ed anew as Captain of an independent
company of Rangers, to be paid by the King. This company formed the
nucleus of the famous corps since known as "Roger's Rangers."

In July another company was raised, and again in December two more,
thereby increasing the Ranger corps to four companies. To anticipate, in
a little more than a year this was farther enlarged by the addition of
five more, and Captain Rogers was promoted to the rank of Major of
Rangers, becoming thus the commander of the whole corps.

The character of the service expected of this branch of the army was set
forth in Major General Shirley's orders to its commander in 1756, as
follows, viz.: "From time to time, to use your best endeavors to
distress the French and allies by sacking, burning, and destroying their
houses, barns, barracks, canoes, and battoes, and by killing their
cattle of every kind; and at all times to endeavour to way-lay, attack
and destroy their convoys of provisions by land and water in any part of
the country where he could find them."[A]

[Footnote A: Roger's Journal (Hough's edition), p. 46.]

On the fifteenth of January of the next year (1757) Captain Rogers, with
seventy-four Rangers, started down Lake George to reconnoiter the French
forts; travelling now for a time upon the ice, and by and by donning
snow-shoes and following the land. On the twenty-first, at a point half
way between Ticonderoga and Crown Point, they discovered a train of
provision sledges, three of which they captured, together with six
horses and seven men. The others fled within the walls of Ticonderoga
and alarmed the garrison. Feeling the insecurity of his situation he
commenced at once his return. By two o'clock in the afternoon, his party
was attacked by two hundred and fifty French and Indians, who endeavored
to surround it. A vigorous fight was kept up until dark. Rogers was
wounded twice and lost some twenty of his men. The French, as was
subsequently ascertained, lost one hundred and sixteen. The proximity of
Ticonderoga rendered vain the continuance of the contest, and he availed
him of the shelter of the night to return to Fort William Henry.

For this exploit he was highly complimented by General Abercrombie, and,
at a later period of this same year, was ordered by Lord Londown to
instruct and train for the ranging service a company of British
Regulars. To these he devoted much time and prepared for their use the
manual of instruction now found in