And so we return to our regularly-scheduled programming. . .
I just finished Hodges' Scout, described thus on Amazon:
In September 1756, fifty American
soldiers set off on a routine reconnaissance near Lake George,
determined to safeguard the upper reaches of the New York colony. Caught
in a devastating ambush by French and native warriors, only a handful
of colonials made it back alive. Toward the end of the French and Indian
War, another group of survivors, long feared dead, returned home,
having endured years of grim captivity among the native and French
inhabitants of Canada.
Pieced together from archival records, period correspondence, and official reports, Hodges’ Scout relates
the riveting tale of young colonists who were tragically caught up in a
war they barely understood. Len Travers brings history to life by
describing the variety of motives that led men to enlist in the campaign
and the methods and means they used to do battle. He also reveals what
the soldiers wore, the illnesses they experienced, the terror and
confusion of combat, and the bitter hardships of captivity in alien
lands. His remarkable research brings human experiences alive, giving us
a rare, full-color view of the French and Indian War―the first true
world war.
Mr. Travers accounts for nearly every member of the 50-man company ambushed on that September day more than 250 years ago. The stories of Indian captivity endured were harrowing, but I had no idea that there was a system of virtual slavery in place in Canada for captured Anglo soldiers. Many of them were shipped overseas and exchanged for French POW's held in England, so ended up thousands of miles from home with little means and even less hope of returning to America.
Staying with the F&IW theme, here is a recent release from John Jenkins Designs, "Little Julie."
A pretty little girl. . . but something doesn't seem quite right. . .
Ahhh. . . little Julie has lived on the frontier all her life and knows how to handle those pesky War Parties. . .
