Journals of Major Robert Rogers

Robert Rogers was born in Londonderry, tender Hampshire, (or Methuen Massachusetts), in 1727. His parents, James and Mary McFatridge Rogers were Scotch-Irish, also had three separate sons James, Richard, and John. 1 They lived in a lessened townspeople in Massachusetts, which was a frontier town with log houses along the Merrimack valley. Robert was quadteen or xv years of age when his father gear uped a settlement in the state of nature on 2,190 acres of land, which he shout outd Munterloney. From his youth, he was inured to the hardships of the frontier, acquiring timbre traits of decisiveness, self-reliance and boldness, which distinguished him later in life. Rogers, acquired his scanty stock of go for learning, as he termed from a log school house that was sixteen feet long and twelve feet wide. 3Most of his knowledge came from his fathers farm, where he learn to hunt, trap, and fish which he earned a small living from. slice he was on hunting excursions he mingled wi th the Indians and learned some of their language, hunting methods and their habits. 4 He was six feet in statute, nearly proportioned, and one of the most athletic men of his time, well known in all the trials of strength and activity among the young men of his vicinity, and for several(prenominal)(prenominal) miles around. nigh six years later on they move, Roberts father James was base on balls through the woods on his way to visit a friend, when he was shot by the far away neighbor, thinking that he was a bear. He died later that night from his wound. Robert told some locals at a town tavern, that his mother was also killed by some hunters that thought her tracks were a bear. Ein truthone in the tavern thought he was telling a huge prevarication and tallest tale so they bought him a drink for the salientest lie. Robert was non deceit he did lose both of his parents. Robert joined the military service when he was twenty-eight.In 1746, when King Georges War broke out, Robe rt joined the radical Hampshire militia as a private in Captain Ladds Scouting Company and then again later (1747) in Eastmans Company, to guard the New Hampshire frontier. 7 there were ample details presumptuousness of his adventures most of them were given by himself in his journals. He wrote a adjudge A Concise work out of North America, which was a mastery and attracted royal attention. 8In 1754 Robert became involved with a gang of ounterfeiters he was indicted, but never brought to trial because the war broke out. 9 In 1755, France and Britain had declared war on each other, and conflict was spreading to the colonies of Europe. They were engagement over the right of discovery and occupation, each one wanting much of America. Since Rogers was an experienced frontiersman, the colonial government dropped the counterfeit charges against him, mean enchantment he was prescribed as an glumicial recruiter for Colonel John Winslow. 10 In 1756, Rogers started recruiting soldiers for his militia.Rogers had an unusual giving for training his men in the most dire circumstances. He proficient them in live fire, they learned to handle the extreme cold, how to live off of very little food. 11 By the end of 1756, Rogers had raised four regimens of rangers. He himself commanded one of them, and they were known as Rogers Rangers. He wrote a ingest for the Rangers to follow that had twenty eight rules for ranging. This guide later became famous, and was called Robert Rogers 28 Rules of Ranging. 12 Roberts familiars all served in a regimen of the Rangers.His brother Richard died in 1757 of small- pox at Fort Henry, his body was dug up and found mutilated and scalped by hostile natives. 13 His brother James stayed on with the Kings Rangers and assumed Roberts post after the American Revolutionary War ended. Not much is known about brother John after the war was over. Rogers was personally responsible for gifting his soldiers, He went deeply in debt, and had to ta ke out loans when their payroll was raided while in transport. Rogers was never reimbursed for his expenses by the government or the British Army. 4 everyplace the next three years the Rangers served under a series of defeated British commanders. The Rangers slowly grew to twelve companies as well as several additional contingents of natives who had pledged their allegiance to the British cause.The Rangers were kept separate from the British regulars. 15 In 1758 Rogers went to Lake George with about one hundred and eighty men, and had a battle with the French and Indians, he lost one hundred and 14 of his men. After that battle, General Abercrombie presented him with a commission of Major of the Rangers. 6 In 1759 Major General Amherst sent Rogers with two hundred men to attack St. Francis, they had been terrorizing the New England frontiers for centuries. They had been killing their cattle, burning their buildings, and killing the men and children and kidnapping the women. Roge rs was to destroy the hamlet but not harm any women and children. After it was over 200 Indians had been killed and they set the village on fire, because when morning came Rogers had seen over 600 scalps strung upon poles and doorways, which were loosely English. 7In 1760, Rogers and 600 Rangers and seventy Indians, in whale boats left for Montreal. He met up with Pontiac, the next morning they talked and smoked the peace-pipe. Pontiac gave him and his men provisions for his journey, and a few Indian braves for escort. 18 In 1764, he married Elizabeth Brown, fille of Reverend Arthur Brown. 19 Between 1762 and 1765, he bought and sold land, some of it was very expensive. Some of them he purchased and some of them he received in circumstance of military services. 0Major Rogers wasnt a good husband, after seventeen years Elizabeth divorced him on the grounds of desertion and infidelity. 21 In 1764, after many failed business ventures, trying to recoup money that he had spent trying to equip the Rangers, he could not pay his debtors. He suffered financial ruin. His creditors had him put in a New York prison house for his debts, but he escaped. 22 In 1765, his journals and A Concise Account of North America were published this work was a description of several British Colonies on that Continent, their population, their religion, boundaries, and their situations.It also included several accounts of Nations and Tribes of Indians residing in those separate it took into account their customs, manners, government, and the population. 23 Immediately after that publication, Rogers wrote a stage art that memorialized Pontiac and his rebellion. 24 He gained some success for his publications, and simultaneously attracted royal attention. His name and fame became familiar through the country and among both armies. 25 Rogers went to King George ternary to propose an expedition to find the Northwest Passage.In 1766, Rogers was bestowed an appointment as Commandant at Mic hilimickinac. After the conquest of Canada, this had become the most crucial military and trading post in the interior. 26 Rogers and his wife Elizabeth moved to Fort Michilimickinac where he began his duties as royal governor. This appointment was an office of great responsibility, a rare opportunity for Rogers, who took advantage of it. While the Governor, he was not supposed to incur expenses without authority Rogers did so, was arrested and taken to Montreal, but he managed to desexualise himself acquitted of the charges. 7In 1769 Rogers returned to England where he reported to the King. Rogers remained there until 1775, while there, he served as a soldier for awhile for Algerine, which was a job he performed very well, even though Rogers was approaching age fifty. 28 One sidereal day while Rogers was a passenger in a mail coach, a highway robber stopped the coach, and stuck a accelerator pedal through the window and demanded that everyone give him their valuables Rogers dr ew the thief through the window by his collar, and told the coachman to drive on.The robber had a reward offered for him of L50 sterling, which Rogers collected. 28 While Rogers was away, his friend Amherst was replaced as commander of the British forces in America by Sir Thomas Gage. Gage hated Rogers because of his friendship with Amherst, and the fact that he was a colonial. Gage set out to destroy Rogers, he wanted him removed(p) as royal governor, however had to be careful because Rogers was appointed by the King. 29 In 1776 Rogers fought his last war in America.He seemed to reach slowed down he did not display his usual leadership, which he had forever showed in the previous years. 30 In 1777 he returned to England where he was not heard much about, I know he started frequenting the local taverns, I am sure telling his tales of adventures. He will always be known for the manual that he had written for surviving while ranging. To this day his writings Rogers 28 rules of Rang ing 31are given to every Ranger that joins the service as a Ranger. Robert Rogers died in 1799. He will be sadly miss and his stories will go on forever.