A JOURNAL OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SCOUT

OF FIVE MEN SENT FROM THE ENCAMPMENT AT LAKE GEORGE TO RECONOITRE THE ENCAMPMENT OF THE FRENCH AND INDIANS AT TORONDUROQUE.

Sept 27th. P. M. Set forward, in a Birch Canoe. Past that night Sundry Indian Fires (their Spyes) by the sides of the Lake. Put ashore about 7 miles from the Carrying place, left three with the Canoe-two went forward.

Early on the 28th about ten in the morning came in view of an Encampment at the lower end of the Lake, at the Carrying place, of about one thousand French and Indians-We Crawled thro' their Guards to within about thirty or forty rods of the Encampment.

There was no Fort nor Artillery there. We retired & went about one Mile & a half further, & discovered their Grand Encampment-Crept thro' their Guards to within about Sixty rods, found a Fort building there-discover'd a Number of Cannon Mounted-we had a Convenient Situation for a View, which we kept till toward night & by the appearance of the Tents & Troops, French & Indians we Judged likely to be about three thousand.

Their Situation Comands the passage at the Carrying place, & (we tho't) the passage down Champlain from Wood Creek to Crown Point.

Next day, the 29th, returned to our Canoes & found a Large Indian Canoe had passed up the Lake with one Frenchman, & Nine Indians, who on their return we waylayed on a point of the Lake-they came in reach of our small arms, at whom we fired about Forty Guns. Disenabled or killed six of them, & Chased the remaining four, but at their Schrieks three Indian Canoes came to their relief which Prevented our bringing them in.

Returned to our Camps that night. Which is the General information we are able to give, & is humbly submitted by

Sept 29th 1755.

Your Honours most Obedient Humble Servant

ROBERT RODGERS.

To the Honble Joseph Blanchard Esq. Colo of the New Hampshire Regt In the Expedition against Crown Point.

May it please your Honour

The foregoing is a report of Capt Robert Rodgers, under your Direction, sent with a party to Toronduroque to Reconoitre that post, which is humbly offered by

A Return of the persedings of the Detaichment of men ordered on the Scout under the Comand of Philip Lord on Sunday the 4th of october we marched about Teen miles to the Eastward of this incampment and so sent oute parties of 4 and 5 men to the South Easte and North Easte and so Conteneued Begining as sun as it was Day Light for the Spase of 3 Days and Returned with oute making aney Discouerey of the Inemy.

To Honable Gener Jonson.

PHILIP LORD {

Commander of the Detachm1.

CAPT. RODGERS' REPORT.

October the 7th 1755.

In the Evening Embarkt by order from the Camp at Lake George with a partey of aboute 50 men To make Descouery of the french at Atianderogoe & wee went by three or four fires & in sixteen miles sailing I mist one Batoe it being Dark Could Not find it went on with the Rest of the Command And aboute brake Day landed our Batoes on ye East side of ye Lake Georg within Twelve miles of the Caring Place at atenderrogo lay their that Day Made No Discouery the Eighth Day at Evening Landed our Batoes and Boare towards Tianderrogoe & Descouerd a fire on an Island put to land & sent of a burtch Cannoe to see whate was their They that was on ye Island Descouerd ye Cannoe & Put oute their fires & as we supposed went of In their Cannoe then went Down with ye Party within aboute 7 miles of the Cereing place & landed on a point on ye west side of ye lacke George and Drewe up ye Batoes and secuered them ye 9th at morning sent off Capt Putnam with one man and Capt Hunt with 3 men more In order to goe to ye Carring Place and Tianderogoe and make Discouerys their & Returne to the Partey at Evening Capt Hunt Come back with Two men at Night sent of Ens" Putnam with three men and ordered them to make what Discouery they Could with the Borch Conew and to goe to the Cereing Place Tarry their all Night and in ye morning as soon as it was light to Come back To their Command That Night Discouerd Several fires on ye shoar of ye lake 10th Day Sun half an hour highe In ye morning our burch Canoe Come in keept oute Small Scouts by land and Good Guards for fear of the Enemy Coming on our Backs ye Sun aboute 2 hours high then came up 3 burtch Canoes Came by ye East Shore Came within 70 Rods of ye Point where wee were weel ambushed for them they lay on their oars for ye Best Part of an oure 23 in Number then sent oute our burtch Canoe to Decoye them up by the Point our Cannoe went Pariled with them within 30 Rods then turnd and Padeled Back up by ye Point But they Did not folow them but turnd Down ye Lake half a mile and boar ouer to the west shore & their landed their Cannoes our Centry and small Scouts Come in and said they Discourd Indians and heard them talk Capt Putnam Instantly Came back with ye account ye Indians were on our Backs wee found their Partey to stronge for us to Encounter with launchd our Batoes and sat homewards 15 miles and lodged on an Island ye 11th Day we arived at lake georg the Incampment where wee tooke our Departure from

Sir This is the Most Correct account of my agurnale on my Command till my Returne to this Place this with all the Reporte of my Spies I sent oute

To the Honarble William Johnson Esqr Commander in Chiefe

at Lake George Which is presented from

Yr Honnours Most obdiont and Humble Servant

(Endorsed) A Journal of Capt Rodgers' Proceedings with a Command on Lake Georg

delivd the 12 October 1755.

ROBART RODGERS.

REPORT OF CAPT. PUTNAM.

SENT BY CAPT. RODGERS AS A SPY TO TIONDEROGO.

Oct 9th 1755. Then lift Capt Rogers upon a neck of Land upon the west side of Lake George and Set out towards tycondorogue to see what Discoveries we Could make and after we had march about 7 or 8 miles we came upon a Large Mountain near the Heither end of the narrows, and when we came there we Could make no Discovery at all but after sometime wee espyed three Barke Cannoes Drew upon the Shore upon a point of Land that Ran into the Lake, and then wee espyed two Indians Comeing out of the Bushes toward the Cannoes, after water, and after sometime we espyed several french and Indians on the East side of the Lake and soon after that we heard the noise of Cutting, hewing, adsing, and sawing, as tho there was a Large Company of men at work, and by their talking and Laughing their was amongst them, and then we Espyed about thirty Indians Came out of the Bushes on the west side of the Lake on the point within a large musket shot of us, and played a spell on the Beach, and then Returned into the Bush, and from the point Eastward, their was almost a Continual fireing and barking of Doggs and talking so we thot it was not safe to proceed to Tycondarogue and so Concluded to tarry there all knight and see what further Discoveries wee Could make by the fires in the knight, and just at the Dusk of the evening their Came four Cannoes from the East and went to the west side of the Lake and landed on the point where the others were incamped, and Drew up their Cannoes on ye Shore and by this time wee began to Discover the fires on the point and on the East side of the Lake, but Could not Discover what number their was, because the Bushes were so thick by the Lake but as near as we Could best Judge we thot there was six or seven hundred by the fires and Guards set on both sides the Lake and about Day Brake, they mustered their men to work and then wee Left the mountain and Returned to Capt Rogers on the point and when we Came within sixty or seventy Rods of the point we Espyed thirteen Indians pass by within ten Rods of us, towards the point where we left Capt. Rogers, and after they had passed by us, we Came to the point where we left Capt Rogers, and found all well this is the Chef of the Discovery and best acovnt that I am able to give

Left Capt Rodgers by His orders to go to tiandrogo and the Careing place and macke Discovers then and had two men with me and Capt putnom went with me with one man moore and we traveld Down the Laike gorge within two miles of the Narros or Careing place and se where the friench were at work one the Eas Side of the Lake gorge and one the west side there was an Eincampment of Abovt one Hundred Indiens A gainst the friench Eincampments and the whole that wase one both sids of the Laike we Jvded to be about 7 or 8 Hondred men Heard the shoot sevrel Gons and

see severel Botos Drawed up By ther Eincampments Left Capt pvtnum and one man to geo to tiandrogo and Retvrned to Aqvaint ovr Comand of what Discoverey we Had made Come to them Abovt Svn Downe this Is the Chef that I can say Consernin the Discovereys that I made who is Si yovr Hvmbl Servent

To Capt Rodgers

(Endorsed) Report of Capt Hunt sent as a spy to

SAMLL HUNT.

Tionderogo by Capt Rodgers. delivd 12 Octor. 1755.

REPORT OF ENSIGNE PUTNAM.

October the 9th 1755.

I left Capten Rodgers by His ord to geo in the Borch Conow to make Discovereys of the fre at the Careying place or whair they freiench Incampments was and took three men with me wen abovt 5 or 6 miles downe the Laike and discovred severel fiers one the wes side of the Laike one a point and went within twenty Rods of the fers and see the men by the fiers and thee Espeyed our Conoo and made Ratling Atho thee ware pvting ovt after us we mad ove to the East shore and Lay one ovr ors for some time Expecting the Enemy bvt None followed then went Downe by there fiers abovt one Quarter of A mile and see a Lardge in Campment on the East Side of Abovt A thovsand men as we Jvdged they spred one the Laike for Half A mile and we Come back twoards ovr Comand one mile and went into A Coue and Lay till Brak of Day and went Downe within Half A mile of the fiers and them friesh and then returned to ovr Comand whear we found all well this is the chefe that I can say Consarning ovr Discovery. Laike Gorge to Capten Rodgers.

TIMOTHY PVTNVM.

REPORTS OF JOHN TAPLIN AND HENRY BABCOCK.

Lake Gorge october the 10 1755.

I marched from this place with fifty men and marched a Bout fiue or six mils to the South East and in Camped and sent out Scouts toward the South Bay and toward wood Crik and we mad No descouery of any Eanmy and Retorned Home this Day october the 13. JOHN TAPLIN.

Lake George Octor 13, 1755.

A Report of the Scout of the West Side of the Lake-Went out the 10th Instant with 50 men reconnoitred the Woods about 10 or 12 miles from the Camp, discovered no Enemy, returned to the Camp the 13th, Pr HENRY BABCOCK Capt of the Scout.

CAPT SYMS' REPORT.

SIR We are now Incamped about three miles from you imedeately on our coming here we sent out two Scouts, both came in and did not discover any thing towards Evening I posted Century out one of wh was shot and scalpd a hatched was left in his head, Shall be glad to receive your farther orders some of my men seem frightened and fear. some will run off to night as they seem much frightened I am Sir your most humble servant WILLIAM SYMS.

I shall stay in this Place till I receive your farther orders.

I believe some fresh hands would be necessary.

To General Johnson at Lake George.

REPORT OF LIEUT. FONDA.

Camp at Lake George 14 Oct 1755. A Report of the Scout under my Command being in Number 1 Sergint and 12 Men-Agreeable to orders Came op first with the party Commanded by Lut: Van Schaick who was on the return back to this Camp and asked the Reason why they returned so soon or why they had not proceded as an accident had happened to one of their men he sayd he was sick and unfit to proced on which I left him and Came up with the party Commanded by Capt1 Syms, who was waiting for orders on which I then gave him the orders I Received from gen" Johnson Aid De Camp to March forward upon which all Excepting all to Refused to proced and then I asked my party to go and take their Blanketts and provisions which they Denied Except with their own Officers and I then Called and said all you that are Cowards Come and Ile take yr names Down and they Come so thick that I Could see But 10 or 12 Left of the whole party & they mostly Consisting of New Yorkers and then I asked the Commander what he woud do or whether he understood me that he was to go forword he said he believed he would Come back and so we returned to this Camp.

JELLES FONda.

CAPT. SIMS' REPORT.

Monday ye 13th Instant Set out from ye Camps about 2, o'the Clock in ye afternoon upon Comd with Fifty men under my Command Travild about three miles upon ye West of ye Lake and sent out 3 Scouts according to orders; and Encampd 2 of which Performed their orders and return'd without any Discovery, But thro' mistake the officer that was ordered for to send ye North Scout, sett only a Centery, who was Placed near 45 Rods from ye Encampt and about half an Hour after sunset he was fired upon as near as We could Judge by a Scout from ye Enemy Consisting of four or five Indians, upon which I ordered all to arms and to proceed with all speed to ye Place where ye fire was and when I got there to my astonishm1 I had but about 15 men with me, I Looked Back and they Cried out for Gods sake call us all togeather or we shall be cut off, upon which I order'd them to spread and march in a half moon in order to Discover ye Ennemy or ye occation of ye Fire and without Further Discovery But ye Loss of all Except about six or seven Living men which was with me and my Lieutent Then Returned and upon our Return found ye Centery kill'd & sculp'd Took him Down to ye Camp and there found ye Rest of my men In Great Distress Tying up their Packs; upon which I Doubled ye Guards and ordered all to stand their Ground upon their Perril where I with Difficulty kept them Till Furth orders from your Hon1 upon ye Receipt of which I could Prevail upon but 13 men to Proceed Further and therefore Judged Best and most advisable to returne and Report ye Occation of my not Proceeding ye Scout out as I have Particularly Informed your Honr Worthy St I now stand ready upon all orders to Pursue your Commds to a Tittle upon my Part, Provided I can have such materials as are fit for ye Purpose, and When Ever I fail Lett me be stigmatized I Remain Your Honrs Most Dutiful and Obt Humble Servt Camp at Lake George

Octobr 22d 1755.

To the Honnorble Willm Johnson Esq

WY SYMES.

Leutt Genl of ye Army at Lake George.