Rogers' Rangers

views updated

ROGERS' RANGERS

ROGERS' RANGERS were the most colorful corps in the British-American army during the French and Indian War. Under the command of Maj. Robert Rogers, the Rangers served as the eyes of Gen. James Abercromby's and Gen. Jeffrey Amherst's armies, conducted raids, scouted enemy forces, and captured prisoners. The Rangers' effectiveness came from their adoption of guerilla warfare. They typically marched through forests in single file as skirmishers ranged around them and used the cover of shrubs and bushes. Each ranger was also highly mobile and self-sufficient. If outnumbered, they fled and reassembled at a designated rendezvous point. Rogers' Rangers' audacious reputation made them famous throughout Great Britain and the colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Roberts, Kenneth Lewis. Northwest Passage. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran and Co., 1937.

Rogers, Robert. Reminiscences of the French War: With Robert Rogers' Journal and a Memoir of General Stark. Freedom, N.H.: Freedom Historical Society, 1988.

Shy, John. A People Numerous and Armed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1990.

Edward P.Alexander/e. m.

See alsoLake Champlain ; Rangers .

About this article

Rogers' Rangers

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article