During the time period of the French and Indian war there were many battles that took place. Most people only know about the big battles that happened during this time period. However, during the French and Indian war there were many small battles fought that many people do not know about or even remember. Perhaps the most important of these small battles was the battle on snow shoes fought by Robert Rogers and his rangers.
This group of men knows as "Rogers" Rangers" was first organized in 1756 when Robert Rogers was commissioned by Britain to form and train a group of men ably to perform in the conditions of the Northeast. The group originally consisted of thirty-five volunteers, fifteen Royal Americans from the New England Military, and six men selected by Rogers himself.
Rogers did not take this commission lightly. Being a woodsman since his boyhood he new his rangers needed to be properly trained for the conditions they would be performing in so he developed a Ranger concept to an extent never known before. He made a list of twenty-eight common sense rules and a set of standing rules stressing how operational tactics should be performed. Rogers would often surprise people by hiring men based solely on how they followed his rules by using of Indians and freed slaves on his team.
The Rangers were originally stationed in the Hudson River area where they were quickly recognized for there successful, but unorthodox fighting methods. Most of the battles the Rangers fought were not well known battles, but rather short and intense conflicts known for their savagery and skillful deployment. Prior to his battles he taught his men as no other soldiers were taught. He trained his men in all kinds of military arts including small unit tactics and musket target practice. This was unusual because normal soldiers did not target practice because it was believed to be a waste of ammunition.