Robert "White Devil" Rogers (7 November 1731 – 18 May 1795) was a British colonial frontiersman who was the leader of Rogers' Rangers in both the French and Indian War and American Revolutionary War. Rogers was a Major during the French and Indian War, becoming a folk hero while leading his rangers at the Battle of the Snowshoes in 1758 and the Battle of Fort Carillon in 1759; however, in 1775 he decided to take up arms against his fellow colonists as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of His Majesty's Queen's Rangers in America, despite swearing in Philadelphia that he would not fight against fellow colonists. Rogers would be dismissed because of his role in the ambush of a prisoner exchange, and he would leave the service of King George III of Britain when King George attempted to have him killed after completing a mission for him. Rogers was also the first published American playwright in England, writing a play about the persecution of the Native Americans by the English; the play was not well-received, but he held that major distinction.
Biography[]
Robert Rogers was born in Methuen, Massachusetts on 7 November 1731 in a large Scots-Irish community. Rogers moved to the untamed wilderness of the New Hampshire frontier, where he gained a grasp of frontier warfare in King George's War. In 1755, during the French and Indian War, Rogers founded Rogers' Rangers (a unit of frontier light infantry), and fought in the Battle of the Snowshoes in 1758, using his knowledge of ranging and frontier warfare to lead his men. Although the battle was a defeat, Rogers escaped by sliding off a rock and into the frozen Lake George, making the French believe that he had died. Rogers' Rock is famous today, and Rogers is called the father of American scouting due to his hero status during the war as well as due to his skills as a ranger. He wrote "The 28 Rules of Scouting", becoming a celebrated folk hero and war hero. Rogers proceeded to fight in the Battle of Fort Carillon alongside Charles Lee, and Rogers gained a scar across his forehead during the bloody battle. In 1763, Rogers was invited to London, England by King George III of Britain himself, and Rogers told him how to trap a black bear and related his adventures to him.
American Revolutionary War[]
Rogers in 1776
Rogers spent the 1760s and early 1770s living a hard life, as he was in debt and was a drunkard in the aftermath of his days as a war hero. In 1775, at the start of the American Revolutionary War, he decided to form the Queen's Rangers to succeed his old "Rogers' Rangers" unit; the Queen's Rangers were effectively loyalists, freed slaves, Native Americans, trackers, and brawlers that were trained in scouting and combat. Rogers initially offered his services to General George Washington, who had fought alongside him in the French and Indian War, but Washington refused to hire him due to his savage methods; he knew that Rogers had already sided with the British, and he had his soldiers take Rogers to face trial in New Hampshire; he was to be disposed of in the most convenient way. However, Rogers managed to escape, taking command of the Queen's Rangers.
Rogers had the Indian Awasos of the Abenaki as his second-in-command, and he recruited "mean sorts" for his army Rogers took the side of Great Britain against his fellow colonists. In 1776, he was put into contact with British head of intelligence Major John Andre. Rogers was paid by General William Howe for the tasks that his rangers completed, and in the autumn of 1776 he led his rangers in an ambush that massacred a whole force of Continental Army dragoons from Connecticut in New Jersey with the assistance of Major-General Charles Lee, an American general who sought to take command of the Continentals from George Washington. Only one man survived the massacre, Benjamin Tallmadge, who would go on to flee and become a target for Rogers after he killed one of his rangers.
Rogers proceeded to work with the British for some more events, such as finding out the killer of Captain Charles Joyce, and he attempted to lure out Benjamin Tallmadge by claiming that his brother Samuel was going to be released in a prisoner exchange. He bribed Selah Strong, a prisoner on HMS Jersey, to claim that he was Samuel Tallmadge, and it was Strong that was released to the Americans instead of Samuel. However, Rogers was disappointed when Benjamin himself did not show up to the exchange, as he was occupied in Morristown as the head of Washington's intelligence and could not make it to the exchange; he sent Caleb Brewster instead. Rogers attempted to shoot Caleb, but he missed; the gunshot wounded a Continental, leading to the failure of the exchange. Rogers was confronted by the British regulars involved in the exchange, who condemned him and told him to report to Major Andre due to his breach of duty. Rogers decided to hunt down Brewster and Strong as they headed to Elizabeth to meet Tallmadge there, but Tallamadge rescued them from an ambush, shooting Rogers' Indian companion Awasos. The standoff between the three Continentals and Rogers, Jordan Strong, and Awasos ended when British regulars intervened and allowed the Continentals to return to their land, while Rogers was escorted back to Andre.
In New York City, Andre informed Rogers that Inspector-General Innes had allowed Andre to overhaul his provincial forces to prevent them from becoming "disorderly and destructive banditti", which was in response to Rogers breaching a peaceful prisoner exchange. Rogers said that he hired "mean sorts" instead of lining the British Army's pockets by having commissioned officers serve under him, but Andre said that Rogers would be replaced as their commander. Rogers was forced to resign, and he decided to head to King George III of Great Britain's court to petition him for his command. However, he was constantly delayed by the king's court, being held back on a list of visitors. One night, he was able to visit the King, and he was informed that he would be granted a charter for the discovery of the Northwest Passage to claim it for England, would be given full pay as a Major, would be allowed to raise troops, and would have his debts paid for by the British crown, but he would have to track down a plaster bust of King George that was smuggled with some information to the United States by Patience Wright just a few days earlier. Rogers kissed King George's hand and swore that his task would be done by his honor.
Agent of King George[]
Rogers in London in 1777, petitioning for his old command
Rogers headed to the home of Doctor Charles Hallum in Hackensack Township, New Jersey, where he found out that Captain Ryder of the Revenge had seized the shipment from HMS Margaretta. Rogers tracked him down to a hideout in Connecticut, where he ambushed the pirates and killed Ryder himself; however, Caleb Brewster managed to escape with the bust. In December of 1777, Rogers ambushed Theveneau de Francy as he attempted to transport the letter in the bust to Charleston, where he would have fled on a ship and headed to Paris to show the King of France that England was weak. However, Rogers was able to shoot Francy's escort before slitting his throat with a knife and stealing the letter. Rogers returned to Andre in Philadelphia, telling him that he had completed his mission, and Andre told him that he could report to the customs office to collect his reward. When he arrived there, the officer told him that his reward awaited in a dark room, but Rogers - sensing a trap - told the officer to get the reward for him. The officer was beaten by four of his own men before he told them that he was with them, and the masked men and the officer came out to fight Rogers. Rogers knocked down a table and the candle on it, and in the ensuing darkness he killed all of the attackers. The redcoat revealed that the King himself had ordered Rogers to be killed, and Rogers threw his badge at the redcoat, giving up his service to the king.
Revenge against King George[]
Rogers talking to Woodhull in Woodhull's basement spy base
Rogers decided to seek revenge against Andre, and he tracked Woodhull down and decided to help him in covering up his murder of Corporal Henry Eastin before they would work together to find Andre.