Robert Rogers, Major of the Rangers On Lord Howe:

Taken from ye Major's Journals.

When reading The Journals of Major Robert Rogers it is obvious the Major admires Lord Howe or as Rogers' refers to him, "my Lord How" more than any other British officer in the army. Much more importantly though we can learn more about Lord Howe himself. The following are several quotations taken from Rogers' Journals.

"My Lord Howe did us the honour to accompany us, being fond, as he expressed himself, to learn our method of marching, ambushing, retreating, &c. And upon our return, expressed his good opinion of us generously." p. 51 & 52 (Fall of 1757)

"I was ordered to Albany to recruit my companies, where I met with a very friendly reception from my Lord How, who advanced me cash to recruit the Rangers..." p. 92 (April 1758)

"I had a most agreeable interview, and a long conversation concerning the methods of distressing the enemy, and prosecuting the war with vigour the campaign. I parted him having the strongest assurances of his friendship and influence in my behalf." p. 94 (Rogers said of a his second meeting with Lord Howe on April 12,1758)

"His Lordship immediately ordered me out with fifty men... and directed me at all events to take a plan of the landing-place to the French fort at Carillon, and of the Lake Champlain for three miles beyond it, and to discover the enemy's numbers in that quarter." p. 98 (June 1758, prior to the attack on Ticonderoga)

"About ten o' clock the army moved again, when my Lord How went in the front with his whale-boat,..." p. 101 (as the army moved up Lake George to attack Ticonderoga, 1758)

"As soon as it was light his Lordship, with Col. Broadsteet and myself, went down to observe the landing-place before the army..." p. 101

"By this time my Lord Howe, with a detachment from his front, had broke the enemy, and hemmed them in on every side; but advancing himself with great eagerness and intrepidity upon them, was unfortunately shot and died immediately." p. 103 (this occurred during the landing when a group of French got between Rogers and a force under Col. Lyman and the force Lord Howe was leading. A skirmish of "sharp fire" as Rogers stated began.)>

"This noble and brave officer being universally beloved by both officers and soldiers of the army, his fall was not only most sincerely lamented, but seemed to produce an almost general consternation and languor through the whole." p. 103 (Rogers said of Lord Howe's death)

Source:

Warfare On The Colonial American Frontier: The Journals of Major Robert Rogers & An Historical Account of the Expedition Against the Ohio Indians in the Year 1764, Under the Command of Henry Bouquet, Esq. First printing 1769. Dresslar Publishing. IN 1999.

 

 

 

1758 Campaign Research