Welcome to The Ranger Gazette. Designed to be a newsletter for unit members, it is also a means to provide information to casual site visitors. While there is no guarantee that it will be published on a regular basis, I hope to update it each quarter with newly learned content.

Submissions for future issues would be welcome. They should focus on notices and reviews of events, research in progress, recent acquisitions, media events, and publications of interest. They may be submitted by anyone who has an interest and I will consider them. They may be sent to my email address george@frontiernet.net.

250th Anniversary of the French and Indian War Has Ended

The last five years celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the French and Indian War. These years were marked with many events commemorating major events of the war that included lectures, displays and battle reenactments at many locations and historic sites where the actual events occurred. New York State commemorated battles that were fought at Lake George (2005), Fort Bull and Fort Ontario (2006), Fort William Henry (2007), Fort Ticonderoga (2008), Fort Niagara (2009), and Fort La Presentation (2010).

New York State was also the only state to create a French and Indian War 250th Anniversary Commemorative Commission which was signed into law on November 23, 2004 by former New York Governor George Pataki. During the years of the Commission's tenure it was instrumental for providing funding for special events and the events mentioned above commemorating the conflict. It also was responsible for creating an informative and illustrated poster relating to the war in New York State for the use of teachers in New York State classrooms.

Another major accomplishment was the digitizing of the Sir William Johnson Papers which is available on a cd for $20 or on the internet at the New York State Library's website. To order the cd or link to the digital content on the internet go to this website:
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/ann/johnsoncd.htm

The commission also worked along with the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, Inc. to publish Waterways of War, The Struggle for Empire 1754-1763, A Traveler's Guide to the French and Indian War Forts and Battlefields along America's Byways in New York and Pennsylvania" providing a traveler along the Seaway Trail in New York and Pennsylvania to become acquainted with and visit the many sites along that route pertaining to the French and Indian War.  This book is available from Seaway Trails, Inc. for $9.95 and can be ordered at https://www.seawaytrailstore.com/catalog/waterwaysofwar

In conjunction with this book, there is also a brochure that can be obtained at visitor centers along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.  Also along the trail, the traveler may also view a series of 20 interpretive storyteller panels,at forts and other historic sites, to aquaint the viewer to significant persons and elements of the war.  Major Bray was honored to have been able to have been a part of this commission and work with his fellow commissioners.

Fort Ticonderoga

1) Previous issues of "The Bulletin of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum contain important F&I War articles.   Volume XVI, Number 1,1998", is dedicated to the 1758 attack by Major General James Abercromby on the French fortress.  It features never before published documents edited by director Nicholas Westbrook.   It also contains an article by Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch about the spin put on the attack by Brigadier General James Prevost which were previously published in French, but not in English.  The other issue, Volume XVI, Number 2, 1999, also is filled with French and Indian War content.  It has another article by Ian dealing with two soldiers of the 27th Regiment of Foot (Inniskilling).  It also has an article on the roles of  Blacks in the northern campaigns of  New York by Scott A. Padeni, and a study on 18th century powder horns in the Fort Ticonderoga Collection by Curator Christopher Fox.  Included is information about the Robert Rogers' horn which also adorns the cover of the bulletin.

2) Fort Ticonderoga owns, and hopes to publish in the near future,the journal of Connecticut regimental clerk Jesse Parsons. It should be interesting reading.

3) Fort Ticonderoga acquired the orderly book of Captain Goose Van Schaick's Company of Colonel James DeLancey's New York Provincial Regiment. It covers the period of 1 June - 27 October 1758. It is a yet unpublished account of the campaign against the fort in that year by Major General Abercromby.

4) The Fort Ticonderoga War College of the Seven Years' War will be held on May 18-20, 2012.  The War College is held in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center within the fort's interior. It represents the reconstruction of the magaisin du Roi destroyed in 1759 by the French upon their evacuation of the fort.

Fort Niagara

1) Fort Niagara is selling a revised and expanded edition of Captain Pierre Pouchot's "Memoirs on the Late War in North America between France and England" translated by Michael Cardy and annotated by the fort's former director Brian Leigh Dunnigan.  It includes new research, updates to the annotations, an appending of a "Journal of Indian Affairs, 1757", and additional illustrations.  It is hard covered, contains 640 pages, and is $39.95 (or $29.95 for Old Fort Niagara members).  It can be ordered at https://oldfortniagara.org/shop/?catId=9.  Also at the same site, Brian Dunnigan's book "Siege - 1759, The Campaign Against Niagara" is also available for sale for $14.95 which documents the British capture of the fortress from the French in July, 1759.

2) Also available is a DVD of the 250th Anniversary French and Indian War event held at Fort Niagara which can be ordered for $19.95 from http://www.siegeofniagara.com/home.html

Other Forts and Sites

Rogers' Island, Fort Edward, New York,is renovating its visitor center to be a lasting memorial to the Rangers and other units that were part of the Fort Edward complex. In 1758, the number of troops there made it the third largest city in British North America.  The visitor center will re-open mid-April 2011.  They are holding their 3rd Annual Gala on February 5,2011.  For more information visit http://www.rogersisland.org/programs/RIVC%202011%20Gala%20Invitation.pdf The annual "The End of the Campaign" French & Indian War Encampment will be held on September 24-25, 2011.

Publications

1) The Pine Tree Shilling is a newsletter featuring several items which impact in some way on the life in the American Colonies during the years 1650-1780.  The editors are Jeffrey & Louise Miller who were formerly associated with Fort Number 4, in Charlestown, NH.  It will be published 4 times a year (Feb, May, Aug, and Nov), and may be subscribed to for $15 per year (US), and $19 outside of the US.  Send payments to The Pine Tree Shilling, Subscription Dept., PO Box 1005, Charlestown, NH 03603-1005.

2) Artist Robert Griffing, in conjunction with Timothy J. Todish, has just published a followup book to his previously published The Art of Robert Griffing.  Entitled The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing, The Journey Continues, Volume Two, it will be available January 15, 2008.  More information can be found at http://www.paramountpress.com. The Paramount Press site also has   many of his earlier works, and also carries prints, postcards, and note papers featuring several of his works as well.

Items for Sale

1) For those who might be interested in a a fine watch for reenacting, contact Stuart Christians, 4419 Thirteen Mile Road, Rockford, MI 49341. These watches have the British Crown and GR stamped on the bezel and have a nice eagle design engraved on the cover.

2) If you are looking for "a lighter blue bonnet, heavily felted, thick and heavy for extended wear" of navy or plain blue color and with or without the red trim, contact Judy DeJonge at mdejonge3@aol.com.   Bonnets are $32 plus $4 for shipping and handling.

3) For muskets and other military hardware, consider contacting James Brown, NYS dealer for Loyalist Arms, at jbrown_14105@yahoo.com . He has a wide assortment of items to include a 1740's officers carbine in .62 caliber, a 1728 46 inch barrel musket with wooden rammer, a 1753 46 inch barrel musket with steel rammer, and other military accessories to include compasses, telescopes, and swords.

Additional French and Indian War Events

November 4-5 ... The Braddock Road Preservation Association will be sponsoring its Annual French and Indian War seminar pertaining to French and Indian War subject matter at the Jumonville Christian Camp and Retreat Center, 887 Jumonville Rd., Hopwood, PA 15445.  For more information visit http://www.braddockroadpa.org/seminar_current.html

Films of the French and Indian War

1)  A film produced by Mind Labs Films entitled "The Battle on Snowshoes" is now available.  It documents the famous engagement that took place near Fort Ticonderoga in March 1758.  Captain Mike Fitzgerald, fellow reenactor and friend, plays Robert Rogers.  His unit members and other reenactors provide great footage in the original locations to give the viewer an idea of what this wilderness fight was all about.  It also features historical comments by authors/historians Tim Todish, Bob Bearor, Ed Dodge, and Major Bray.  Also featured is artwork by artist/author/historian Gary Zaboly.  Go to Mind Lab Films website for more information at http://www.mindlabfilms.com/bos.htm.

2)  Another film in which Major Bray and Capt Fitzgerald participated in was for the BBC series "Ray Mear's Extreme Survival".  It is supposed to air on Travel Channel, though no dates are available at this time.  It documents the conditions and methods of survival that the rangers endured on Rogers' most famous expedition of the war.  It can be found on YouTube in six parts.

3)  Another British film on the French and Indian War, part oF the series The History of Warfare, is entitled "The French and Indian Wars". It also portrays reenactors covering various campaigns of this war and Major Bray also provides historical input for it.  It was produced by Cromwell Productions in 1999, and has been aired on the History Channel in the past.

4) "The Battle of Bushy Run" was produced in 1997 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.  You can probably obtain a copy of this film about an incident during the Pontiac War from them by writing PO Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108.

5)  Two recently made films about the war entitled "When the Forest Ran Red" and "George Washington's First War: The Battle for Fort Duquesne (sequel to the Forest Ran Red)" are available from Paladin Films @ http://www.paladincom.com/ordernow.html.

6)  A new film to commemorate the French and Indian War entitled "The War That Made America" was aired by PBS in January.   For more information, go to the following link: http://www.pbs.org/thewarthatmadeamerica/index.html

7)  Mountain Lake PBS produced a film on the French and Indian War entitled "The Forgotten War",.  For more information on this film go to http://www.forgottenwaronline.org/  Major Bray was also pleased to have been involved in this production.

Manuscripts by Major Bray

If you would like to read a couple of articles by Major George A. Bray III pertaining to the French and Indian War, click on the links below:

   Major George Scott's Irregulars at Louisbourg 1758

   Scalping During the French and Indian War

If any readers desire to comment on anything found in this newsletter, please contact me at my email address george@frontiernet.net. Also, if anyone has anything they would like to contribute feel free to do the same.