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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 23 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 30 2002 : 6:55:12 PM
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Absolutely right, Two Kettles. I doubt that the Fort Detroit Garrison would have been able to hold out as long as they did without the waterborne line of communication with Ft. Niagara. The 'riverine' style close support, also afforded Ft. Detroit a certain level of safety.
Your Humble Servant,
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 14 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - October 30 2002 : 10:32:40 PM
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Here's an example of amphibious operations during the siege of Quebec. The text is from David Perry's memoir, he was a ranger in Hazen's company during this campaign.
"We now had hard fighting enough, as we were scouting over the country nearly all the time, and were shot upon, more or less, nearly every day, and very often had some killed or wounded. We used frequently to get on board large flat-bottomed boats, that would hold eighty men each; to do which we had to wade in the water up to the middle; and, after sitting in our wet clothes all night, jump into the water again, wade ashore, go back into the woods, and scatter into small parties, in order to catch the inhabitants, as they returned from the, woods to look after their domestic affairs; and when they had got in among us, one party would rise
in their front, and another in their rear, and thus we surrounded and captured a great many of them.
The country was settled on that side of the river, to the distance of about thirty miles below our encampment; and we took the greater part of their cattle and sheep, and drove them into camp. We went down there a number of times, and found that they had a considerable force stationed back in the woods. One night in particular, I well remember, our company and a company of regulars, took a trip down there in boats, and landed about day-break. As soon as it was light, Capt. Hazen told his men to stroll back, a few at a time, undiscovered, into the woods. As soon as we had done this, the regulars marched, by fife and drum, in a body round
a point of the woods, in order to draw the enemy there; and we kept still, until they got between us and the regulars, when we rose and fired on them, and put them to flight immediately. Our orders were, to "kill all, and give no quarters." The enemy had a Priest with them, who was wounded in the thigh, and begged earnestly for quarters: but the Captain told the men to kill him. Upon which, one of them deliberately blew his brains out.--We effectually broke up the camp in this quarter, and
returned safe to camp.
At another time, we went down the river about forty miles, in the night, and landed in the morning on the opposite side to the place last mentioned, and secreted ourselves in small parties, in the woods, beside the road. I was with the Lieutenant's party. We had a man by the name of Frazier in our party, who enlisted under Capt. Peck, in Boston, and he was a pretty unruly fellow. There came along three armed Frenchmen near where we lay concealed, and Frazier saw them, and hallooed to them "boon-quarter;" whereupon one of them levelled his piece and shot him through the head, and killed him instantly. The Captain hearing the report, came and inquired how it happened. We told him we could not keep Frazier still; "well," said he, "his blood be upon his own head." We now expected to have some fighting. We left our blankets upon the dead man, and took the road the Frenchmen came in, and after marching about half a mile, we came into an open field, with a large number of cattle in it:
and on the opposite side of the field, just in the edge of the woods, were a great many little huts, full of women and children, with their hasty-pudding for breakfast, of which I partook with them; but their little children scampered into the brush, and could not be got sight of again, any more than so many [young] partridges. We did not, however, wish to hurt them. There were three barns in the lot, filled with household goods: we took as many as we could of these, and drove the cattle back the way we came, to where the dead man and blankets were left, which we took up, and were proceeding with our booty to the river, when the enemy fired on us, and killed Lieut. Meachum, of Capt. Dank's company, and wounded one other. In the mean time, the cattle we had taken all ran back; but we drove off the enemy, and got our goods, &c., aboard the boats, and returned to camp."
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 23 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - October 31 2002 : 09:34:34 AM
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Good read, Ranger, I believe I had seen a similar entry in the Hibbert book, "Wolfe at Quebec".
Your Humble Servant,
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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Edmund McKinnon
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 23 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - November 01 2002 : 12:39:20 AM
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If you recall when Trent's Co.was building Ft.Prince George,the French assembled a powerful armada of Batteaux & canoe to sail down the Allegheny River to expel the Virginians from the point.EM
Capt.John Graham
Cmdr.42nd Highlanders |
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 23 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 01 2002 : 01:50:37 AM
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Overall, given the condition of the interior of North America, the importance of small scale naval and riverine operations were more crutial here than in Europe. The reason is obvious, in Europe existed an infrastructure of roads, trails, paths, etc. In North America, topographical and local flora conditions made this a difficult barrier to negotiate. However, the extensive inland waterways gave a simple alternative, one which the French exploited early on.
Your Humble Servant,
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 14 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - November 05 2002 : 8:55:00 PM
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Amphibious operations played a very important role in the Lake George/Champlain Corridor as well. The British often sent patrols of rangers and/or provincials around Lake George in whaleboats. For Abercromby's 1758 assault on Carillon, the British amassed a fleet of 135 whaleboats and 900 bateaux plus a couple sloops and a radeau (floating battery). When they retreated back to the south end of Lake George, they sank most of them to prevent the French from capturing them. Many of these they planned to raise and use again the following year. Today, many of these have been found including a radeau the "Land Tortoise". Scuba divers can visit the wrecks of 7 bateaux just off the shore in 25-40 feet of water.
CT•Ranger
"Each day as we become more mechanized, we become...less aware, always more under the influence of powers beyond our comprehension." -Eric Sloane |
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 23 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 05 2002 : 10:30:32 PM
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Hey Ranger, of all of the accounts of the action at Carillon, I can't find any that mention the involvement of the floating batteries. They do mention bringing them along, but I can't recall the use of them in a support role, can you help me?
Sgt. Duncan Munro
Capt. Graham's Coy
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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CT•Ranger
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 14 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - November 06 2002 : 10:14:58 AM
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I haven't found much about them either. As far as I can tell, they were brought up to cover the British vanguard amphibious landing. But the landing was unapposed by the French, leaving the floating batteries unnecessary, it only took about 2 hours to disembark. The "Land Tortoise" appears to have been deliberately sunk before it was finished.
CT•Ranger
"Each day as we become more mechanized, we become...less aware, always more under the influence of powers beyond our comprehension." -Eric Sloane |
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 23 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 12 2002 : 5:53:20 PM
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Thanks Ranger, I am now on the hunt for more information concerning the "Land Tortoise". As soon as I dig some up, I'll pass it on to you.
Your Humble Servant,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro
Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy.
42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote
(The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit"
-Or-
"Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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