persevere after Shanks. Thus we staggered on until near night time, when
we again stopped and I fell into a deep sleep, but the enemy did not
again come up. On the following day we got into Fort Edward, where I was
taken with a distemper, was seized with very grevious pains in the head
and back and a fever. They let blood and gave me a physic, but I did not
get well around for some time. For this sickness I have always been
thankful, otherwise I should have been with Major Rogers in his
unfortunate battle, which has become notable enough, where he was
defeated by the Canadians and Indians and lost nigh all his private men,
only escaping himself by a miracle. We mourned the loss of many friends
who were our comrades, though it was not the fault of any one, since the
Enemy had three times the number of the Rangers and hemmed them in. Some
of the Rangers had surrendered under promise of Quarter, but we
afterwards heard that they were tied to trees and hacked to death
because the indians had found a scalp in the breast of a man's hunting
frock, thus showing that we could never expect such bloody minded
villiains to keep their promises of Quarter.

I was on several scouts against them that winter but encountered nothing
worthy to relate excepting the hardships which fell to a Ranger's lot.
In June the Army having been gathered we proceeded under Abercromby up
the Lake to attack Ticon-deroga. I thought at the time that so many men
must be invincible, but since the last war I have been taught to know
different. There were more Highlanders, Grenadiers, Provincial troops,
Artillery and Rangers than the eye could compass, for the Lake was black
with their battoes. This concourse proceeded to Ticondaroga where we had
a great battle and lost many men, but to no avail since we were forced
to return.

The British soldiers were by this time made servicible for forest