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Robert Rogers (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Robert Rogers was an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and Indian War
and the American Revolution
. During the French and Indian War Rogers raised and commanded the famous Rogers' Rangers
.
, a small town in northeastern Massachusetts
. At that time, the town served as a staging point for Ulster-Scots
settlers bound for the untamed wilderness of New Hampshire.
In 1739, when Rogers was eight years old, his family relocated to the Great Meadow district of New Hampshire near present-day Concord
, where James, an Irish immigrant, founded a settlement on 2190 acres (8.9 km²) of land, which he called Munterloney after a hilly place in Derry
, Ireland. Rogers referred to this childhood residence as "Mountalona". It was later renamed Dunbarton, New Hampshire
.
In 1740 the War of the Austrian Succession
(1740–1748) broke out in Europe and in 1744 the war spread to North America where it was known as King George's War
(1744–1748). During Rogers' youth (1746) he saw service in the New Hampshire militia as a private in Captain Daniel Ladd's Scouting Company and in 1747, also as a private, Ebenezer Eastman's Scouting Company both times guarding the New Hampshire frontier.
In 1754 Rogers became involved with a gang of counterfeiters. He was indicted but the case was never brought to trial.
In 1755, war engulfed the colonies, spreading also to Europe. Britain and France declared war on each other. The British in America suffered a string of defeats including Braddock
's. Encouraged by the French victories, American Indians launched a series of attacks along the colonial frontier with the intent of driving the British inhabitants into the sea.
that fought for the British
during the French and Indian War
. This militia unit operated primarily in the Lake George
and Lake Champlain
regions of New York. They frequently undertook winter raids against French towns and military emplacements, traveling on crude snowshoes and across frozen rivers. Never fully respected by the British regulars, Rogers' Rangers were one of the few non-Indian forces able to operate in the inhospitable region due to the harsh winter conditions and mountainous terrain.
Rogers evidenced an unusual talent for commanding his unit in conditions that the regular armies of the day were unaccustomed to working in. He took the initiative in mustering, equipping and commanding ranger units. He wrote an early guide for commanding such units is Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging". The Queen's York Rangers of the Canadian Army, the U.S. Army Rangers and the 1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery
all claim Rogers as their founder, and "Rogers' Rules of Ranging" are still quoted on the last page of the U.S. Army's Ranger handbook.
As he was personally responsible for paying his soldiers, Rogers went deeply into debt and took loans to ensure his soldiers were paid properly after their regular pay was raided during transport. He was never compensated by the British Army or government, though he had reason to believe he should have had his expenses reimbursed.
The war broke out in the midst of Robert Rogers' counterfeiting trial. The colonial government decided it needed experienced frontiersmen more than it needed to punish counterfeiters; hence, the charges against Rogers were dismissed. Upon his release, Rogers was appropriated in 1755 as an official recruiter for the renowned Colonel John Winslow
.
In 1756, Rogers arrived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
and, using the authority invested in him by Colonel Winslow, began to muster soldiers for the British Crown. It was probably during this time that the recruits enlisted by him began to be called "Rogers' Rangers" by the local populace.
Due to attacks by Americans Indians along the frontier, Rogers' recruitment drive was well supported by the frightened and angry provincials. The masons
of St. John's Lodge in Portsmouth received him with two degrees. In Portsmouth, he also met his future wife, Elizabeth Browne, the youngest daughter of Reverend Arthur Browne (Anglican). By the end of 1756, Rogers had raised three more companies of rangers, totaling four, one of which he commanded.
Robert's brothers — James
, Richard and possibly John — all served in Rogers' Rangers. Richard died of small pox in 1757 at Fort William Henry
; his corpse was later disinterred and mutilated by hostile natives. James would later assume Robert's post in the King's Rangers
at the end of the American Revolutionary War. It is not known what became of John, but it is suspected that he remained in the south after Robert's 1762 visit to Charleston, South Carolina
.
From 1755 to 1758, Rogers and his rangers served under a series of unsuccessful British commanders operating over the northern accesses to the British colonies: Major General William Johnson
, Major General William Shirley
, Colonel William Haviland
, and Major General James Abercromby
. At the time, the British could do little more than fight defensive campaigns around Lake Champlain
, Crown Point
, Ticonderoga
and the upper Hudson
.
During this time, the rangers proved indispensable; they grew gradually to twelve companies as well as several additional contingents of natives who had pledged their allegiance to the British cause. The rangers were kept organizationally distinct from British regulars. Rogers was their acting commandant, as well as the direct commander of his own company. Rogers routinely gave advice to his British superiors, which was ignored for the most part.
On 21 January 1757, at the First Battle of the Snowshoes
, Rogers' Rangers ambushed and captured seven Frenchmen near Fort Carillon
but then encountered a hundred French and Canadian militia and Ottawa Indians from the Ohio Country
. After taking casualties, Rogers' force retreated.
After British forces surrendered Fort William Henry
in August 1757, the Rangers were stationed on Rogers Island
near Fort Edward
. This allowed the Rangers to train and operate with more freedom than the regular British forces.
On 13 March 1758, at the Second Battle of the Snowshoes
, Rogers' Rangers ambushed a French and Indian column and, in turn, were ambushed by enemy forces. The Rangers lost 125 men in this encounter, as well as eight men wounded, with 52 surviving. Rogers estimated 100 killed and nearly 100 wounded of the French-Indian forces; however, the French listed casualties as total of ten Indians killed and seventeen wounded.
On 7 July 1758, Rogers' Rangers took part in the Battle of Carillon
.
In 1758, Abercromby recognized Rogers' accomplishments by promoting him to Major
, with the equally famous John Stark
as his second-in-command. Rogers now held two ranks appropriate to his double role: Captain and Major.
In 1759, the tide of the war turned and the British advanced on the city of Quebec
. Major General Jeffrey Amherst
, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America
, had a brilliant and definitive idea: He dispatched Rogers and his rangers on an expedition far behind enemy lines to the west against the Abenakis at Saint-Francis
in Quebec
, a staging base for native raids into New England. Rogers led a force of two-hundred rangers from Crown Point
, New York, deep into French territory to Saint-Francis.
At this time, the natives near Saint-Francis had given up their aboriginal way of life and were living in a town next to a French mission. Rogers burned the town
and claimed to have killed 200-the actual number was 30 killed and 5 captured. Following the 3 October 1759 attack and successful destruction of Saint-Francis, Rogers' force ran out of food during their retreat back through the rugged wilderness of northern Vermont
. Once the Rangers reached a safe location along the Connecticut River
at the abandoned Fort Wentworth
, Rogers left them encamped, and returned a few days later with food, and relief forces from Fort at Number 4
now Charlestown, New Hampshire
, the nearest British town.
The destruction of Saint-Francis by Rogers was a major psychological victory: The colonists no longer felt that they were helpless. The residents of Saint-Francis — a combined group of Abenakis and others — understood that they were no longer beyond reach. Abenaki raids along the frontier did not cease, but significantly diminished.
Quebec
fell in 1759 to be followed by Montreal
in 1760. Native activity against colonials in the east ceased. Rogers' service there was over. General Amherst transferred him to Brigadier General Robert Monckton
, commanding at Fort Pitt
(formerly Fort Duquesne
). Following Amherst's advice, Monckton sent the rangers to capture Detroit, far to the north, which they did.
On 29 November 1760, Rogers received the submission of the French posts on the Great Lakes
. It was the final act of his command. Shortly thereafter, his rangers were disbanded. Monckton offered Rogers command of a company of regulars in South Carolina
but, after visiting the place, Rogers chose instead to command another company in New York. That unit was soon disbanded, however, and Rogers was forced into retirement at half-pay.
No longer preoccupied with military affairs, Rogers returned to New England to marry Elizabeth Browne in June, 1761, and set up housekeeping with her in Concord, New Hampshire
. Like many New Englanders, they had indentured servants and slaves, including a native lad captured at Saint-Francis.
Some historians claim the state of Rogers' finances at this time is not compatible with what he and others professed it to be later. Rogers received large grants of land in southern New Hampshire in compensation for his services. He sold much of it at a profit and was able to purchase and maintain slaves. He did deed much of his land to his wife's family, which served to support her later.
In peacetime, Robert was a restless spirit. The colonists were in the process of quelling native operations piecemeal. Late in 1761, he accepted command of a company of mercenaries for the purpose of pacifying the Cherokee
s in North Carolina, after which he returned home.
On 10 February 1763, the French and Indian War
came to an end with the Treaty of Paris
(also known as the Treaty of 1763). Rogers found himself once more a soldier of fortune, still on half-pay. Later his worst enemy, General Thomas Gage
, remarked that if the army had put him on whole pay, they could have prevented his later unfit employment (Gage's terms).
On 7 May 1763, Pontiac's Rebellion
erupted in Michigan
. Chief Pontiac
— with a force of 300 warriors — attempted to capture Fort Detroit
by surprise. However, the British commander was aware of Pontiac's plan and his garrison was armed and ready. Undaunted, Pontiac withdrew and laid siege to the fort. Eventually more than 900 Indian warriors from a half-dozen tribes joined the siege of Fort Detroit.
Upon hearing this news, Rogers offered his services to General Jeffrey Amherst
. Rogers then accompanied Captain James Dalyell with a relief force to Fort Detroit
. Their ill-fated mission was terminated at the Battle of Bloody Run
on 31 July 1763.
In an attempt to break Pontiac's
siege of Fort Detroit
, about 250 British troops led by Dalyell and Rogers attempted a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment. However, Pontiac was ready — supposedly alerted by French settlers — and defeated the British at Parent's Creek two miles north of the fort. The creek, or run, was said to have run red with the blood of the 20 dead and 34 wounded British soldiers and was henceforth known as Bloody Run. Captain James Dalyell was one of those killed.
Soon after these events, Pontiac's rebellion collapsed and Chief Pontiac
himself faded away into obscurity and death. Surprisingly, Rogers would later memorialize Pontiac and his rebellion in a stage play during his sojourn in England.
To recoup his finances, Robert engaged briefly in a business venture with the fur trader, John Askin
, near Detroit. After it failed, he hoped to win the money by gambling, with the result that he was totally ruined. His creditors put him in prison for debt in New York, but he escaped.
, to whom he proposed to undertake an expedition to find the Northwest Passage
, Robert Rogers was bestowed an appointment as governor of Michilimackinac
(Mackinaw City, Michigan
) with a charter to look for the passage, and returned to North America.
and began his duties as royal governor. During Rogers' absence, Amherst had been replaced as commander of the British forces in America by Sir Thomas Gage
, a bitter rival of Amherst who despised colonials. As a loyal friend of Amherst and a colonial, Rogers was doubly hated by Gage.
As an aristocrat and political intriguer, Gage viewed Rogers as a provincial upstart who — due to his friendship with Amherst — posed a threat to his newly-acquired power. At the time, Rogers was still a half-pay captain in the British army and, to some degree, under Gage's military jurisdiction. However, Gage could not challenge Rogers — the king's appointee — unless he could find a good reason as the king would countermand any legal process in order to save his favorites. Knowing this, Gage actively set about finding an immutable justification to remove Rogers as royal governor in a way that would forestall royal intervention.
Unaware of Gage's plotting, Rogers continued performing his administrative duties with considerable zest. He dispatched expeditions to search for the fabled Northwest Passage
under Jonathan Carver
and James Tute, but they were unsuccessful and the path to the Pacific Ocean remained undiscovered until the expedition led by Alexander MacKenzie in 1793.
Perceiving a need for unity and a stronger government, Rogers negotiated with the Indians, parlayed with the French and developed a plan for a province in Michigan to be administered by a governor and Privy Council reporting to the king. This plan was supported by George III, but had little chance of being adopted, since Parliament had no intention of increasing the king's power.
Meanwhile, Gage used every opportunity to defame Rogers, portraying him as an opportunist who had gotten rich on the war only to gamble his money away as a profligate. How many of these allegations were true and how much Gage believed them to be true are difficult to say. Gage apparently saw Rogers as of questionable loyalty — certainly he was not loyal to Gage — and therefore needed watching. Rogers' dealings with the American Indian
s troubled Gage, as he and many other British officers in America had come to regard the Indians as treacherous vermin.
Potter's claims are questionable. The French were not in any position to receive Rogers, with a British governor sitting in Montreal. Nevertheless, on the strength of Potter's affidavit, Rogers was arrested in 1767, charged with treason and taken to Montreal in chains for trial. This trial was postponed until 1768. Elizabeth, carrying their first and only child, went home to Portsmouth
. This son became a lawyer in Portsmouth and had a family that has descended to modern times.
Gage sent Rogers to Montreal to stand trial but, once there, Rogers was among friends of Amherst. Due to Amherst's influence, Rogers was acquitted of all charges and the verdict was sent to King George III for approval. The king approved, but could not call Gage a liar openly. Instead, he made a note that there was reason to think Rogers might have been treasonous.
Returning to Michigan under the power of Gage was unthinkable; hence, Rogers went to England in 1769 to petition again for debt relief. However, the king had done all he would for Rogers and was preoccupied by the issue of the dissatisfied colonies. Rogers went again to debtor's prison and tried suing Gage for false imprisonment. Gage settled out of court by offering Rogers the half-pay of a Major in return for dropping the suit.
Exactly what transpired between the revolutionary leaders and Rogers is unclear. Rogers was arrested by the local Committee of Safety as a possible spy and released on parole that he would not serve against the colonies. He was offered a commission in the Revolutionary Army by the Continental Congress
, but declined on the grounds that he was a British officer. He later wrote to George Washington
asking for a command, but instead Washington had him arrested.
In short, Rogers behaved neither as a returned countryman nor as a potential revolutionary. He did not return to New Hampshire to resume life with Elizabeth. Instead, he wandered the countryside talking with various persons, both loyalist and revolutionary. He claimed to have a pass from Congress and often stated contradictory political views. Perhaps his behavior was not that of a spy, as Washington concluded, but of a broken man, a shadow of his former self. When conversing with others, he always seemed to be in or coming from a tavern, where he drank heavily.
After escaping from Washington's custody and finding revolutionary ranks firm against him, he offered his services to the British Army. They also were hoping he would live up to his reputation. In August 1776, he formed another ranger type unit called the Queen's Rangers
as its Colonel. In September 1776, Rogers assisted in the capture of Nathan Hale
, a spy for the Continental Army
. A contemporary account of Hale's capture written by Consider Tiffany, a Connecticut
shopkeeper and Loyalist, is in the Library of Congress
. In Tiffany's account, Rogers did not believe Hale's cover story (that he was a teacher) and lured him into his own betrayal by pretending to be a patriot spy himself.
In May 1777, Rogers was forcibly retired on grounds of "poor health." A return home now was impossible; Hale's execution and Rogers raising troops against the colonials seemed to confirm Washington's suspicions. At Washington's prompting, the New Hampshire legislature passed two decrees regarding Rogers: one a proscription and the other a divorce from his wife on grounds of abandonment and infidelity. She could not afford any friendship or mercy toward Robert now if she expected to remain in New Hampshire. Later, Elizabeth married an American naval officer John Roche. She died in 1811.
After a brief sojourn in England, Rogers returned in 1779 to raise the King's Rangers
in Nova Scotia, Canada, for General Sir Henry Clinton
. He was unable to keep the position due to his alcoholism, but his place was taken by his brother, James
. Now, he was of no further use to the British army. Accidentally snared by an American privateer, he spent some time in a prison in New York, escaping in 1782. In 1783, he was evacuated with other British troops to England. There, he was unable to earn a living or defeat his disease. He died in obscurity and debt, what little money he had going to pay an arrears in rent.
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. During the French and Indian War Rogers raised and commanded the famous Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
.
Early life
Robert Rogers was born to James and Mary McFatridge Rogers on 7 November 1731, in MethuenMethuen, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
, a small town in northeastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. At that time, the town served as a staging point for Ulster-Scots
Ulster-Scots
The Ulster Scots are an ethnic group in Ireland, descended from Lowland Scots and English from the border of those two countries, many from the "Border Reivers" culture...
settlers bound for the untamed wilderness of New Hampshire.
In 1739, when Rogers was eight years old, his family relocated to the Great Meadow district of New Hampshire near present-day Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, where James, an Irish immigrant, founded a settlement on 2190 acres (8.9 km²) of land, which he called Munterloney after a hilly place in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Ireland. Rogers referred to this childhood residence as "Mountalona". It was later renamed Dunbarton, New Hampshire
Dunbarton, New Hampshire
Dunbarton, is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,758 at the 2010 census.- History :Originally granted as Gorham's-town in 1735, and re-granted as Starkstown in 1748, the town was incorporated in 1765 as Dunbarton...
.
In 1740 the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
(1740–1748) broke out in Europe and in 1744 the war spread to North America where it was known as King George's War
King George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
(1744–1748). During Rogers' youth (1746) he saw service in the New Hampshire militia as a private in Captain Daniel Ladd's Scouting Company and in 1747, also as a private, Ebenezer Eastman's Scouting Company both times guarding the New Hampshire frontier.
In 1754 Rogers became involved with a gang of counterfeiters. He was indicted but the case was never brought to trial.
French and Indian War
Braddock expedition
The Braddock expedition, also called Braddock's campaign or, more commonly, Braddock's Defeat, was a failed British military expedition which attempted to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. It was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela on...
's. Encouraged by the French victories, American Indians launched a series of attacks along the colonial frontier with the intent of driving the British inhabitants into the sea.
Rogers and the Rangers
Rogers raised and commanded the famous Rogers' RangersRogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
that fought for the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. This militia unit operated primarily in the Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
and Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
regions of New York. They frequently undertook winter raids against French towns and military emplacements, traveling on crude snowshoes and across frozen rivers. Never fully respected by the British regulars, Rogers' Rangers were one of the few non-Indian forces able to operate in the inhospitable region due to the harsh winter conditions and mountainous terrain.
Rogers evidenced an unusual talent for commanding his unit in conditions that the regular armies of the day were unaccustomed to working in. He took the initiative in mustering, equipping and commanding ranger units. He wrote an early guide for commanding such units is Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging". The Queen's York Rangers of the Canadian Army, the U.S. Army Rangers and the 1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery
1st Battalion 119th Field Artillery
The 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery is part of the Michigan Army National Guard. Headquartered in Charlotte, Michigan, it consists of three batteries and a support company: Battery A in Port Huron, Battery B in Alma, Battery C in Albion, and an FSC Company in Augusta...
all claim Rogers as their founder, and "Rogers' Rules of Ranging" are still quoted on the last page of the U.S. Army's Ranger handbook.
As he was personally responsible for paying his soldiers, Rogers went deeply into debt and took loans to ensure his soldiers were paid properly after their regular pay was raided during transport. He was never compensated by the British Army or government, though he had reason to believe he should have had his expenses reimbursed.
Ranger recruiter
John Winslow (British army officer)
Major-General John Winslow , descendant of Pilgrim Edward Winslow, was an officer during the French and Indian War....
.
In 1756, Rogers arrived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
and, using the authority invested in him by Colonel Winslow, began to muster soldiers for the British Crown. It was probably during this time that the recruits enlisted by him began to be called "Rogers' Rangers" by the local populace.
Due to attacks by Americans Indians along the frontier, Rogers' recruitment drive was well supported by the frightened and angry provincials. The masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
of St. John's Lodge in Portsmouth received him with two degrees. In Portsmouth, he also met his future wife, Elizabeth Browne, the youngest daughter of Reverend Arthur Browne (Anglican). By the end of 1756, Rogers had raised three more companies of rangers, totaling four, one of which he commanded.
Robert's brothers — James
James Rogers (soldier)
James Rogers was an Irish-born soldier. He emigrated to America at a young age and became a frontiersman. He served with his brother Robert Rogers during the French and Indian War...
, Richard and possibly John — all served in Rogers' Rangers. Richard died of small pox in 1757 at Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry
Fort William Henry was a British fort at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It is best known as the site of notorious atrocities committed by Indians against the surrendered British and provincial troops following a successful French siege in 1757, an event which is the...
; his corpse was later disinterred and mutilated by hostile natives. James would later assume Robert's post in the King's Rangers
King's Rangers
The King's Rangers was a British provincial military unit raised for service during the American Revolutionary War.After Colonel Robert Rogers left the Queen's Rangers he went to Nova Scotia where he raised this unit in 1777. Rogers was famous for his service during the French and Indian War...
at the end of the American Revolutionary War. It is not known what became of John, but it is suspected that he remained in the south after Robert's 1762 visit to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
Northern campaign
- For more details on this topic, see Battle on Snowshoes (1757)Battle on Snowshoes (1757)The 1757 Battle on Snowshoes was a skirmish fought between Rogers' Rangers and French and Indian troops during the French and Indian War on January 21, 1757...
, Battle on SnowshoesBattle on SnowshoesThe 1758 Battle on Snowshoes occurred on March 13, 1758, during the French and Indian War. It was fought by members of British Ranger companies led by Robert Rogers against French troops and Indians allied to France...
and Battle of CarillonBattle of CarillonThe Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
.
From 1755 to 1758, Rogers and his rangers served under a series of unsuccessful British commanders operating over the northern accesses to the British colonies: Major General William Johnson
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
, Major General William Shirley
William Shirley
William Shirley was a British colonial administrator who served twice as Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay and as Governor of the Bahamas in the 1760s...
, Colonel William Haviland
William Haviland
William Haviland was an Irish-born general in the British Army. He is best known for his service in North America during the Seven Years' War.-Life:William Haviland was born in Ireland in 1718...
, and Major General James Abercromby
James Abercrombie (general)
General James Abercrombie or Abercromby was a British Army general and commander-in-chief of forces in North America during the French and Indian War, best known for the disastrous British losses in the 1758 Battle of Carillon.-Early life:Abercrombie was born in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland to...
. At the time, the British could do little more than fight defensive campaigns around Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, Crown Point
Fort Crown Point
Crown Point, was a British fort built by the combined efforts of both British and Provincial troops in North America in 1759 at narrows on Lake Champlain on the border between modern New York State and Vermont...
, Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
and the upper Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
During this time, the rangers proved indispensable; they grew gradually to twelve companies as well as several additional contingents of natives who had pledged their allegiance to the British cause. The rangers were kept organizationally distinct from British regulars. Rogers was their acting commandant, as well as the direct commander of his own company. Rogers routinely gave advice to his British superiors, which was ignored for the most part.
On 21 January 1757, at the First Battle of the Snowshoes
Battle on Snowshoes (1757)
The 1757 Battle on Snowshoes was a skirmish fought between Rogers' Rangers and French and Indian troops during the French and Indian War on January 21, 1757...
, Rogers' Rangers ambushed and captured seven Frenchmen near Fort Carillon
Fort Carillon
Fort Carillon was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. The fort was not far from Fort Saint Frédéric. It was built to prevent an attack on Canada and slow the advance of the enemy long enough to send reinforcements...
but then encountered a hundred French and Canadian militia and Ottawa Indians from the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
. After taking casualties, Rogers' force retreated.
After British forces surrendered Fort William Henry
Battle of Fort William Henry
The Siege of Fort William Henry was conducted in August 1757 by French General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm against the British-held Fort William Henry...
in August 1757, the Rangers were stationed on Rogers Island
Rogers Island (New York)
Rogers Island is an island on the Hudson River, in Washington County, New York, that once formed part of the third largest city in colonial North America, and is considered the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces, particularly the United States Army...
near Fort Edward
Fort Edward (village), New York
Fort Edward is a village in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village population was 3,141 at the 2000 census...
. This allowed the Rangers to train and operate with more freedom than the regular British forces.
On 13 March 1758, at the Second Battle of the Snowshoes
Battle on Snowshoes
The 1758 Battle on Snowshoes occurred on March 13, 1758, during the French and Indian War. It was fought by members of British Ranger companies led by Robert Rogers against French troops and Indians allied to France...
, Rogers' Rangers ambushed a French and Indian column and, in turn, were ambushed by enemy forces. The Rangers lost 125 men in this encounter, as well as eight men wounded, with 52 surviving. Rogers estimated 100 killed and nearly 100 wounded of the French-Indian forces; however, the French listed casualties as total of ten Indians killed and seventeen wounded.
On 7 July 1758, Rogers' Rangers took part in the Battle of Carillon
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, with the equally famous John Stark
John Stark
John Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
as his second-in-command. Rogers now held two ranks appropriate to his double role: Captain and Major.
In 1759, the tide of the war turned and the British advanced on the city of Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. Major General Jeffrey Amherst
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America
Commander-in-Chief, North America
The office of Commander-in-Chief, North America was a military position of the British Army. Established in 1755 in the early years of the Seven Years' War, holders of the post were generally responsible for land-based military personnel and activities in and around those parts of North America...
, had a brilliant and definitive idea: He dispatched Rogers and his rangers on an expedition far behind enemy lines to the west against the Abenakis at Saint-Francis
Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec
Saint-François-du-Lac is a community in the Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,002...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a staging base for native raids into New England. Rogers led a force of two-hundred rangers from Crown Point
Crown Point
Crown Point is the name of several towns or cities, and geographic features:United States*Crown Point, Alaska*Crown Point, Indiana - Lake County*Crown Point, New York**Fort Crown Point, built in 1759 on Lake Champlain by the British...
, New York, deep into French territory to Saint-Francis.
At this time, the natives near Saint-Francis had given up their aboriginal way of life and were living in a town next to a French mission. Rogers burned the town
St. Francis Raid
The St. Francis Raid was an attack in the French and Indian War by Robert Rogers and a band of his Rangers on the primarily Abenaki village of St. Francis, near the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River in what was then the French province of Canada, on October 4, 1759...
and claimed to have killed 200-the actual number was 30 killed and 5 captured. Following the 3 October 1759 attack and successful destruction of Saint-Francis, Rogers' force ran out of food during their retreat back through the rugged wilderness of northern Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. Once the Rangers reached a safe location along the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
at the abandoned Fort Wentworth
Fort Wentworth
Fort Wentworth was built by order of Benning Wentworth in 1755. The fort was built at the junction of the Upper Ammonoosuc River and Connecticut River, in Northumberland, New Hampshire, by soldiers of Colonel Joseph Blanchard's New Hampshire Provincial Regiment including Robert Rogers. In 1759,...
, Rogers left them encamped, and returned a few days later with food, and relief forces from Fort at Number 4
Fort at Number 4
The Fort at Number 4 was the northernmost British settlement along the Connecticut River in New Hampshire until after the French and Indian War. Now known as Charlestown, it was more than from the nearest other British settlement at Fort Dummer. Construction began in 1740 by brothers Stephen,...
now Charlestown, New Hampshire
Charlestown, New Hampshire
Charlestown is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,114 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Hubbard State Forest and the headquarters of the Student Conservation Association....
, the nearest British town.
The destruction of Saint-Francis by Rogers was a major psychological victory: The colonists no longer felt that they were helpless. The residents of Saint-Francis — a combined group of Abenakis and others — understood that they were no longer beyond reach. Abenaki raids along the frontier did not cease, but significantly diminished.
Western campaign
- For more details on this topic, see Fort DetroitFort DetroitFort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
or Fort PittFort Pitt (Pennsylvania)Fort Pitt was a fort built at the location of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.-French and Indian War:The fort was built from 1759 to 1761 during the French and Indian War , next to the site of former Fort Duquesne, at the confluence the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River...
.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
fell in 1759 to be followed by Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1760. Native activity against colonials in the east ceased. Rogers' service there was over. General Amherst transferred him to Brigadier General Robert Monckton
Robert Monckton
Robert Monckton was an officer of the British army and a colonial administrator in British North America. He had a distinguished military and political career, being second in command to General Wolfe at the battle of Quebec and subsequently being the Governor of New York State...
, commanding at Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)
Fort Pitt was a fort built at the location of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.-French and Indian War:The fort was built from 1759 to 1761 during the French and Indian War , next to the site of former Fort Duquesne, at the confluence the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River...
(formerly Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
). Following Amherst's advice, Monckton sent the rangers to capture Detroit, far to the north, which they did.
On 29 November 1760, Rogers received the submission of the French posts on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. It was the final act of his command. Shortly thereafter, his rangers were disbanded. Monckton offered Rogers command of a company of regulars in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
but, after visiting the place, Rogers chose instead to command another company in New York. That unit was soon disbanded, however, and Rogers was forced into retirement at half-pay.
No longer preoccupied with military affairs, Rogers returned to New England to marry Elizabeth Browne in June, 1761, and set up housekeeping with her in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
. Like many New Englanders, they had indentured servants and slaves, including a native lad captured at Saint-Francis.
Some historians claim the state of Rogers' finances at this time is not compatible with what he and others professed it to be later. Rogers received large grants of land in southern New Hampshire in compensation for his services. He sold much of it at a profit and was able to purchase and maintain slaves. He did deed much of his land to his wife's family, which served to support her later.
In peacetime, Robert was a restless spirit. The colonists were in the process of quelling native operations piecemeal. Late in 1761, he accepted command of a company of mercenaries for the purpose of pacifying the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
s in North Carolina, after which he returned home.
On 10 February 1763, the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
came to an end with the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
(also known as the Treaty of 1763). Rogers found himself once more a soldier of fortune, still on half-pay. Later his worst enemy, General Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
, remarked that if the army had put him on whole pay, they could have prevented his later unfit employment (Gage's terms).
Pontiac's Rebellion
- For more details on this topic, see Siege of Fort DetroitSiege of Fort DetroitThe Siege of Fort Detroit was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by North American Indians to capture Fort Detroit during Pontiac's Rebellion. The siege was led primarily by Pontiac, an Ottawa war leader.-Background:...
and Battle of Bloody RunBattle of Bloody RunThe Battle of Bloody Run was fought during Pontiac's Rebellion on July 31, 1763. In an attempt to break Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit, about 250 British troops attempted to make a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment....
.
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
erupted in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Chief Pontiac
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
— with a force of 300 warriors — attempted to capture Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
by surprise. However, the British commander was aware of Pontiac's plan and his garrison was armed and ready. Undaunted, Pontiac withdrew and laid siege to the fort. Eventually more than 900 Indian warriors from a half-dozen tribes joined the siege of Fort Detroit.
Upon hearing this news, Rogers offered his services to General Jeffrey Amherst
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Field Marshal Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst KCB served as an officer in the British Army and as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.Amherst is best known as one of the victors of the French and Indian War, when he conquered Louisbourg, Quebec City and...
. Rogers then accompanied Captain James Dalyell with a relief force to Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
. Their ill-fated mission was terminated at the Battle of Bloody Run
Battle of Bloody Run
The Battle of Bloody Run was fought during Pontiac's Rebellion on July 31, 1763. In an attempt to break Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit, about 250 British troops attempted to make a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment....
on 31 July 1763.
In an attempt to break Pontiac's
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
siege of Fort Detroit
Siege of Fort Detroit
The Siege of Fort Detroit was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by North American Indians to capture Fort Detroit during Pontiac's Rebellion. The siege was led primarily by Pontiac, an Ottawa war leader.-Background:...
, about 250 British troops led by Dalyell and Rogers attempted a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment. However, Pontiac was ready — supposedly alerted by French settlers — and defeated the British at Parent's Creek two miles north of the fort. The creek, or run, was said to have run red with the blood of the 20 dead and 34 wounded British soldiers and was henceforth known as Bloody Run. Captain James Dalyell was one of those killed.
Soon after these events, Pontiac's rebellion collapsed and Chief Pontiac
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
himself faded away into obscurity and death. Surprisingly, Rogers would later memorialize Pontiac and his rebellion in a stage play during his sojourn in England.
Post-war success and failure
Rogers had brought total dedication to his position as commander of the rangers. As was often the custom in the British and American armies, he had spent his own money to equip the rangers when needed and consequently had gone into debt. In 1764, he was faced with the problem of repaying his creditors.To recoup his finances, Robert engaged briefly in a business venture with the fur trader, John Askin
John Askin
John Askin was a fur trader, merchant and official in Upper Canada.He was born in Aughnacloy in Ireland in 1739; his ancestors are believed to have originally lived in Scotland with the surname Erskine. He came to North America with the British Army in 1758. After the British took over New France,...
, near Detroit. After it failed, he hoped to win the money by gambling, with the result that he was totally ruined. His creditors put him in prison for debt in New York, but he escaped.
Author in Britain
In 1765, Rogers voyaged to England to obtain pay for his service and capitalize on his fame. His journals and A Concise Account of North America were published. Immediately thereafter, he wrote a stage play, Ponteach [Pontiac]: or the Savages of America (1766), significant as an early American drama and for its sympathetic portrayal of Americans Indians. He enjoyed some moderate success with his publications (though Ponteach was condemned by the critics) and attracted royal attention. Following an audience with King George IIIGeorge III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, to whom he proposed to undertake an expedition to find the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
, Robert Rogers was bestowed an appointment as governor of Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
(Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
) with a charter to look for the passage, and returned to North America.
Royal Governor
Upon his return to America, Rogers moved with his wife to the fur-trading outpost of Fort MichilimackinacFort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
and began his duties as royal governor. During Rogers' absence, Amherst had been replaced as commander of the British forces in America by Sir Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
, a bitter rival of Amherst who despised colonials. As a loyal friend of Amherst and a colonial, Rogers was doubly hated by Gage.
Unaware of Gage's plotting, Rogers continued performing his administrative duties with considerable zest. He dispatched expeditions to search for the fabled Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
under Jonathan Carver
Jonathan Carver
Jonathan Carver was an American explorer and writer. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and then moved with his family to Canterbury, Connecticut. He later married Abigail Robbins and became a shoemaker. He is believed to have had seven children.In 1755 Carver joined the colonial militia at...
and James Tute, but they were unsuccessful and the path to the Pacific Ocean remained undiscovered until the expedition led by Alexander MacKenzie in 1793.
Perceiving a need for unity and a stronger government, Rogers negotiated with the Indians, parlayed with the French and developed a plan for a province in Michigan to be administered by a governor and Privy Council reporting to the king. This plan was supported by George III, but had little chance of being adopted, since Parliament had no intention of increasing the king's power.
Meanwhile, Gage used every opportunity to defame Rogers, portraying him as an opportunist who had gotten rich on the war only to gamble his money away as a profligate. How many of these allegations were true and how much Gage believed them to be true are difficult to say. Gage apparently saw Rogers as of questionable loyalty — certainly he was not loyal to Gage — and therefore needed watching. Rogers' dealings with the American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s troubled Gage, as he and many other British officers in America had come to regard the Indians as treacherous vermin.
Arrest for treason
Gage hired spies to intercept Rogers' mail and suborned his subordinates. Unfortunately, Rogers offended his private secretary, Nathaniel Potter, and Potter gave Gage the excuse he needed. Potter swore in an affidavit that Rogers said he would offer his province to the French if the British government failed to approve his plan of governance.Potter's claims are questionable. The French were not in any position to receive Rogers, with a British governor sitting in Montreal. Nevertheless, on the strength of Potter's affidavit, Rogers was arrested in 1767, charged with treason and taken to Montreal in chains for trial. This trial was postponed until 1768. Elizabeth, carrying their first and only child, went home to Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. This son became a lawyer in Portsmouth and had a family that has descended to modern times.
Vindication
Returning to Michigan under the power of Gage was unthinkable; hence, Rogers went to England in 1769 to petition again for debt relief. However, the king had done all he would for Rogers and was preoccupied by the issue of the dissatisfied colonies. Rogers went again to debtor's prison and tried suing Gage for false imprisonment. Gage settled out of court by offering Rogers the half-pay of a Major in return for dropping the suit.
American Revolutionary War
Because of his legal troubles in England, Robert Rogers missed the major events in the disaffected colonies. When he heard that revolution was likely to break out, he returned to America in 1775. The Americans were as out of touch with Rogers as he was with them. Looking upon him as the noted ranger leader, and expecting him to behave as one, they were at a total loss to explain his drunken and licentious behavior. At that time, Rogers was perhaps suffering from the alcoholism that blighted his later life and led to the loss of his family, land, money and friends.Exactly what transpired between the revolutionary leaders and Rogers is unclear. Rogers was arrested by the local Committee of Safety as a possible spy and released on parole that he would not serve against the colonies. He was offered a commission in the Revolutionary Army by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, but declined on the grounds that he was a British officer. He later wrote to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
asking for a command, but instead Washington had him arrested.
In short, Rogers behaved neither as a returned countryman nor as a potential revolutionary. He did not return to New Hampshire to resume life with Elizabeth. Instead, he wandered the countryside talking with various persons, both loyalist and revolutionary. He claimed to have a pass from Congress and often stated contradictory political views. Perhaps his behavior was not that of a spy, as Washington concluded, but of a broken man, a shadow of his former self. When conversing with others, he always seemed to be in or coming from a tavern, where he drank heavily.
After escaping from Washington's custody and finding revolutionary ranks firm against him, he offered his services to the British Army. They also were hoping he would live up to his reputation. In August 1776, he formed another ranger type unit called the Queen's Rangers
Queen's Rangers
The Queen's Rangers was a military unit who fought on the Loyalist side during the American War of Independence. After the war they moved to Nova Scotia and disbanded, but were reformed again in Upper Canada before disbanding again, in 1802, a decade prior to the War of 1812.-French and Indian...
as its Colonel. In September 1776, Rogers assisted in the capture of Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a soldier for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British...
, a spy for the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. A contemporary account of Hale's capture written by Consider Tiffany, a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
shopkeeper and Loyalist, is in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. In Tiffany's account, Rogers did not believe Hale's cover story (that he was a teacher) and lured him into his own betrayal by pretending to be a patriot spy himself.
In May 1777, Rogers was forcibly retired on grounds of "poor health." A return home now was impossible; Hale's execution and Rogers raising troops against the colonials seemed to confirm Washington's suspicions. At Washington's prompting, the New Hampshire legislature passed two decrees regarding Rogers: one a proscription and the other a divorce from his wife on grounds of abandonment and infidelity. She could not afford any friendship or mercy toward Robert now if she expected to remain in New Hampshire. Later, Elizabeth married an American naval officer John Roche. She died in 1811.
After a brief sojourn in England, Rogers returned in 1779 to raise the King's Rangers
King's Rangers
The King's Rangers was a British provincial military unit raised for service during the American Revolutionary War.After Colonel Robert Rogers left the Queen's Rangers he went to Nova Scotia where he raised this unit in 1777. Rogers was famous for his service during the French and Indian War...
in Nova Scotia, Canada, for General Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
. He was unable to keep the position due to his alcoholism, but his place was taken by his brother, James
James Rogers (soldier)
James Rogers was an Irish-born soldier. He emigrated to America at a young age and became a frontiersman. He served with his brother Robert Rogers during the French and Indian War...
. Now, he was of no further use to the British army. Accidentally snared by an American privateer, he spent some time in a prison in New York, escaping in 1782. In 1783, he was evacuated with other British troops to England. There, he was unable to earn a living or defeat his disease. He died in obscurity and debt, what little money he had going to pay an arrears in rent.
The legacy of Rogers
- John Paul JonesJohn Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
' ship during the American Revolutionary War was named USS RangerUSS Ranger (1777)The first USS Ranger was a sloop-of-war in the Continental Navy, and received the second salute to an American fighting vessel by a foreign power The first USS Ranger was a sloop-of-war in the Continental Navy, and received the second salute to an American fighting vessel by a foreign power The...
in honor of Robert Rogers and his famous rangers. The few early triumphs of the Continental Navy during the War for Independence were achieved by The Ranger. Under John Paul Jones' command, this famous ship would later witness the first salute to the American flag by a foreign country.
- Rogers' heroics in the French and Indian War and his later life are depicted in the novel Northwest PassageNorthwest Passage (novel)Northwest Passage is a historical novel by Kenneth Roberts, published in 1937. Told through the eyes of primary character Langdon Towne, much of this novel centers around the exploits and character of Robert Rogers, the leader of Rogers' Rangers, who were a colonial force fighting with the British...
(1936) by Kenneth Roberts. The novel inspired a movie of the same titleNorthwest Passage (1940 film)Northwest Passage is a 1940 film in Technicolor, starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, Walter Brennan, Ruth Hussey, and others. It is based on a novel by Kenneth Roberts titled Northwest Passage ....
(1940), starring Spencer TracySpencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
as Major Rogers.
- In the 1958-1959 televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
season, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired Northwest PassageNorthwest Passage (TV series)Northwest Passage is a 26-episode half-hour adventure television series produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer about Major Robert Rogers during the time of the French and Indian War . The show derived its title and the main characters Rogers, Towne, and Marriner from the 1937 novel of the same name by...
, a fictionalized half-hour series about Rogers and men seeking the Northwest PassageNorthwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
during the French and Indian War. Keith LarsenKeith LarsenKeith Larsen was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer who starred in three short-lived television series between 1955 and 1961.-Background:...
(1924–2006) played the title role, with Buddy EbsenBuddy EbsenBuddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
, later of CBS's The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
and Barnaby JonesBarnaby JonesBarnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
, as SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Hunk Marriner.
- On 30 May 2005, (Memorial DayMemorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
in the U.S.), a statueStatueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of Rogers was unveiled during a ceremony on Rogers IslandRogers Island (New York)Rogers Island is an island on the Hudson River, in Washington County, New York, that once formed part of the third largest city in colonial North America, and is considered the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces, particularly the United States Army...
in the Hudson RiverHudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, 40 miles (64.4 km) miles north of Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. This is near to the site where Rogers penned his "Rules of Ranging."
- Rogers is mentioned respectfully in "The Ranger Handbook" which is given to every soldier in the U.S. Army's Ranger School, and is referred to in that publication as the originator of ranger tactics in the American military. The Handbook summarizes Rogers' principles of irregular warfareIrregular warfareIrregular warfare is warfare in which one or more combatants are irregular military rather than regular forces. Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare, and so is asymmetric warfare....
as presented in "Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging"."
Further reading
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Robert Rogers the Ranger
- Biography from U-S-history.com
- Rogers' Rangers
- Major Robert Rogers of the Rangers
- Biography from acidus.com
- The early campaign
- A Battle Fought on Snow Shoes
- The attack on Saint-Francis
- The Tarnished Tale of Robert Rogers
- Washington Post book review
- Robert Rogers Estimate of the Fur Trade in the District of Michilimackinac
- Descendants of James Rogers, Father of the Rangers. Contains descendants of Robert Rogers, James Rogers, Samuel Rogers and his other siblings.