His commands on such occasions varied greatly in numbers, according to the exigency of the service, all the way from a squad of ten men to two whole companies; and the excursions just mentioned afford fair specimens of the work done by the Rangers under Rogers this year.

Rogers possessed a ready wit and an attractive bonhomie, which made him agreeable to his men, notwithstanding the necessary severity of his discipline.  A story has come down to us which well illustrates this trait in his character.  Two British Regulars, it seems, a good deal muddled, one night, by liberal potations, became greatly concerned lest their beloved country should suffer dishonor in consequence of inability to discharge its national debt, and their loyal forebodings had, at length, become painful.  The good-natured Captain, encountering them in their distress, at once relieved them by the remark:  “I appreciate the gravity of your trouble, my dear fellows.  It is, indeed, a serious one.  But, happily, I can remove it.  I will, myself, discharge at once one-half the debt, and a friend of mine will shortly pay the other half.”  From this incident is said to have arisen the expression, at one time common, “We pay our debts as Rogers did that of the English nation.”

But Captain Rogers had qualities of a higher order, which commended him to his superiors.  His capacity as a Ranger Commander had attracted the notice of the officers on duty at Lake George.  The importance of this branch of the service had also become apparent, and we shall not be surprised to learn that, in March, 1756, he was summoned to Boston by Major General Shirley and commissioned anew as Captain of an independent company of Rangers, to be paid by the King.  This company formed the nucleus of the famous corps since known as “Roger’s Rangers.”

In July another company was raised, and again in December two more, thereby increasing the Ranger corps to four companies.  To anticipate, in a little more than a year this was farther enlarged by the addition of five more, and Captain Rogers was promoted to the rank of Major of Rangers, becoming thus the commander of the whole corps.

The character of the service expected of this branch of the army was set forth in Major General Shirley’s orders to its commander in 1756, as follows, viz.:  “From time to time, to use your best endeavors to distress the French and allies by sacking, burning, and destroying their houses, barns, barracks, canoes, and battoes, and by killing their cattle of every kind; and at all times to endeavour to way-lay, attack and destroy their convoys of provisions by land and water in any part of the country where he could find them."[A]

[Footnote A:  Roger’s Journal (Hough’s edition), p. 46.]