As with most history, the real story is more fascinating, even more unbelievable than the Hollywood version.
Perhaps the best source for the historical facts is Burt Garfield Loescher's The History of Rogers' Rangers: Volume 4: The St. Francis Raid: http://www.amazon.com/History-Rogers-Rangers-Vol-Francis/dp/0788420771/sr=8-5/qid=1171423247/ref=sr_1_5/102-5980821-3930542?ie=UTF8&s=books Probably no one has done as much or gone as far to uncover the truth of this historic feat of arms against early New England's most feared enemy (at least, after the Pequots had been vanquished) the Abenaki tribe.
Another excellent book is John Cuneo's Robert Rogers of the Rangers.
A book of more recent vintage is Stephen Brumwell's White Devil: A True Story of War, Savagery, and Vengeance in Colonial America.
Perhaps the best source for the historical facts is Burt Garfield Loescher's The History of Rogers' Rangers: Volume 4: The St. Francis Raid: http://www.amazon.com/History-Rogers-Rangers-Vol-Francis/dp/0788420771/sr=8-5/qid=1171423247/ref=sr_1_5/102-5980821-3930542?ie=UTF8&s=books Probably no one has done as much or gone as far to uncover the truth of this historic feat of arms against early New England's most feared enemy (at least, after the Pequots had been vanquished) the Abenaki tribe.
Another excellent book is John Cuneo's Robert Rogers of the Rangers.
A book of more recent vintage is Stephen Brumwell's White Devil: A True Story of War, Savagery, and Vengeance in Colonial America.
Several reasons, the most important of which was a dramatic diversion that the British Commander In Chief Jeffrey Amherst desired to draw French and Indian forces away from James Wolfe's force arrayed before Quebec.
The St. Francis Raid occurred in 1759, climatic year of the French and Indian War. Amherst had devised a three-pronged attack upon French Canada that had bogged down. Rogers' mission would cause the French to change their dispositions just as Amherst's main army would be on the move.
As Burt Loescher points out, the provincials had their own reasons for wanting to destroy St. Francis (which the Indians and French called Odanak).
The St. Francis Abenakis had become a byword for ferocious attacks on New England's frontier villages since at least the end of King Phillp's (Metacom's) War in 1676. The famous 1704 Deerfield Massacre was but one of the Abenaki raids for which New Englanders long swore vengeance. Even though Abenaki raiders descended upon colonists from a total of nine main French missionary towns in the Quebec-Montreal-Crown Point region, as Loescher points out.
As Rogers noted in his after-action report, his rangers found 600-700 scalps fluttering in the breeze at St. Francis -- which of course gives us no idea how many additional hundreds of English scalps hung from poles in the other eight Abenaki villages. Suffice it to say, the colonists had cause to hate St. Francis.
The St. Francis Raid occurred in 1759, climatic year of the French and Indian War. Amherst had devised a three-pronged attack upon French Canada that had bogged down. Rogers' mission would cause the French to change their dispositions just as Amherst's main army would be on the move.
As Burt Loescher points out, the provincials had their own reasons for wanting to destroy St. Francis (which the Indians and French called Odanak).
The St. Francis Abenakis had become a byword for ferocious attacks on New England's frontier villages since at least the end of King Phillp's (Metacom's) War in 1676. The famous 1704 Deerfield Massacre was but one of the Abenaki raids for which New Englanders long swore vengeance. Even though Abenaki raiders descended upon colonists from a total of nine main French missionary towns in the Quebec-Montreal-Crown Point region, as Loescher points out.
As Rogers noted in his after-action report, his rangers found 600-700 scalps fluttering in the breeze at St. Francis -- which of course gives us no idea how many additional hundreds of English scalps hung from poles in the other eight Abenaki villages. Suffice it to say, the colonists had cause to hate St. Francis.
Timothy J. Todish annotated and Gary S. Zaboly illustrated a new edition of the Journals of Major Robert Rogers originally printed in 1769.
Todish in his introduction to the Journals recounts a number of other biographies and books about Rogers that are worth investigating.
Todish in his introduction to the Journals recounts a number of other biographies and books about Rogers that are worth investigating.
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- How long is Northwest Passage?2 hours and 6 minutes
- When was Northwest Passage released?February 23, 1940
- What is the IMDb rating of Northwest Passage?7 out of 10
- Who stars in Northwest Passage?
- Who wrote Northwest Passage?
- Who directed Northwest Passage?
- Who was the composer for Northwest Passage?
- Who was the producer of Northwest Passage?
- Who was the cinematographer for Northwest Passage?
- Who was the editor of Northwest Passage?
- Who are the characters in Northwest Passage?Langdon Towne, Sergeant Hunk Marriner, and Sir William Johnson
- What is the plot of Northwest Passage?Langdon Towne and Hunk Marriner join Major Rogers' Rangers as they wipe out an Indian village. They set out for Fort Wentworth, but when they arrive they find no soldiers and none of the supplies they expected.
- What was the budget for Northwest Passage?$2.678 million
- How much did Northwest Passage earn at the US box office?$2.17 million
- What is Northwest Passage rated?Passed
- What genre is Northwest Passage?Adventure, Drama, Historical Drama, Historical, Romance, War, and Western
- How many awards has Northwest Passage been nominated for?1 nomination
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