For those making dioramas, depicting Highlanders in a skirmish against Indians would not be inaccurate. Mixing Rangers and Highlanders, either the 42nd or the 78th, with the 44th would also historically accurate.
Letters from Loudon to Cumberland clearly indicate that the 42nd, 44th, 48th and a battalion of the 60th were at Fort Edward in October 1756. This would be 10 months prior to the Fall of Fort William Henry and over 19 months prior to Ticonderoga. Construction of Fort William Henry would have only started the previous month.
In Late Fall of 1756, the garrison at Fort William Henry reverted from colonial troops to British regulars, the 44th regiment under the recently promoted Major Eyre (about 5 companies of the 44th). Included with the British Regulars, there were 2 companies of Rangers – paid directly by the British Army, not colonial governments.
In April 1757, this first garrison of British Regulars at Fort William Henry was relieved by Colonial Monro of the 35th. Colonel Monro arrived with 2 companies of the 35th, 2 new companies of the 44th, 2 companies of the 48th and a company of the Fraser’s Highlands, 78th. The men of the 44th, 48th and the 78th were soon withdrawn and replaced by 4 additional companies of the 35th and 2 Independent New York companies (British Regulars).
The distance between Fort Edward and Fort William Henry is about 12 miles. So we know we have patrols and columns of the 42nd, 44th, 60th and 78th in the vicinity of both Fort Edward and Fort William Henry in 1756 and 1757.
Following the Battle of Carillon in July 1758 (Ticonderoga), there were a number of large skirmishes and attacks on British columns moving between Lake George and Fort Edward and between Albany and Fort Edward by French Militias, French Marines and Indian war parties. The french indian allies arrived several days after the Battle of Ticonderoga and were eager to get a piece of the retreating/defeated British. One attack by the French/Indians decimated a 44-wagon supply column heading north from Fort Edward --- 80 prisoners . Most of the column were civilian drovers about 150, but 50 British soldiers had been assigned as escort. About 240 oxen were in the column. These were large war parties numbering several hundred french/indians.
Let your imagination run and enjoy.
Letters from Loudon to Cumberland clearly indicate that the 42nd, 44th, 48th and a battalion of the 60th were at Fort Edward in October 1756. This would be 10 months prior to the Fall of Fort William Henry and over 19 months prior to Ticonderoga. Construction of Fort William Henry would have only started the previous month.
In Late Fall of 1756, the garrison at Fort William Henry reverted from colonial troops to British regulars, the 44th regiment under the recently promoted Major Eyre (about 5 companies of the 44th). Included with the British Regulars, there were 2 companies of Rangers – paid directly by the British Army, not colonial governments.
In April 1757, this first garrison of British Regulars at Fort William Henry was relieved by Colonial Monro of the 35th. Colonel Monro arrived with 2 companies of the 35th, 2 new companies of the 44th, 2 companies of the 48th and a company of the Fraser’s Highlands, 78th. The men of the 44th, 48th and the 78th were soon withdrawn and replaced by 4 additional companies of the 35th and 2 Independent New York companies (British Regulars).
The distance between Fort Edward and Fort William Henry is about 12 miles. So we know we have patrols and columns of the 42nd, 44th, 60th and 78th in the vicinity of both Fort Edward and Fort William Henry in 1756 and 1757.
Following the Battle of Carillon in July 1758 (Ticonderoga), there were a number of large skirmishes and attacks on British columns moving between Lake George and Fort Edward and between Albany and Fort Edward by French Militias, French Marines and Indian war parties. The french indian allies arrived several days after the Battle of Ticonderoga and were eager to get a piece of the retreating/defeated British. One attack by the French/Indians decimated a 44-wagon supply column heading north from Fort Edward --- 80 prisoners . Most of the column were civilian drovers about 150, but 50 British soldiers had been assigned as escort. About 240 oxen were in the column. These were large war parties numbering several hundred french/indians.
Let your imagination run and enjoy.
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^&grin