Rogers' Rock, Lake George, March 13, 1758: A Battle Fought on Snow ShoesRogers, Mary Cochrane
History
Rogers' Rock, Lake George, March 13, 1758: A Battle Fought on Snow Shoes
Rogers, Mary Cochrane
Rogers' Rangers; Rogers, Robert, 1731-1795; United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1754-1763 -- Regimental histories
'I had several conferences with him, in which he discovered great
strength of judgment, and a thirst after knowledge. He endeavoured to
inform himself of our military order and discipline. He often intimated
to me, that he could be content to reign in his country in subordination
to the King of Great Britain, and was willing to pay him such annual
acknowledgment as he was able in furs, and to call him his uncle. He was
curious to know our methods of manufacturing cloth, iron, &c. and
expressed a great desire to see England, and offered me a part of his
country if I would conduct him there. He assured me, that he was
inclined to live peaceably with the English while they used him as he
deserved, and to encourage their settling in his country; but intimated,
that, if they treated him with neglect, he should shut up the way, and
exclude them from it; in short, his whole conversation sufficiently
indicated that he was far from considering himself as a conquered
Prince, and that he expected to be treated with the respect and honour
due to a King or Emperor, by all who came into his country, or treated
with him.
'In 1763, this Indian had the art and address to draw a number of tribes
into a confederacy, with a design first to reduce the English forts upon
the lakes, and then make a peace to his mind, by which he intended to
establish himself in his imperial authority; and so wisely were his
measures taken, that, in fifteen days time, he reduced or took ten of
our garrisons, which were all we had in his country, except Detroit; and
had he carried this garrison also, nothing was in the way to complete
his scheme. Some of the Indians left him, and by his consent made a
separate peace; but he would not be active or personally concerned in
it, saying, that when he made a peace, it should be such an one as would
be useful and honourable to himself, and to the King of Great Britain:
but he has not as yet proposed his terms.
'In 1763, when I went to throw provisions into the garrison at Detroit,
I sent this Indian a bottle of brandy by a Frenchman. His counsellors
advised him not to taste it, insinuating that it was poisoned, and sent
with a design to kill him; but Ponteack, with a nobleness of mind,
laughed at their suspicions, saying it was not in my power to kill him,
who had so lately saved my life.
'In the late war of his, he appointed a commissary, and began to make
money, or bills of credit, which he hath since punctually redeemed. His
money was the figure of what he wanted in exchange for it, drawn upon
bark, and the shape of an otter (his arms) drawn under it. Were proper
measures taken, this Indian might be rendered very serviceable to the
British trade and settlements in this country, more extensively so than
any one that hath ever been in alliance with us on the continent.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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