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This war between France and England raged from 1754 until 1763 on American soil. The French received support from its Indian allies. It was during this time that the famed Rogers' Rangers, independent frontiersmen from New England, led by Capt Robert Rogers fought in behalf of the British against the French.
They used strategies that would bring victories in the wilderness settings, rather than standing in straight lines in full exposure to the enemy. The Rangers made wise use of the terrain for protection when attacked. Rogers Rangers were the forerunners of the Green Berets and other commando style strategies. British commanding general, the Earl of Loudoun, in 1757 expanded the forces, and used Rogers' men to train British forces in wilderness warfare. Nine companies of Rangers were authorized in 1758 by General James Abercrombie, at which time, Robert Rogers was promoted to major. Rogers' Rangers were disbanded after marching west to accept the surrender of the French for at Detroit and a successful suppression of Chief Pontiac's uprising at the wars' end by the British. Major Robert Rogers 1731-1795) continued his service to the British forces during the American Revolutionary War Today there
is not a trace of the Fort Edwards complex or Roger's Island The
area has undergone extensive archaeological study. It is at this location that the original
brass 1750
Sundial Compass was discovered during an archaeological dig in 1965. |
Rogers'
Rangers headquarters was on Rogers' Island near Fort Edwards, New York in the
Adirondack area on the Hudson River. Dressed in buckskin, they moved silently in
single file through the woods; in addition, they used snowshoes to traverse the
deep snows through the harsh winters, and canoes or whaleboats on the rivers and
lakes.
