in each, and
mine was shifting towards the mountain, leaving me unable to
defend my post, or to labour with them up the hill. In the
meantime, Capt. Rogers with his party came to me, and said
(as did those with him) that a large body of Indians had
ascended to our right; he likewise added, what was true,
that the combat was very unequal, that I must retire, and he
would give Mr. ---- and me a Serjeant to conduct us thro'
the mountain. No doubt prudence required us to accept his
offer; but, besides one of my snow-shoes being untied, I
knew myself unable to march as fast as was requisite to
avoid becoming a sacrifice to an enemy we could no longer
oppose; I therefore begged of him to proceed, and then
leaned against a rock in the path, determined to submit to a
fate I thought unavoidable. Unfortunately for Mr. ---- his
snow-shoes were loosened likewise, which obliged him to
determine with me, not to labour in a flight we were both
unequal to. Every instant we expected the savages; but what
induced them to quit this path, in which we actually saw
them, we are ignorant of, unless they changed it for a
shorter, to intercept those who had just left us. By their
noise, and making a fire, we imagined they had got the rum
in the Rangers' packs. This thought, with the approach of
night, gave us the first hopes of retiring; and when the
moon arose, we marched to the southward along the mountains
about three hours, which brought us to ice, and gave us
reason to hope our difficulties were almost past; but we
knew not we had enemies yet to combat with, more cruel than
the savages we had escaped. We marched all night, and on the
morning of the 14th found ourselves entirely unacquainted
with the ice. Here we saw a man, who came towards us; he was
the servant of Capt. Rogers, with whom he had been often
times all over the country, and, without the least
hesitation whatsoever, he informed us we were upon
South-Bay; that Wood-Creek was just before us; that he knew
the way to Fort Anne extremely well, and would take us to
Fort Edward the next day. Notwithstanding we were
disappointed in our hopes of being upon Lake George, we
thought ourselves fortunate in meeting such a guide, to whom
we gave entire confidence, and which he in fact confirmed,
by bringing us to a creek, where he shewed the tracks of
Indians, and the path he said they had taken to Fort Anne.
After struggling thro' the snow some hours, we were obliged
to halt to make snow-shoes, as Mr. ---- and the guide had
left theirs at arriving upon the ice. Here we remained all
night, without any blankets, no coat, and but a single
waistcoat each, for I gave one of mine to Mr. ----, who had
laid aside his green jacket in the field, as I did likewise
my furred cap, which became a mark to the enemy, and
probably was the cause of a slight wound in my face; so that
I had but a silk handkerchief on my head, and our fire
could not be large, as we had nothing to cut wood with.
Before morning we contrived, with forked sticks and strings
of leather, a sort of snow-shoes, to prevent sinking
entirely; and, on the 15th, followed our guide west all day,
but he did not fulfil his promise; however the next day it
was impossible to fail: but even then, the 16th, he was
unsuccessful; yet still we were patient, because he seemed
well acquainted with the way, for he gave every mountain a
name, and shewed us several places, where he said his master
had either killed deer or encamped. The ground, or rather
the want of sunshine, made us incline to the southward, from
whence by accident we saw ice, at several miles distance, to
the south-east. I was very certain, that, after marching two
days west of South Bay, Lake George could not lie south-east
from us, and therefore concluded this to be the upper end of
the bay we had left. For this reason, together with the
assurances of our guide, I advised continuing our course to
the west, which must shortly strike Fort Anne, or some other
place that we knew. But Mr. ---- wished to be upon ice at
any rate; he was unable to continue in the snow, for the
difficulties of our march had overcome him. And really, Sir,
was I to be minute in those we had experienced already and
afterwards, they would almost be as tiresome to you to read,
as they were to us to suffer.
[Illustration:
-BALDWIN COOLIDGE, PHOT.17528
MRS. ROBERT ROGERS (Elizabeth Browne)
Photograph of the portrait of Mrs. Robert Rogers, in her
bridal gown, painted by Blackburn in 1761. She was married
to Major Robert Rogers, by her father, the Rev. Arthur
Browne, Rector of Queen's Chapel, in Portsmouth, N. H., June
30, 1761, at the age of twenty years]
"Our snow-shoes breaking, and sinking to our middle every
fifty paces, the scrambling up mountains, and across fallen
timber, our nights without sleep or covering, and but little
fire, gathered with great fatigue, our sustenance mostly
water, and the bark and berries of trees; for all our
provisions from the beginning was only a small Bologna
sausage, and a little ginger, I happened to have, and which
even now was very much decreased; so that I knew not how to
oppose Mr. ----'s intreaties; but as our guide still
persisted Fort Anne was near, we concluded to search a
little longer, and if we made no discovery to proceed next
day towards the ice; but we sought in vain, as did our guide
the next morning, tho' he returned, confidently asserting he
had discoverd fresh proofs, that the fort could not be far
off. I confess I was still inclined to follow him, for I was
almost certain the best we could hope from descending upon
this ice to our left, was to throw ourselves into the hands
of the French, and perhaps not be able to effect even that;
but, from the circumstances I have mentioned, it was a point
I must yield to, which I did with great reluctancy. The
whole day of the 17th we marched a dreadful road, between
the mountains, with but one good snow-shoe each, the other
of our own making being almost useless. The 18th brought us
to the ice, which tho' we longed to arrive at, yet I still
dreaded the consequence, and with reason, for the first
sight informed us, it was the very place we had left five
days before. Here I must own my resolution almost failed me;
when fatigue, cold, hunger, and even the prospect of
perishing in the woods attended us, I still had hopes, and
still gave encouragement, but now I wanted it myself; we had
no resource but to throw ourselves into the enemy's hands,
or perish. We had nothing to eat, our slender stock had been
equally shared amongst us three, and we were not so
fortunate as even to see either bird or beast to shoot at.
When our first thoughts were a little calmed, we conceived
hopes, that, if we appeared before the French fort, with a
white flag, the commanding officer would relieve and return
us to Fort Edward. This served to palliate our nearest
approach to despair, and determined a resolution, where, in
fact, we had no choice. I knew Carillon had an extensive
view up South Bay, therefore we concluded to halt during the
evening, and march in the night, that we might approach it
in the morning, besides the wind pierced us like a sword;
but instead of its abating it increased, together with a
freezing rain, that incrusted us entirely with ice, and
obliged us to remain until morning, the 19th, when we
fortunately got some juniper berries, which revived, gave us
spirits, and I thought strength. We were both so firmly of
that opinion, that we proposed taking the advantage of its
being a dark snowy day, to approach Carillon, to pass it in
the night, and get upon Lake George. With difficulty we
persuaded the guide to be of our opinion, we promised large
rewards in vain, until I assured him of provisions hid upon
the lake; but we little considered how much nature was
exhausted, and how unequal we were to the task; however, a
few miles convinced us; we were soon midway up our legs in
the newfallen snow; it drove full in our faces, and was as
dark as the fogs upon the banks of Newfoundland. Our
strength and our hopes sunk together, nay, even those of
reaching Carillon were doubtful, but we must proceed or
perish. As it cleared up a little, we laboured to see the
fort, which at every turn we expected, until we came to
where the ice was gone, and the water narrow. This did not
agree with my idea of South Bay, but it was no time for
reflection; we quitted the ice to the left, and after
marching two miles, our guide assured us we ought to be on
the other side of the water. This was a very distressing
circumstance, yet we returned to the ice and passed to the
right, where, after struggling through the snow, about four
miles, and breaking in every second step, as we had no
snow-shoes, we were stopped by a large water-fall. Here I
was again astonished with appearances, but nothing now was
to be thought of only reaching the fort before night; yet to
pass this place seemed impracticable; however, I attempted
to ford it a little higher, and had almost gained the
opposite shore, where the depth of the water, which was up
to my breast and the rapidity of the stream, hurried me off
the slippery rocks, and plunged me entirely in the waters. I
was obliged to quit my fuzee, and with great difficulty
escaped being carried down the fall. Mr. ----, who followed
me, and the guide, though they held by one another, suffered
the same fate; but the hopes of soon reaching a fire made us
think lightly of this: as night approached, we laboured
excessively through the snow; we were certain the fort was
not far from us, but our guide confessed, for the first
time, that he was at a loss. Here we plainly observed that
his brain was affected: he saw Indians all around him, and
though we have since learned we had every thing to fear from
them, yet it was a danger we did not now attend to; nay, we
shouted aloud several times to give information we were
there; but we could neither hear nor see any body to lead us
right, or more likely to destroy us, and if we halted a
minute we became pillars of ice; so that we resolved, as it
froze so hard, to make a fire, although the danger was
apparent. Accidentally we had one dry cartridge, and in
trying with my pistol if it would flash a little of the
powder, Mr. ---- unfortunately held the cartridge too near,
by which it took fire, blew up in our faces, almost blinded
him, and gave excessive pain. This indeed promised to be the
last stroke of fortune, as our hopes of a fire were now no
more; but although we were not anxious about life, we knew
it was more becoming to oppose than yield to this last
misfortune. We made a path round a tree, and there exercised
all the night, though scarcely able to stand, or prevent
each other from sleeping. Our guide, notwithstanding
repeated cautions, straggled from us, where he sat down and
died immediately. On the morning of the 20th, we saw the
fort, which we approached with a white flag: the officers
run violently towards us, and saved us from a danger we did
not then apprehend; for we are informed, that if the
Indians, who were close after them, had seized us first, it
would not have been in the power of the French to have
prevented our being hurried to their camp, and perhaps to
Montreal the next day, or killed for not being able to
march. Mons. Debecourt[1] and all his officers treat us with
humanity and politeness, and are solicitous in our recovery,
which returns slowly, as you may imagine, from all these
difficulties; and though I have omitted many, yet I am
afraid you will think me too prolix; but we wish, Sir, to
persuade you of a truth, that nothing but the situation I
have faithfully described could determine us in a resolution
which appeared only one degree preferable to perishing in
the woods.
"I shall make no comments upon these distresses; the
malicious perhaps will say, which is very true, we brought
them upon ourselves; but let them not wantonly add, we
deserved them because we were unsuccessful. They must allow
we could not be led abroad, at such a season of snow and
ice, for amusement, or by an idle curiosity. I gave you,
Sir, my reasons for asking leave, which you were pleased to
approve, and I hope will defend them; and the fame would
make me again, as a volunteer, experience the chance of war
to-morrow, had I an opportunity. These are Mr. ----'s
sentiments as well as mine; and we both know you, Sir, too
well, to harbour the least doubt of receiving justice with
regard to our conduct in this affair, or our promotion in
the regiment; the prospect of not joining that so soon as we
flattered ourselves has depressed our spirits to the lowest
degree, so that we earnestly beg you will be solicitous with
the General to have us restored as soon as possible, or at
least to prevent our being sent to France, and separated
from you, perhaps, during the war.
"I have but one thing more to add, which we learned here,
and which perhaps you have already observed from what I have
said, that we were upon no other ice than that of Lake
George; but by the day overtaking us, the morning of the
14th, in the very place we had, in coming, marched during
the night, we were entirely unacquainted with it, and
obliged to put a confidence in this guide, whose head must
have been astray from the beginning, or he could not so
grossly have mistaken a place where he had so often been.
This information but added to our distress, until we
reflected that our not being entirely lost was the more
wonderful. That we had parted from South Bay on the 14th,
was a point with us beyond all doubt, and about which we
never once hesitated, so that we acted entirely contrary to
what we had established as a truth; for if, according to
that, we had continued our course to the west, we must
inevitably have perished; but the hand of Providence led us
back contrary to our judgment; and though even then, and
often afterwards, we thought it severe, yet in the end it
saved us, and obliged us to rest satisfied that we construed
many things unfortunate, which tended to our preservation. I
am, &c."
Journals of Major Robert Rogers, p. 90-102. (London) 1765.
EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS (Dublin),
1769, pages 69-81.
"By his Excellency John Earl of Loudoun, Lord Machline and
Tairenseen, &c., &c., &c., one of the sixteen peers of
Scotland, Governor and Captain General of Virginia, and Vice
Admiral of the same, Colonel of the 13th Regiment of foot,
Colonel in chief of the Royal American regiment, Major
General and Commander in Chief of all his Majesty's forces,
raised or to be raised in North-America:
"Whereas I have this day thought proper to augment the
Rangers with five additional companies, that is, four New
England and one Indian company, to be forthwith raised and
employed in his Majesty's service; and whereas I have an
entire confidence in your skill and knowledge, of the men
most fit for that service; I do therefore by these presents
appoint you to raise such a number of non-commission
officers and private men as will be necessary to compleat
the said five companies, upon the following establishment,
viz. each company to consist of one Captain, two
Lieutenants, one Ensign, four Serjeants and 100 privates.
The officers to have British pay, that is, the same as an
officer of the like rank in his Majesty's regular forces;
the Serjeants 4s. New York currency per day, and the private
men 2s. 6d currency per day. And the better to enable you to
make this levy of men, you shall have one month's pay for
each of the said five companies advanced to you; upon these
conditions, that, out of the first warrants that shall
hereafter be granted for the subsistence of these companies,
shall be deducted the said month's pay now advanced. Your
men to find their own arms, which must be such as upon
examination, shall be found fit, and be approved of. They
are likewise to provide themselves with good warm cloathing,
which must be uniform in every company, and likewise with
good warm blankets. And the company of Indians to be dressed
in all respects in the true Indian fashion, and they are all
to be subject to the rules and articles of war. You will
forthwith acquaint the officers appointed to these
companies, that they are immediately to set out on the
recruiting service, and you will not fail to instruct them
that they are not to inlist any man for a less term than one
year, nor any but what are able-bodied, well acquainted with
the woods, used to hunting, and every way qualified for the
Ranging service. You are also to observe that the number of
men requisite to compleat the said five companies, are all
to be at Fort Edward on or before the 15th day of March next
ensuing, and those that shall come by way of Albany are to
be mustered there by the officer commanding, as shall those
who go strait to Fort Edward by the officer commanding
there. Given under my hand, at New York, the 11th day of
January, 1758.
By his Excellency's command, Loudoun.
To Capt
Robert Rogers. J. Appy."
In pursuance of the above instructions I immediately sent officers into
the New England provinces, where, by the assistance of my friends, the
requested augmentation of Rangers was quickly compleated, the whole five
companies being ready for service by the 4th of March.
Four of these companies were sent to Louisburg to join General Amherst,
and one joined the corps under my command; and tho' I was at the whole
expence of raising the five companies, I never got the least allowance
for it, and one of the captains dying, to whom I had delivered a
thousand dollars as advance pay for his company, which, agreeable to the
instructions I received, had a right to do; yet was I obliged to
account with the government for this money, and entirely lost every
penny of it. It has already been mentioned, that the garrison at Fort
Edward, was this winter under the command of Lieut. Col. Haviland. This
gentleman, about the 28th of February, ordered out a scout under the
direction of one Putnam, Captain of a company of one of the Connecticut
provincial regiments, with some of my men, given out publickly at the
same time, that, upon Putnam's return, I should be sent to the French
forts with a strong party of 400 Rangers.
This was known not only to all the officers, but soldiers also, at Fort
Edward before Putnam's departure.
While this party was out, a servant of Mr. Best, a sutler to the
Rangers, was captivated by a flying party of the enemy from Ticonderoga;
unfortunately too, one of Putnam's men had left him at Lake George, and
deserted to the enemy. Upon Captain Putnam's return, we were informed he
had ventured within eight miles of the French fort at Ticonderoga, and
that a party he had sent to make discoveries had reported to him, that
there were near 600 Indians not far from the enemy's quarters.
March 10, 1758. Soon after the said Captain Putnam's return, in
consequence of positive orders from Col. Haviland, I this day began a
march from Fort Edward for the neighbourhood of Carillon, not with a
party of 400 men, as at first given out, but of 180 men only, officers
included, one Captain, one Lieutenant, and one Ensign, and three
volunteers, viz. Mess. Creed, Kent and Wrightson, one serjeant, and one
private, all of the 27th regiment; and a detachment from the four
companies of Rangers, quartered on the island near Fort Edward, viz.
Capt. Buckley, Lieutenants Philips, Moore, Crafton, Campbell, and
Pottinger; Ensigns Ross, Wait, M'Donald, and White, and 162 private men.
I acknowledge I entered upon this service, and viewed this small
detachment of brave men march out, with no little concern and uneasiness
of mind; for, as there was the greatest reason to suspect, that the
French were, by the prisoner and deserter above mentioned, fully
informed of the design of sending me out upon Putnam's return: what
could I think to see my party, instead of being strengthened and
augmented, reduced to less than one half the number at first proposed? I
must confess it appeared to me (ignorant and unskilled as I then was in
politicks and the art of war) incomprehensible; _but my commander
doubtless had his reasons, and is able to vindicate his own conduct_. We
marched to the half-way brook, in the road leading to Lake George, and
there encamped the first night.
The 11th we proceeded as far as the first Narrows on Lake George, and
encamped that evening on the east-side of the lake; and after dark, I
sent a party three miles further down, to see if the enemy might be
coming towards our forts, but they returned without discovering any. We
were, however, on our guard, and kept parties walking on the lake all
night, besides centries at all necessary places on the land.
The 12th we marched from our encampment at sunrise, and having distanced
it about three miles, I saw a dog running across the lake, whereupon I
sent a detachment to reconnoitre the island, thinking the Indians might
have laid in ambush there for us; but no such could be discovered; upon
which I thought it expedient to put to shore and lay by till night, to
prevent any party from descrying us on the lake, from hills, or
otherwise. We halted at a place called Sabbath-day Point, on the
west-side of the lake, and sent our parties to look down the lake with
perspective glasses, which we had for that purpose. As soon as it was
dark we proceeded down the lake. I sent Lieutenant Phillips with
fifteen men, as an advanced guard, some of whom went before him on
scates, while Ensign Ross flanked us on the left under the west-shore,
near which we kept the main body, marching as close as possible, to
prevent separation, it being a very dark night. In this manner we
continued our march till within eight miles of the French advanced
guards, when Lieutenant Phillips sent a man on scates back to me, to
desire me to halt; upon which I ordered my men to squat down upon the
ice. Mr. Phillips soon came to me himself, leaving his party to look
out, and said, he imagined he had discovered a fire[2] on the
east-shore, but was not certain; upon which I sent with him Ensign
White, to make further discovery. In about an hour they returned, fully
persuaded that a party of the enemy was encamped there. I then called in
the advanced guard, and flanking party, and marched on to the
west-shore, where, in a thicket, we hid our sleys and packs, leaving a
small guard with them, and with the remainder I marched to attack the
enemy's encampment, if there was any; but when we came near the place,
no fires were to be seen, which made us conclude that we had mistaken
some bleach patches of snow, or pieces of rotten wood, for fire (which
in the night, at a distances resembles it) whereupon we returned to our
packs, and there lay the remainder of the night without fire.
The 13th, in the morning, I deliberated with the officers how to
proceed, who were unanimously of opinion, that it was best to go by land
in snow-shoes, lest the enemy should discover us on the lake; we
accordingly continued our march on the west-side, keeping on the back of
the mountains that overlooked the French advanced guards. At twelve of
the clock we halted two miles west of those guards, and there refreshed
ourselves till three, that the day-scout from the fort might be returned
home before we advanced; intending at night to ambuscade some of their
roads, in order to trepan them in the morning. We then marched in two
divisions, the one headed by Captain Buckley, the other by myself:
Ensigns White and Wait had the rear-guard, the other officers were
posted properly in each division, having a rivulet at a small distance
on our left, and a steep mountain on our right. We kept close to the
mountain, that the advanced guard might better observe the rivulet, on
the ice of which I imagined they would travel it out, as the snow was
four feet deep, and very bad traveling on snow-shoes.
In this manner we marched a mile and an half, when our advanced guard
informed me of the enemy being in their view; and soon after, that they
had ascertained their number to be ninety-six, chiefly Indians.
We immediately laid down our packs, and prepared for battle, supposing
these to be the whole number or main body of the enemy, who were
marching on our left up the rivulet, upon the ice. I ordered Ensign
M'Donald to the command of the advanced guard, which, as we faced to the
left made a flanking party to our right. We marched to within a few
yards of the bank, which was higher than the ground we occupied; and
observing the ground gradually to descend from the bank of the rivulet
to the foot of the mountain, we extended our party along the bank, far
enough to command the whole of the enemy's at once; we waited till their
front was nearly opposite to our left wing, when I fired a gun, as a
signal for a general discharge upon them, whereupon we gave them the
first fire, which killed above forty Indians; the rest retreated, and
were pursued by about one half of our people. I now imagined the enemy
totally defeated, and ordered Ensign M'Donald to head the flying
remains of them, that none might escape; but we soon found our mistake,
and that the party we had attacked were only their advanced guard, their
main body coming up, consisting of 600 more, Canadians and Indians; upon
which I ordered our people to retreat to their own ground, which we
gained at the expence of fifty men killed; the remainder I rallied, and
drew up in pretty good order, where they fought with such intrepidity
and bravery as obliged the enemy (tho' seven to one in number) to
retreat a second time; but we, not being in a condition to pursue them,
they rallied again, and recovered their ground, and warmly pushed us in
front and both wings, while the mountain defended our rear; but they
were so warmly received, that their flanking parties soon retreated to
their main body with considerable loss. This threw the whole again into
disorder, and they retreated a third time; but our number being now too
far reduced to take advantage of their disorder, they rallied again, and
made a fresh attack upon us. About this time we discovered 200 Indians
going up the mountain on our right, as we supposed, to get possession of
the rising ground, and attack our rear; to prevent which I sent
Lieutenant Phillips, with eighteen men, to gain the first possession,
and beat them back; which he did, and being suspicious that the enemy
would go round on our left, and take possession of the other part of the
hill, I sent Lieutenant Crafton, with fifteen men, to prevent them
there; and soon after desired two Gentlemen, who were there, volunteers
in the party,[3] with a few men, to go and support him, which they did
with great bravery.
The enemy pushed us so close in front, that the parties were not more
than twenty yards asunder in general, and sometimes intermixed with each
other. The fire continued almost constant for an hour and a half from
the beginning of the attack, in which time we lost eight officers, and
more than 100 private men killed on the spot. We were at last obliged to
break, and I with about twenty men ran up the hill to Phillips and
Crafton, where we stopped and fired on the Indians who were eagerly
pushing us, with numbers that we could not withstand. Lieutenant
Phillips being surrounded by 300 Indians, was at this time capitulating
for himself and party, on the other part of the hill. He spoke to me,
and said if the enemy would give them good quarters, he thought it best
to surrender, otherwise that he would fight while he had one man left to
fire a gun.[4]
I now thought it most prudent to retreat, and bring off with me as many
of my party as I possibly could, which I immediately did; the Indians,
closely pursuing us at the same time, took several prisoners. We came to
Lake George in the evening, where we found several wounded men, whom we
took with us to the place where we had left our sleds, from whence I
sent an express to Fort Edward, desiring Mr. Haviland to send a party to
meet us, and assist us in bringing in the wounded; with the remainder I
tarried there the whole night, without fire or blankets, and in the
morning we proceeded up the lake, and met with Captain Stark at Hoop
Island, six miles north from Fort William-Henry, and encamped there that
night; the next day being the 15th, in the evening, we arrived at Fort
Edward.
The number of the enemy was about 700, 600 of which were Indians. By the
best accounts we could get, we killed 150 of them, and wounded as many
more. I will not pretend to determine what we should have done had we
been 400 or more strong; but this I am obliged to say of those brave men
who attended me (most of whom are now no more) both officers and
soldiers in their respective stations behaved with uncommon resolution
and courage; nor do I know an instance during the whole action in which
I can justly impeach the prudence or good conduct of any one of them.
The following is a LIST of the Killed, Missing, &c.
The Captain and Lieutenant of His Majesty's regular troops, volunteers
in this party, were taken prisoners; the Ensign, another volunteer of
the same corps, was killed, as were two volunteers, and a Serjeant of
the said corps, and one private.
Of Capt. Rogers's Company,
Lieut. Moore Killed.
Serjeant Parnell Ditto.
Thirty-six privates Ditto.
Of Capt. Shepherd's Company,
Two Serjeants
Sixteen privates
Of Capt. James Rogers's Company,
Ensign M'Donald Killed.
Of Capt. John Starks's Company,
Two Serjeants Killed.
Fourteen privates Ditto.
Of Capt. Bulkley's Company,
Capt. Bulkley Killed.
Lieut. Pottinger Ditto.
Ensign White Ditto.
Forty-seven privates K. and Miss.
Of Capt. William Stark's Company,
Ensign Ross Killed.
Of Capt. Brewer's Company,
Lieut. Campbell Killed.
MUSTER ROLL OF CAPTAIN CHARLES BULKELEY'S COMPANY OF RANGERS
The author found this muster-roll, with other valuable papers, in an old
tea-chest in the attic of a colonial house at Littleton, Mass., now
owned by a collateral descendant of Capt. Bulkeley. In this house Major
Robert Rogers and his officers once spent the night, while the privates
were quartered in the church near by.
Captain Bulkeley served first in Phineas Osgood's Company in their
expedition to Nova Scotia, and later in Robert Rogers's Rangers. He was
killed by the Indians near Rogers Rock, on Lake George, on March 13,
1758, and forty-seven of his men with him.
This muster-roll of Captain Bulkeley's company, and other lists which I
shall include in a larger work, are the only lists of Rogers's Rangers
known to exist.
"A MUSTER ROLL OF CAPT. CHAS. BULKELEY'S COMPANY OF RANGERS FROM THE
24TH DAY OF JUNE TO THE 24TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1757, BOTH DAYS INCLUSIVE."
Until what
Time of Time in the Total No.
Men's Names Quality Entrance Service of Days
Chas. Bulkeley Capt. June 24 Aug. 24 62
Jam. Rogers Lieut. June 24 Aug. 24 62
Thos. Cunningham " June 24 July 16 31
Henry Phillips Ensign " " Aug. 7 45
Henry Phillips Lieut. Aug. 8 " 24 17
Wm. Morris Ensign " " " " 17
Oliver Bates Serg't June 24 " " 62
Jonas Warren " " " " " 62
John Dinsmore " " " " " 62
Alexander Robb " " " " " 62
David Anthony Priv. " " " " "
Boaz Brown " " " " " "
Boston Burns " " " " " "
Benj. Bridge " " " " " "
Judah Bill " " " " " "
Rob't Campbell " " " " " "
Solomon Crosby " " " " " "
Dan'l Conally " " " " " "
Philip Clim " " " " " "
Abram Clark " " " " " "
Sam'l Clark " " " " " "
Sam'l Cunningham " " " " " "
Sam'l Crosby " " " " " "
Thos. Clish " " " " " "
James Coleman " " " " " "
Christopher Conally " " " " " "
Phineas Douglas " " " " " "
Hendrick Dawson " " " " " "
Sam'l Douglass " " " " " "
Jonathan Danforth " " " " " "
Joshua Dutton " " " " " "
Jonathan Edmunds " " " " " "
Zachariah Fitch " " " " " "
Wm. Fitch " " " " " "
Matthias Farnsworth " " " " " "
Joseph Flagg " " " " " "
John Flagg " " " " " "
Sam'l Gold " " " " " "
Jonathan Gates " " " " " "
Jonathan Hodgkins " " " " " "
Chas. Hans " " " " " "
Solomon Hartwell " " " " " "
Amaziah Hildreth " " " " " "
Dan'l Hartwell " " " " " "
Francis Hartwell " " " " " "
Thos. Hewit " " " " " "
John Hewit " " " " " "
Joseph Kidder " " " " " "
John Lessly " " " " " "
Francis Leighton " " " " " "
Nicholas Lin " " " " " "
Abel Lawrence " " " " " "
Wm. McGee " " " " " "
Abram Munroe " " " " " "
John Middleton " " " " " "
Rob't McNee " " " " " "
Alexander McCally " " " " " "
John McKalley " " " " " "
Andrew Notgrass " " " " " "
James Nichols " " " " " "
Wm. Pool " " " " " "
John Phillips " " " " " "
Wm. Prentice " " " " " "
Jonah Prentice " " " " " "
Patrick Rogers " " " " " "
Nathan Robbins " " " " " "
Sam'l Rice " " " " " "
Elezar Stearns " " " " " "
Benj. Spaulding " " " " " "
Aaron Smith " " " " " "
Philip Stewart " " " " " "
James Stuart " " " " " "
Hendrick Sixbury " " " " " "
Nathan Simonds " " " " " "
Wm. Smith " " " " " "
Alexander Scott " " " " " "
John Stuart " " " " " "
Isaac Southward " " " " " "
Wm. Taylor " " " " " "
John Trull " " " " " "
Nathan Taylor " " " " " "
David Vanderheyden " " " " " "
Solomon Wallace " " " " " "
David Wallace " " "
Elijah Willson " " "
Wm. Willson " " "
Wm. Crosby " " " Died Aug. 2
Wm. Glenny " " " " " 10
James Glenny " " " " " 13
Ephraim Kellock " " " " July 24
Wm. McClellan " " " " " 30
Nathan Munroe " " " " Aug. 5
Peter Martin " " " " July 18
Richard Russell " " " " " 28
Other names of Rangers found in account book of Captain Chas.
Bulkeley's:
Wm. Annis
Sam'l Britton
Eliab Bewer--Ensign
A. R. A. Cutter, Dr.
Michael Conally
Daniel Dwyer
Thomas Farmer
Amasa Gilson
George Shur
William Swan
William Stewart
William Stark--Lieut.
Abiel Smith
Elnathan Sherwin
David Willis
James White--Ensign
Jacob Emerson
Ebenezer Kimball
Mr. Rolfs
John Rossiers
Robert Lottridges
Graham & Comp
Capt. Burbank
Capt. Sheperd
Thos. & Benj^n Forseys
Copy of a Receipt, dated "Halifax, 10th Aug, 1757."
Rec'd Of Capt. Chas. Bulkeley three hundred Spanish Mil'd
Dollars for inlisting Recruits into His Majesty's Company of
Rangers, commanded by said Charles Bulkeley at ten Dollars
Each Recruit and to appear with Said Recruit at Albany in ye
Province of New York in Sixty days from the above date, or
to return the above s'd Dollars to Said Bulkeley on Demand.
James Rogers.
Lieut. Rogers returned in October, 1757, with the following recruits: