Journals of Robert Rogers of the Rangers

by Robert Rogers

'The thrilling true account of a famous woodsman, scout & guerilla leader during the formative years of the American Nation' In the evocative pages of Rogers own journal we are taken through a landscape of dark untrodden forest where danger from hostile Indians and the French Army threaten every step. Famous exploits of guerilla warfare are graphically told, including battles and ambushes on America's lakes, the devastating 'Fight on Snowshoes' and the raid against the Abanakee's village at St, Francis, recounted across time by Rogers himself.

Genres: History, War, American History, Nonfiction

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Hunter Choy]

Very interesting primary source, subject to the bias of the author. We need more period films on the era.

[Sharon]

The Journals of Robert Rogers of the Rangers is a personal history of the French and Indian War as experienced by Robert Rogers. The book is a straight-forward journal of the English version of the Seven-Year's War against the French. It was very interesting to me as I grew up in the New England area and was able to visualize many of his and the Rangers journeys. He not only described his orders from a plethora of British generals but the land over which the Rangers travelled. The types of trees, plants, and soil are described for each area as part of a general description of the journeys.

While I admit, the TV show TURN caused me to read this book, I came away much impressed with Robert Rogers, whose book does not portray the drunkard that he became during the Revolutionary War (information gleaned from other sources than TURN). This book is a good read and recommended if you like Early-American history.

[John Greenwood]

History is almost always interesting but not always compelling.

This narration of an underreported era of American history is just such an example. This is particularly true in the latter stages of this book where the author leads the reader from 1761 era Detroit to Albany, NY. The French & Indian War is over and the Americans, fighting with the British, must make their way home - useful as a diary but not compelling.

That said, the first 80% of the book is quite fascinating. I had not known that Army Rangers had existed at that stage of US history, and their exploits foreshadowed the Rangers of today.

This was very difficult combat, and not at all like the stereotypical scenes of Redcoats arrayed in linear formation, but more similar to the asymmetric strategies of modern military action.

[james parke]

My star count is driven by the historical interest and the fact that this is an original source for an era in American history that I am loosely aware of but not immersed in beyond family stories. While Robert Rogers is a figure of some "heroic" renown, like the Swamp Fox and other guerilla warfare specialists, his specific exploits were unknown to me. He represents the frontiersmen who adopted small engagement, irregular warfare tactics of the Native Americans against them and their French allies. As with the reading of Pepys' Diary, a great deal of it is mundane and to some degree so repetitious that one merely scans paragraph upon paragraph like wading through weeds to get to a garden. His prose is a rather more spare hinting at contemporary formality, observant of the horrors of warfare without great grizzly detail... and a good thing. Scalping, rapine and torture spared. The horrific wounds that hand-to-hand combat inflicts, the 50+ caliber bullet holes without anesthesia or antibiotics. The incredible exposure mid-winter in this part of Champlain and the St. Lawrence. And, the brutally hot, humid swamp that it becomes in summer. The endurance of these men portaging massive boats through wilderness... and finally, the matter of fact recitation of the deaths of hundreds, virtually the entire force in a skirmish or two. Oh, well back to the colonies to recruit more. And, bad decisions so openly recited and candidly regretted. Oops! They bear a credibility that transcends the braggadocio most autobiographies, Though there is plenty of self serving to go around, one doesn't sense Trump-like delusion.
All in all, quite readable, terse, educational to a great degree and such a window into the war, the leadership, the purposelessness of it (destroying a village's food supply, killing their animals, burning down their homes, forcing the women and children and such men as weren't killed and scalped to trek hundreds of miles with nothing, all in mid-winter). To understand the "tit-for-tat" of this war's horrors, read the other side of this scorched earth policy: "The Unredeemed Captive". For me, a ancestral story passed down for generations. The book is rather presumptuous. The one written by the survivor himself provides a contemporary balance to the modern pseudo-psychiatric analysis Demos conjures up.
Lastly, I never knew there were that many Native Americans wandering about the woods hunting, trading and spicing their internacine and interminable tribal warfare by joining the forces of formal European culture fighting formal European warfare in this quite other world.

[Al Lock]

It is what it says it is, a collection of the journals of Robert Rogers for the years of the French and Indian War. A quick read, best read by those who have read other materials written by men of the frontier.

I learned a few things from this.
Robert Rogers had brothers who served as officer in other ranging companies (Richard and James).
The companies were called "Ranging Companies" because they ranged out to patrol, ambush, etc. The members of those companies were called Rangers. It is during this conflict that the "Ranger" moniker begins to be applied to the companies as well as the men.
Robert Rogers was both a Major and a Captain at the same time (and commanded both a collection of Ranging Companies as a Major, and one specific Company as a Captain). Both ranks given him by the same authority in the same letter.

[Sean McClintock]

This journal seemed to be more to keep a record of events and missions than Roger's ideas or opinions. It's still one of the best primary sources you can get about rangers fighting in the French and Indian War. Although this isn't the most exciting read, I do recommend it for those interested in american colonial military history as Robert Rogers was a major influence on ranger units during the conflict. I will also note that some of his estimates on enemies he faced were unaccurate, so I wouldn't believe every detail that Roger's gives. I dont feel he lied on purpose because the fighting Roger's and his men did mainly took place in thick woods and it's easy to see where the confusion comes from. Overall, this book isn't exciting, but for what it is (an officers journal), it's worth a read.

[Bob Rogers]

This is a primary source document of great value, as Major Rogers preserves his experiences fighting in the French & Indian War, as the pioneer of the Army Rangers. He not only records his exploits, wreaking havoc among the French forts, and fighting battles, some that he lost, but most that he won, and including letters to and from him, but he also lists his strategies and rules of engagement, which show much thought, experience and cleverness. A treasure for historians to study!
On a personal note, I was particularly interested in learning if Robert Rogers is my ancestor, and although I cannot verify that, he mentions a brother James Rogers, and I understand I had an ancestor named James Rogers from the approximate same time period.

[Laura Leilani]

Not an actual journal so much as a collection of military letters. It’s interesting from a military and historical standpoint, but if you are hoping for an actual journal, where Rogers pours his feelings and thoughts onto paper, you will be disappointed.

I am no closer to understanding Rogers as a person than I was before reading this book. I did come away with even more respect for him though. He was smart, tough, and fair. That guy could survive anything.

What would have made this book better would have been maps and copies of the drawings that Rogers made. Would have been nice to have an overview of what was taking place in his life and in the country every few months. His marriage for instance, was never mentioned though it happened during these years.

[Patrick Martin]

Robert Rogers commanded a unit that fought in northern New York and Vermont. The journal shows how, at that time, you fought the elements as much as the enemy and were essentially fighting on two fronts. Even to the point of putting ice skate on to cover more ground while on recon around the lake. The folks apparently traveled with ice skates and snow shoes as well as their boots, rucksacks and weapons.

It was interesting, but a dry read at times whe reciting orders. If showed the interaction between forts and patrols while operating among the enemy. Well worth the read for someone interested n first hand knowledge of the time period.

[Tim]

The Journals of Robert Rogers are an account of his activities fighting in the French and Indian War. He details his battle and journeys around lake George and Ticonderoga and up into Montréal. The description can be a bit dry throughout. The encounters get more interesting towards the end of the journals in 1760 during his travels to relieve the French encamped in Detroit. The descriptions of his interactions with the native Americans are fascinating but not that detailed.

[Barry Estell]

Don’t read if you haven’t read a biography because there is no context. I did and it included way too many direct quotes. The quotes are almost unreadable due to spelling and syntax as would be expected of a back woodsman with little or no education. This appears to be written by someone else in the King’s English. Maybe from his notes, but how much?

[Kristian Strauss]

Difficult to read as it is based on the epistolary form of script taken over Roger's career in 7 years war and the lessons that he would later be known for teaching his voluntary ranger regiment, more of a historical read that Is worth referencing than one that is read for it's own sake.

[Dana Reeves]

Real history

Good first hand narrative of events in our early American history. Transcription to the digital format was full of grammatical errors. Verbage and vernicular of the 1760's is challenging enough without modern errors. Good read and quite interesting.

[Arthur]

Fascinating primary source

Major Rogers deserves to be better known, as does what we call in the States the French and Indian War. His Rangers fought with honor. This is a thorough record and very valuable.

[Lee Murray Brazos Booksellers]

Intriguing

An interesting first hand account of the French & Indian War. A rather generalized account, no great detail provided. Did a lot of walking in those days, and did a lot oh intelligence work for the British.

Highly recommended.

[Otis Gill]

Interesting

It's a bit tedious at times. After all, it is a journal. But its amazing to be able to read a narrative by a British commander during the French and Indian War.

It's a classic, and I'm grateful it survived since the 1700s.

[Wayne Beals]

Great book. Rangers Lead the Way.

This was a very good read that had a good flow to it. Excellent Ranger history book that will make you admire these Rangers.

[Damien A.]

What a bad ass. Today's military has nothing on Rogers

[Astor Teller]

To be a journal from the 1750s I found this surprisingly easy to read, but also too dry for me (but I guess I wasn’t the intended audience when Robert Rogers decided to publish them). So there are very little theatrics in the war he is covering, but quite a few letters between gentlemen officers (which I presume are put in the journal to vouch for Robert’s good conduct).

The funniest part was such a letter of two lost gentlemen walking in circles with only one snowshoe each (reminded me of the Sopranos episode S3.E11 where Paulie and Chris are lost in the woods) and nearly blowing themselves up while lighting a fire.

“Agreeable to orders” is Robert’s catchphrase in the journals.

But the journals are informative about how the first modern ranger unit was formed under the command of Robert Rogers and that he also had to pay from his own pocket (due to official slowness about payment). The rangers are not only marching, but also skating on the lakes, trudging with snowshoes in winter and also using different kind of smaller boats to perform their ranging duties.

[alan mileham]

These men were amongst the first Special Forces and their courage and fortitude was truly awe inspiring. As indeed was that of their enemies.

Both sides fought against nature as much as other soldiers. Both sides carried out what today would be classed as war crimes but the French and their allies seemed to be aiming to create terror. And it worked.