Rogers’ Rangers, 1755–1763
“To Distress the French and Their Allies”

Volume I in a new series on “The Rangers of the French and Indian, Cherokee, and Pontiac’s Wars”

BY TIM J. TODISH
ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY S. ZABOLY

TRADE PAPER, 8 ½″ X 11″, 312 PAGES
140 MAPS, DRAWINGS, PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, INCLUDING 60 PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS BY GARY S. ZABOLY

ISBN 9798985692136 $39.95

“Destined to become a classic.”

In the early days of the French and Indian War, the English Army suffered a series of devastating defeats, mostly at the hands of Canadian partisans and French-allied Indians who were masters of wilderness warfare. A corps of hardened frontiersmen, mostly from New England and including Mohegan Indians and African Americans — both freed and enslaved — was formed to learn to “fight in the Indian way” and take the war to the enemy.
Their exploits became legendary.


To Distress the French and Their Allies: Rogers’ Rangers, 1755-1763 introduces The Rangers of the French and Indian, Cherokee, and Pontiac’s War series that will document for the first time the histories of all ranger units, from each of the colonies, that served in the French & Indian War and after. Volume I begins with the most famous ranger unit of all—Robert Rogers’Rangers, which served in the major campaigns in New York and Canada, and then in the Caribbean, and continued to fight in the Cherokee and Pontiac’s Wars.
Meticulously researched using diaries, journals, period newspapers, military archives and other primary sources, this book tells the incredible story of America’s first special forces through the eyes of those who were there. It is the fullest account to date of the daring, improvised, volunteer military units under the overall command of New Hampshire frontiersman Robert Rogers who scouted the northeastern American forests in all seasons and in any weather and fought a lethal and ruthless enemy that were masters of irregular wilderness warfare.
The famous Battles on Snowshoes are recounted in detail, as are such other legendary exploits as the portage of the whaleboats over the mountains between Lake George and Lake Champlain, and the tragic, marathon ordeal of the mission to and from Canada to destroy the Abenaki village of St. Francis. But also described are many of the lesser-known exploits of Rogers and his Rangers during the Seven Years War and its aftermath—the perilous winter journey -into the Great Lakes to accept the surrender of French forts and outposts on the western fringe of the French empire in America, battles against the Cherokee in the Carolinas, the storming of French citadels in the Caribbean, and the terrors of Pontiac’s Rebellion. Using primary sources from both sides of the conflicts including some never-before-published material, author Todish provides a balanced and well-rounded history of this fighting force that has been cloaked in legend for over 250 years and whose methods are still studied today by U.S. Army Rangers and other special forces.

ADVANCE PRAISE
“To Distress the French and Their Allies is a monumental history of the epic story of Rogers’ Rangers that interprets and synthesizes vast numbers of original documents into a fascinating narrative. As a preeminent chronicler of Robert Rogers, Todish has produced a major scholarly volume that is both fresh with new details and perspectives, as well as being wonderfully readable. The book is richly illustrated by the extraordinary artwork and accompanying historical texts of renowned artist and military historian Gary S. Zaboly. It is a must-have book that deserves wide readership.” — DR. RUSSELL P. BELLICO is a professor emeritus at Westfield State University in Massachusetts. He is the author of Empires in the Mountains: French and Indian War Campaigns and Forts in the Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Hudson River Corridor and four other books on the history of the region.
“In this impressive new study, Tim Todish shares a lifetime of knowledge and enthusiasm for Rogers’ Rangers. Exploring the reality behind their legendary exploits, Tim’s scholarly and readable text is complemented by the atmospheric artwork of Gary Zaboly, a leading authority on the rangers’ material culture. The result is a book that anyone fascinated by Rogers’ Rangers — and the brutal fighting in which they earned their reputation — will want to acquire.” — DR. STEPHEN BRUMWELL, author of White Devil: A True Story of War, Savagery and Vengeance in Colonial America
“Tim Todish has provided the most comprehensive and compelling history of Robert Rogers and his Rangers to date. A definitive work brimming with new evidence and new maps including new artwork by the distinguished Gary Zaboly, this book is a must for any military history library.” — LT. COL. IAN MACPHERSON MCCULLOCH (RET.), former Commander of the Canadian Black Watch Regiment and author of John Bradstreet’s Raid 1758 and Sons of the Mountains.
“This volume is destined to become a classic work on Rogers’ Rangers. Representing decades of research and collaboration, Tim Todish’s scholarship and Gary Zaboly’s artistry will enrich and inspire students of eighteenth-century warfare in North America.” — LT. COL. DAVID L. PRESTON, PH.D.,General Mark W. Clark Distinguished Professor of History, The Citadel

About the Author and the Artist:
Tim J. Todish graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in business management. He retired from the Grand Rapids Police Department with more than 27 years of service and now works as an independent historical writer and consultant, specializing in the French and Indian War and the Alamo. He provided background information and worked as an extra in the 1992 movie The Last of the Mohicans and also served as the technical advisor and appeared as an extra in the award-winning History Channel documentary Frontier: Legends of the Old Northwest.
In 2004 and 2005, Todish led “hands-on” historical staff rides for senior noncommissioned officers of the U.S. Army’s elite 10th Mountain Division, and in 2009 presented a military heritage seminar for a Connecticut National Guard regiment. He is a staff writer and regular contributor to Muzzleloader magazine, has written articles for other historical publications, and frequently gives presentations to historical and school groups. He is a cofounder and past commander of Jaeger’s Battalion, Rogers’ Rangers, the oldest and largest French and Indian War reenactment group in the country. He is also a member of the Alamo Society, the Council on America’s Military Past, the Company of Military Historians, the Fraternal Order of Police, Gerald R. Ford Metro Lodge 97, and a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association.
His previous books include: The Narrative Art of Robert Griffing, Volume II: The Journey Continues (2007; awarded the Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Regional Non-Fiction); A “Most Troublesome Situation”: The British Military and the Pontiac Indian Uprising of 1763–1764 (with Dr. Todd E. Harburn and with art by Robert Griffing and Gary Zaboly; awarded the State History Award of the Historical Society of Michigan as the Outstanding Michigan History Publication for 2006); Through So Many Dangers: The Memoirs and Adventures of Robert Kirk, Late of the Royal Highland Regiment (with Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch, C.D. and with art by Robert Griffing and Gary Zaboly); British Light Infantryman of the Seven Years’ War, 1757–1767 (with Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch, C.D.); The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers (with original art by Gary Zaboly); Alamo Sourcebook 1836: A Comprehensive Guide to the Alamo and the Texas Revolution (with Terry Todish and with original art by Ted Spring); America’s FIRST First World War: The French & Indian War 1754–1763; A Legacy for the Future: Reminiscences of Scouting in West Michigan (awarded the State History Award of the Historical Society of Michigan as the Outstanding Michigan History Publication for 2010).

Gary Zaboly was born in New York City in 1950. He was educated at the High School of Art and Design and the Art Students League. He is a member of the Alamo Society, the New-York Historical Society, and the Friends of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. He was elected Fellow of the Company of Military Historians in 1989 and was the winner of the Gold Award of Merit in Texas History in 1997. In 2012 he won two awards—the Summerfield G. Roberts, and the Reuben Potter—for his illustrated book, An Altar for Their Sons: The Alamo and the Texas Revolution in Contemporary Newspaper Accounts. In 2017 he won the Susannah DeBlack Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for best illustrated book in Arkansas history, William R. Jones’s Petit Jean: A Wilderness Adventure.
Over a 40-year period Zaboly has specialized in historical illustration for numerous books, magazines, museums, limited edition prints, and other venues, including television documentaries and historical CD-Roms. Among the books he has illustrated are: Texian Iliad : A Military History of the Texas Revolution, by Stephen L. Hardin; The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers, by Timothy J. Todish and Gary Zaboly; Blood of Noble Men: The Alamo Siege and Battle, by Alan C. Huffines; The Texas Frontier and the Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858–1861, by Glen Sample Ely; The Scottish Jacobite Army 1745–46, by Stuart Reid; On the Prairie at Palo Alto: Archaeology of the U.S. Mexican War Battlefield, by Charles M. Haecker and Jeffrey G. Mauck; Empires in the Mountains, by Russell P. Bellico; The Alamo and Beyond: A Collector’s Journey, by singer Phil Collins; and Strong Ground: Mount Independence in the American Revolution.
Magazines containing his work include American History Illustrated, True West, Muzzleloader, The Bulletin of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum, Wild West, The Alamo Journal, and many others. Among the institutions and private parties owning and/or exhibiting original Zaboly artwork are: The Alamo (its Wall of History and six Wayside Signs), San Antonio, Texas; The Fort Ticonderoga Museum; The Aztec Club of 1847; the Lake George Historical Society; The Montana Historical Society; the Custer Battlefield Museum; the Caddo Mounds Historic Site, Texas; the Bankton House, Scotland; the Fort Number Four Living History Museum; the Mount Independence Historic Site; the Derry Historical Society of New Hampshire; the Rogers Island Visitors Center; the Upcountry Museum, South Carolina; The Battle for Texas Experience in San Antonio; Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson; and singer Phil Collins.
[Illustration credits: On Book Front Cover: Rogers’ 1756 Whaleboat Portage over the Mountains painting by Gary S. Zaboly. Above: Major Robert Rogers Draws His St. Francis Expedition Map, drawing by Gary S. Zaboly.]