An interesting footnote in the History of the French and Indian War was the Battle of the Snowshoes, fought in the winter of 1758. For some context surrounding the battle, the fighting occurred near the top of Lake George, just south of Fort Ticonderoga, which at the time was under French control. The lake was a crucial point of control for either side, as it was a few miles from the Hudson River and fed into Lake Champlain, and so the side that controlled these connections controlled a significant portion of transport between New York City and Quebec. However, this battle was said to have occurred during March, a time when the Adirondack wilderness was covered in deep snow and the Lake was frozen over.
This is a story that I have heard countless times, as my extended family is from the Glens Falls area and I spent significant time on Lake George growing up. However, as is often the case with old folktales, I rarely hear the same rendition of the story twice. There is a strong possibility that such a battle did occur given the amount of warfare that took place on the lake; however, the details have likely been embellished over generations.
Colonial forces were stationed near the south side of the lake, and a small force was sent north on a scout mission towards Fort Ticonderoga. The troop was led by Captain Rogers, who, in the stories I have heard, was comparable to Odysseus as a leader. He was said to be daring, tough, and incredibly cunning, with the latter narrative being established in this battle. He had led his troops up and over the mountains on the western side of the lake until they were spotted by French scouts at the site that is now Rogers Rock (which, by the way, is a beautiful hike and rock climbing destination if you ever find yourself in the area).
Image: The southeast face of Rogers Rock, where Captain Rogers supposedly executed his brilliant escape.
Upon spotting Rogers, the French sent a combined French and Native American force that easily outnumbered the colonial troops. Many soldiers fell on both sides, and not even the daring Robert Rogers could justify continuing to fight. Severely outnumbered, the colonial troops were forced to retreat south back through the deep snow, with few surviving that endeavor. Rogers, however, just barely avoided capture. As the story goes, Rogers, equipped with snowshoes, was chased by a small Native American troop, found himself exhausted, overlooking the steep rock face now known as Rogers Rock.
This is where the story breaks into its different versions. One version has Rogers sliding down the face to the ice below and miraculously surviving and escaping pursuit. The more accepted story is that Rogers walked up to the edge of the cliff, slid his backpack down to the lake, then walked backward, retracing his snowshoe tracks and scaling a tree. Upon discovering the scene, the enemies saw the footprints leading up to the ledge and the slide trail left by the backpack, promptly assumed that Rogers had died, and gave up pursuit. Rogers would hike back unscathed.
As such, the mountain was named Rogers Rock, and that face is called Rogers Slide. Nowadays, Rogers Rock is a popular campground, and as I briefly mentioned, a popular hike. It is my duty to make sure that this story lives on, so be sure to tell anyone and everyone the tale of Captain Rogers.
Works Cited
“Battle of Rogers Rock.” Battle on Snowshoes : New York State Independence Trail: French & Indian and Revolutionary War Tourism Sites, http://nyindependencetrail.org/stories-Battle-of-Rogers-Rock.html .