Weren't Rogers Rangers ....

W

WTF

Joined
Feb 20, 2000
Messages
1,057
...Loyal to the King of England? Did they exist as Rangers during the Revolutionary War? Did they fight against our founding Fathers at the time? BTW Andy, when are you gonna answear my Emails?

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"KEEP IT SIMPLE"

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way"
 
WTF
smile.gif
Good to hear from you man! Yes, I received both of yours, as well as a hundred or so others and I am catching up...thanks for your patience...I will get to them tonight!! I promise...BTW...I was in NYC today with Aubrey from South Africa and tried to contact you at work to meet up, but was unsuccessful...more about that off line.

Yes, during the French and Indian War, Rogers' Rangers fought side by side with the British, AND...Maj. Robert Rogers was subsequently denied enrollment in the Colonial Army by George Washington himself during the buildup to the fight for Independence, for being too closely associated to the British in his view.

The important things however, to remember about Maj. Robert Rogers and Rogers' Rangers are:

1) He was the first Frontiersman to organize the hardest hitting group of military men utilizing "Ranging" tactics

2) His written contributions of "Common Sense Rules and Standing Orders", which really represented the first American military manuals of their time.

3) His unorthodox approaches in tactics, which had altogether demonstrated far greater efficacy in fighting than so called "tried and true" British methods

For these reasons, material about Maj. Robert Rogers and Rogers' Rangers is included on the Ranger Training Brigade website, as well as hundreds of other military oriented resources. Rangers, while not commanded by Rogers at the time, were by all means included in the arsenal of men during the fight for Independence.

In fact, Rogers' right hand man, John Stark, an original member of Rogers' Rangers, went on to be an esteemed General during the Revolution...commanding Rangers and employing Ranger tactics.


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Andy Prisco,
Co-Founder, Manager
American Tomahawk Company
877-557-5200
http://www.americantomahawk.com
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According to my thorough education of American History provided by our rather redundant public education system in the U.S., Robert Rogers was a colonial farmer recruited from New Hampshire in 1755 by the British for service in the French and Indian War (1754-63). He did go on to form the Rogers' Rangers, which continued to serve British interests in America (as did all "Americans").

As the American Revolutionary War was beginning, Robert Rogers returned to the U.S. to join the Revolutionary forces. George Washington refused his offer of help, because he feared that Rogers might be a loyalist spy. In an act of pride and defiance to George Washington, Robert Rogers then openly joined the British and organized and commanded the "Queen's Rangers", and later created the "King's Rangers".

Interestingly, though, Historians believe the spark of the American Revolution may have begun in the ranks of Rogers' Rangers. One of America's best officers during the Revolution was John Stark, who had been Rogers' Lieutenant. The British had treated the Rangers poorly during the French and Indian War. In 1775 former members of Rogers' Rangers fired upon the British at Concord and Lexington.

Thus, according to my education and research, the organization known as "Rogers' Rangers" did begin its service as a function of the British government. But like ALL branches of the U.S. military, the Rangers became an official component of the newly independant U.S. military.

Keep in mind that there was not any national American government at the time of Rogers' Rangers. Thus, to serve Britain, was to serve America. Further, according to my research ,it appears that Roger's role in the Rogers' Rangers split as he forged two new Rangers entities during the revolutionary war. All the while, members of the orginial Rogers' Rangers were fighting for "American" interests.

I think the key thing to remember hear is that America is but a little more than 200 years old as a nation of peoples. By our nature, we are a conglomeration of peoples from all countries who are down right fiesty. However, because of our country's youth, most things in our history have their basis in other countries.

Kind of like my name. Folks hear O'Leary and they say "Oh, you are Irish". I correct them and I say, "No, I am American". Though I have ancestry from Ireland (and God knows where else), I was born and bred in America.

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Stay back! or I'll...OUCH...cut myself.

[This message has been edited by alexoleary@prodigy.net (edited 02-12-2001).]
 
Ok, so what happend to him during the war and then after? Did he have confict with his own Rangers? Was he and his Kings Rangers successful as a unit? Did he stay in America after the war? Obviously the concept of the Ranger in England never happend. More history please!

------------------
"KEEP IT SIMPLE"

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way"
 
Thanks gentlemen!

------------------
"KEEP IT SIMPLE"

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way"
 
This is rather interesting. when I went through ranger school, we spent most of the 16 wks. on patrol.
The patrol is an outstanding learning vehical.
It has rewards in combat as well.
If you haven`t guessed; I love patrol.
Too much rank takes that away.
Well, war is not all fun.
There were no ranger units then.
The history was a bit sparse.
 
There is a song from the American Revolution that goes, in part: "He will meet out Mountain Boys and their leader, Johnny Stark, who make but little noise but who always hit their mark. Oh, the rifle! Oh, the rifle! In our hands 'twill prove no trifle." This was, if I remember correctly, in reference to Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne and the the Green Mountain Boys at Bennington, Vermont.

The rifleman later came truly into his own when Clinton and Cornwallis took the War to the South and tried to intimidate the Scots/Irish/German immigrants who had moved across the Appalachians to get away from the British between 1763 and 1777. This led to Kings Mountain and the death of Major Patrick Ferguson, the inventor of the first effective breechloading rifle, and a leader of Loyalist troops, in an all rifle fire fight, at least on the colonials' part. There is a good article on it in the latest Military Heritage magazine (April, 2001).

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
 
From the hard lessons learnt in these two wars, Sir Jihn Moore developed a new weapon system. He called them Riflemen.

From the Canadian Indian war uniforms soon bleached or just fell apart. Anyone out there for very long was in buckshins and local garb. Head dress and musket type being the best indication of whoes side you were on. Camouflage and open tactics worked in the woods. From these lessons Moore put his new riflemen in green and had open order tactics controlled by bugle calls.

From the War of Independence, open order tactics were also used, especially by the Hanovian/German/Swiss light infantry jarger (?) mercenaries brought over by the Brits, to counter the guerilla tactics. Both sides started using rifles to snipe at each other. The Hanovians weren't slow to have theirs sent over from home too. Moore, once home, issued his Brigade of Riflemen with a rifled Baker Rifle.

A Rifleman was trained to think for himself without undue command, work in pairs, shoot straight (even given marksmanship practice. He had a Rifleman hold a card at 200 yards/paces? which he shot at and hit; to prove the point he held the card and had the rifleman do the same) and take out prime targets: officers and hardwear (cannon and their crews). All in green! Doesn't this sound rather modern. From there they never looked back and served as sharpshooters on Nelsons ships and skirmisher for Wellington at Waterloo.

Now The Royal Green Jackets (Fifty three Victoria Crosses), they still have regimental conections with Canadian Ranger Units.
PS. I should have listened more closely to my regimental history, rather than catch up with my sleep. At the time sleep was more important.
 
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