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Rogers' Rangers Toward Ticonderoga - 1759 by John Buxton
“If
the enemy pursue your rear, take a circle till you come to your
own tracks, and there form an ambush to receive them, and give them
the first fire. If your number be small, march in a single file,
keeping at such a distance from each other as to prevent one shot
from killing two men.”
These
are just two of a list of fighting techniques and methods known
as Rogers' Ranging Rules, compiled by Robert Rogers in the mid-1750s.
Many of his tactics are still practiced by the US Army today.
In this painting by John Buxton, it is the summer of 1759, and France
and Great Britain are locked in their final struggle for supremacy
in North America. A scouting party led by the famous Robert Rogers
pauses atop Mount Pelee, overlooking Lake George, on its way to
observe French activity at Fort Ticonderoga. British General Jeffrey
Amherst relies heavily on intelligence provided by his intrepid
American Rangers as he prepares his offensive against the French.
Once the Rangers' proficiency was recognized, they became Independent
Companies on the Regular British Establishment, and they were paid
for by the Crown. Their dress was a distinctive combination of military,
frontier, and native styles, and they practiced then-unconventional
tactics. The Rangers are accompanied by Royal Artillery Lieutenant
Thomas Davies, whose artistic efforts left us a valuable record
of colonial America. A member of Rogers' Stockbridge Indian Companies
accompanied him in this mission. He was subject to Ranger discipline,
but wore native dress and served under his own Indian officers.
Visit our bookstore area for titles about Rogers Rangers.
Annotated & Illustrated
Journals of Robert Rogers
History of Rogers Rangers by Burt Loescher:
Volume 1 The Beginnings 1755-1758
Volume 2 The First Green Berets
Volume 3 Officer listings
Volume 4 The St. Francis Raid
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