winter gear of rogers' rangers
TRANSCRIPT
Winter Gear Of
Rogers’ Rangers
By Jerry Knitis 2007
Copyright Information for cover picture “Man strapping on snowshoes” © Public Domain Credit: National Archives of Canada/C-098974 Source: George Rutherford, Vancouver, B.C.
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Table of Contents
Chapter #1 INTRODUCTION Page 1
Chapter #2 ICE CREEPERS Introduction to Ice Creepers Page 11
History of Ice Creepers Page 12
Ranger Use Page 13
How To Make Ice Creepers Page 15
Layout of Your Ice Creeper Page 15
Primitive Method Page 17
Non-Traditional Method Page 20
Finishing Page 23
Conclusion
Endnotes
Page 25
Page 26
Chapter #3 ICE SKATES Introduction to Ice Skates Page 27
History of Ice Skates Page 27
Ranger Use Page 29
To Obtain a Set of Ice Skates Page 31
Purchase Ice Skates
Build Ice Skates
Background Information
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
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Tool List
Material List
Page 34
Page 35
Design Phase
Construction Phase
Page 36
Page 38
Final Assembly of Ice Skates Page 46
Conclusion
Endnotes
Page 47
Page 50
Chapter #4 HAND SLEIGHS Introduction Page 51
History Page 52
Ranger Use Page 53
How To Build It Page 54
Design Phase
Material List
Tool List
Construction Phase
Page 55
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Conclusion
Endnotes
Page 60
Page 62
Chapter #5 SNOWSHOES Introduction Page 63
How It Works Page 64
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History of Snowshoes Page 65
Ranger Use Page 66
Parameters For Snowshoes Page 68
a. Anatomy of a Snowshoe Page 69
b. Snowshoe Sizing / Flotation Page 71
c. Style of Snowshoes Page 72
d. Type of Binding Page 74
Buy or Build Your Snowshoes Page 75
How to use Snowshoes Page 81
Conclusion
Endnotes
Page 83
Page 84
Chapter #6 CONCLUSION Page 87 Endnotes Page 90
APPENDIX Rangers in Winter Attire --- by Gary Zaboly Page 93
BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 95
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CHAPTER 1 … INTRODUCTION
The colonists of North America faced some major difficulties in warfare;
the rugged terrain found in North America and the enemy they faced. The
Native Americans did not believe in the long campaign of maneuver. He also
did not carry on the pitched battles that were common in Europe. Hardened by
their environment and accustomed to traveling great distances by foot and by
water, the Native American used stealth and reconnaissance to select his
objective. Then they would execute a swift and devastating raid on their
selected victims that employed maximum terror. They fought this way the year
round (including the winter months). This meant that in the winter, the
attacking force would have to have the proper equipment to move men and
equipment through deep snow and over frozen waterways.
The European method of warfare was almost useless against the terrain
and tactics employed by the enemy. The survival of the colonist depended on
developing tactics that would allow them to meet the enemy on his own terms.
To defend against these raids, the British sent out patrols to scout the
surrounding terrain looking for signs of the enemy forces that might attack a
settlement, thus giving the settlers and advance warning. The distance or range
that these patrols would go was depending on weather, season, supplies and
availability of manpower. This action became known as ranging and those who
participated in these patrols were called rangers. However, the Native
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Americans also would attack during the cold winter months, when the ranging
patrols would not be as active.
One of the earlier leaders that became famous on the British side was
Benjamin Church. Benjamin Church was one of the first Englishmen to learn
and embrace the Native American method of warfare. During King Phillip’s
War (1675-1676), Church used companies that consisted of both Native
Americans and Englishmen. He instructed the Englishmen to learn and adopt
the methods of warfare that the Native Americans embraced. The English
learned to move through the forest quietly and to fight from behind natural
cover. Most important they started to learn the art of ambuscade that Native
Americans perfected. Church was one of the most effective New England
officers in that he conducted many long-range scouts and raids. When doing
raids in the winter months, the deep snow impaired travel. The English started
to use snowshoes to walk through this deep snow. Church and his Indian
fighters went on patrols the year round. The English learned from the Native
Americans. “ The English had borrowed from the military material of the
Indians during King Philips’ War (1675 – 1676). Colonists learned how to
paddle birch bark canoes and to travel with snowshoes and moccasins in the
deep snows of the New England winters.”1
Likewise, the French also learned how to adapt the tactics of the
indigenous people to their needs. By the time of King William’s War (1689 -
1697), one French officer saw the mistakes made by the French regulars when
they first arrived in New France (Canada). “Joseph-Francios Hertel deLa
Fresniere, more commonly known as Hertel, is called by many as the father of
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modern-day forest warfare.”2 In March 1690, Hertel lead a force of twenty-five
Canadians and twenty-seven Indians against the village of Salmon Falls and a
small fort called Rollinsford both located in the New Hampshire colony. The
Canadian partisans were hardened men with great endurance. They seemed
impervious to the winter weather. Hertel’s group made its way from Trois-
Rivers toward the objective that was located on the Maine/New Hampshire
border. This long-range raid was done during the winter months, which meant
that the raiders had to travel great distance on foot (using snowshoes). They
were successful pulling off the raid since the British felt secure in that the
enemy would not attack during the cold winter weather. The local militia went
after Hertel but was not successful in catching him. He and his unit were
successful in holding off the militia until they could make their escape and
travel back to their home base.
In February 1690, a body of French and Indians led by Ste. Helene de
LeMoyne and Nicolas de Mantet, came to the town of Schenectady, New York
on the Mohawk River. For nearly a month, they had faced the wintry blasts,
plowing their way through the deep snow on their mission of destruction. At
midnight, they gained access to the sleeping village and attacked with sheer
surprise and devastation. In a few hours, the battle was over and the town was
in ashes. More than sixty were massacred, many were taken captive, and a few
escaped into the night and reached Albany.
Another British Leader that distinguished himself for his ranging
techniques was Captain John Lovewell. In 1725, he fought a battle at Lovewell’s
Pond against the Abenakis. The lesson learned from this battle was that the
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native warriors were not invincible in fighting woodland warfare. However, in
the winter of 1725, Captain Lovewell led a patrol of eighty volunteers from
Dunstable, Massachusetts north on snowshoes to raid the Pigwacket Valley.
Lovewell’s party covered sixteen miles a day on snowshoes. Just think of the
endurance and fortitude these men had and the leadership ability of Lovewell to
keep them going in this harsh environment. They encountered a snowstorm,
and had to stay in their small makeshift shelters until the storm passed. With
temperatures as low as 30 below zero, they strapped on snowshoes and started
marching again.
Somewhere between Lake Winnipesaukee and his objective, he was
diverted by the tracks of a small Indian raiding party from Odenak that was
headed for villages along the Maine coast. After tracking the party for two
days, Lovewell caught up with them on the edge of Lake Lovell. The Indians
were sound asleep when Lovewell’s unit attacks, killing all of them and taking
scalps. Amongst the Indians possessions were new firelocks as well as extra
snowshoes and moccasins for the captives to march back to Canada.
When King George’s War (1744 - 1748) broke out, several of the men
who fought with Lovewell raised their own ranging companies such as Captain
Daniel Ladd and Captain Ebenezer Eastman. In 1746, a young Robert Rogers
(14 years old) joined Captain Daniel Ladd’s Company and began to learn the
skills of frontier warfare. Although he did not participate in any battles, he
went out on patrols. In 1749, Rogers joined Captain Ebenezer Eastman’s
company and continue to learn about La Petite Guerre, the warfare used on the
frontier by the indigenous people and French.
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During the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763), the aforementioned
recruit looms larger than life. Rogers was extremely knowledgeable about
frontier life. He knew how to travel on the frontier in both summer and winter
months. When he started his ranging company, he selected only skilled
frontiersmen that he knew personally or by reputation. The rangers would go
out on scouts to gain intelligence for the British command and, if given the
opportunity, attack the enemy at his weak points the year round. The rangers
did not try to mount major offensives; their favorite method of attack was from
ambuscade. The skills of the rangers included traveling out on scouts during
winter months to gain intelligence for the British Military and to annoy the
French with the surprise attacks.
When the rangers prepared for a winter scout, one must note the
clothing and accoutrements (equipment) that they used for the scout. Author
and artist Gary Zaboly gives a vivid description of the rangers clothing and
equipment in the book The Illustrated and Annotated Journals of Major
Robert Rogers3 and in the book American Colonial Ranger: The Northern
Colonies 1724-64. Mr. Zaboly discusses winter clothing and equipment needed
for a scout. Like wise, the author Bob Bearor also describes the clothing and
equipment of the Rangers in his book “Battle on Snowshoes”. Mr. Bearor also
goes on to discuss the terrain and weather conditions, which are important if
one wants to understand the need for this equipment. The terrain in the
theater of operations of Rogers’ Rangers was mountainous (Adirondack
Mountains) with waterways as a frequent means of travel. The weather in this
region during the winter months was brutal with the average daily temperature
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reaching single digits for a daily highs (40 to 60 Fahrenheit) and lows at night
plunging to minus double digits (-300 to –400 Fahrenheit). The snow averaged
anywhere from 3 to 5 feet in depth while the waterways froze solid. Daylight
hours in the winter months were extremely short which meant that the rangers
on patrol during these months might have to travel in periods of darkness to
reach their desired destination.
To combat the cold temperature, the rangers’ clothed themselves in the
following manner. He wore his small clothes (usually made from linen or
woolen material), leggings made of wool, and a coat (possibly a uniform coat if
after 1758). Over all this, the ranger would have a heavy outer coat or blanket.
On his head, he wore a fur hat or his Scots bonnet. Fur or wool gloves covered
his hands. On his feet, he wore shoes, moccasins or shoepacks that were
suitable for winter travel. His musket had items on it to protect it from the
elements. While traveling, a lock cover or “cow’s knee” would protect the lock
and a tompion or stopper would protect the barrel. In his book Robert Rogers’
Rules for the Ranging Service – An Analysis , Matt Wulff gives us a good
description of the lock cover and the tompion. “A greased Leather cover, or
“Cow’s Knee”, which wraps around the lock area of the musket to keep the lock,
flint and priming charge from getting wet. If the priming charge becomes wet,
it renders the musket useless except as a club”4 and “A turned wooden barrel
plug, or “tompion”, protected the main powder charge by sealing the end of the
musket barrel. These plugs were easily removed to fire the weapon.”5
The other items carried are the ice creepers that the rangers have on their
person (either tied to their packs or wearing them on their feet). In addition,
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some of the rangers had a pair of ice skates hanging from their packs and all of
the rangers had snowshoes tied on their packs. The hand sleighs were allotted
according to needs of the patrol. The rangers used and carried this equipment
when out on a scout. “Metal ice creepers were strapped to their moccasin soles;
advance scouts went ahead of the column on skates, swing from side to side in
methodical strides. On their backs, the rangers carried their snowshoes, along
with provisions in knapsacks, or in bearskins rolled and bound with
tumplines.”6
Likewise in Bob Bearor’s book, Battle on Snowshoes, he describes the
clothing and equipment that the rangers had on that ill-fated patrol in March of
1758. “Packs and haversacks were carried on the Ranger’s back and left side
and would contain his food rations, personal items, ice skates and ice creepers.
(Ice creepers could be attached with leather thongs to the bottom of shoes,
moccasins, or snowshoes. They were flat bars of metal with sharp prongs
sticking out, for better traction on the ice.) Blankets were rolled, tied and slung
over the shoulder, and snowshoes would be carried the same way when not
being used.”7 The previous quote points out the rangers’ usage and method of
carrying the equipment for winter travel. It seems that the rangers going on a
winter scout carried ice creepers, snowshoes and ice skates. The hand sleigh
was more of a patrol item that would be issued to the patrol in numbers
necessary for carrying the food and equipment to sustain an extended stay in
the field for a prolonged period of time. The following short summations
describe the use by the rangers of the item and which chapter the item is
described.
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In order to walk on the frozen waterways without slipping, the rangers used
their ice creepers (known today as crampons), which attached to the instep of
their shoes or moccasins. This piece of equipment allowed them to be sure
footed and not slip on the icy frozen surface of a body of water. The topic of ice
creepers is discussed in depth in Chapter #2.
To rapidly move out to the point or to expeditiously scout ahead of the main
body on the ice, the rangers employed ice skates. The ice skates gave them good
mobility and silent movement across the ice surface of a lake or pond. The ice
skates are discussed in depth in Chapter #3.
The hand sleigh was important for long-range scouts. The rangers would
load provisions for an extended stay on the sled. The sleigh would be drawn
behind them when they marched out on the scout. The sleigh was also useful
for carrying injured people back to the fort. The sleigh is discussed in depth in
Chapter #4.
The single most important piece of equipment for winter travel that a ranger
used was snowshoes. Snowshoes allowed the ranger to walk on top of the deep
snow without sinking into it. The rangers not only used them, they also
constructed them during when in garrison. The snowshoe allowed the rangers
the freedom of travel over the snow-covered landscape with ease. Thus, the
French and their allies had a difficult time determining from where the rangers
might strike. Snowshoes will be discussed in chapter #5.
There was other clothing and equipment needed to wage war during the
winter months. One has to realize that rangers were dealing with severe cold,
deep snow and frozen waterways which were means for transportation of
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equipment and humans. The equipment that the rangers, Native Americans
and Canadian Malice used was basically the same. Each side knew how to use
this equipment effectively.
It is the intention of this document to point out several of the more
important pieces of equipment, tracing its history, how the rangers used it and
how to construct the item if one is interested.
Endnotes 1 Malone, Patrick “The Skulking Way of War” page 98 2 Bearor, Bob “Leading By Example … Volume 3” page 13 3 Todish, Timothy and Zaboly, Gary S. “ The Illustrated and Annotated Journals of Major Robert
Rogers” the chapter titled “ Rogers’ Rangers and Their Uniforms: Fact to Legend, Legend to Misconception” page 292
4 Wulff, Matt “Rogers’ Rule for the Ranging Service” page 63 5 Ibid, page 63 6 Zaboly, Gary “A True Ranger: The Life and Many Wars of Major Robert Rogers” Page 154 7 Bearor, Bob “The Battle on Snowshoes”, pages 17 – 19
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CHAPTER 2 … ICE CREEPERS
INTRODUCTION
An ice creeper is a metal frame, that has spikes protruding downward, that
is attached to the bottom of a shoe or moccasin instep to prevent slipping when
traveling on foot over slippery surfaces such as ice. In cold climates, winter travel
into the backcountry is usually done on foot. To travel into this environment, the
person used waterways to travel since they are flat and usually free of deep snow.
In order to navigate on these slippery surfaces, one used the ice creepers for
improved traction.
During the 18th century, iron was the material of choice to construct the
creepers. Captain John Knox describes the ice creepers that were used during the
French and Indian War.
It froze, thawed, snowed, rained and froze again. Soft dropping weather
today, fell heavy rain at night. Open weather, with rain; at noon a snow
storm; it froze hard at night. Most severe weather with an intense frost,
and the snow flies in thick drifts the ground is become so slippery that it is
dangerous to stir out of doors: the troops, throughout this province, are
obliged to have recourse to various expedients to prevent meeting with
accidents by falling: Some by wearing coarse stockings over their shoes,
with an additional sole or two, of thick frize or other woolen cloath; some
wear moggosans; and others again use what are by us termed creepers,
which are an invention calculated for the hallow of the foot, that buckles
on like a spur; it is a small plate of iron an inch broad, with two ears that
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come up on both sides of the shoe between the ankle and instep, with a
stud on each of them, for leathers: from the two extremities are four stout
points turned downward, to the length of two thirds of and inch, which, by
the weight of the person who wears them, are indented in the ice, this
contrivance is actually necessary, and prevents many fatal falls”1
Today the creepers are made of other metals such as steel (a by product of
iron), aluminum, etc. Today, in the 21st century, ice creepers are called
4/6-point instep crampons. The method of
fastening the instep crampon to your boot is
similar to the method used in the 18th century to
fasten the ice creepers to your moccasin or shoe.
(See drawing at right). The difference in the
Drawing by author
crampons (creepers) of today from those in the 18th century are the type of
material used to make the creeper, the process of manufacturing the creeper, and
small changes in design for fastening the creeper to the shoe or boot.
In addition, the cost of reproduction ice creepers is between ten and
twenty dollars ($10.00 - $20.00) depending on where you purchase them.
HISTORY OF ICE CREEPERS:
Whatever their origins, around the year 1 A.D., northern groups of people
near the Bering Strait began to develop more sophisticated techniques for
hunting and migrated over the Bering Land Bridge to what is known as Alaska
today. One such group of hunters was the Yupiks.
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These people settled along the channels and deltas of the Yukon and
Kuskokwim rivers. The Yupik moved seasonally between summer fishing
camps, fall hunting camps, spring trapping camps, and permanent winter
homes. For much of the year, the people traveled over frozen rivers, lakes,
and trails. They had flatbed sleds constructed from driftwood and fitted
with ivory or baleen runners. They pulled these sleds by hand. Wood or
ivory ice creepers and a pointed staff helped the people to maintain their
footing on the ice.2
The ice creeper developed amongst Native American tribes as well as in
the northern climates of Europe and Asia. In the 18th century, we find both the
French and British soldiers are equipped with creepers for winter use even
though warfare was wage very limitedly during the cold months.
RANGERS USE
During the winter months, the rangers put on snowshoes, ice creepers and
even ice skates to ease their traveling, and penetrated deep into French-held
territory to conduct successful raids and counter the French irregular forces that
also remained active during the winter. The ice creepers were an important part
of their equipment during the winter campaign. In the book Battle on
Snowshoes, the author describes in detail the equipment that the rangers carried
on their winter scouts. “Packs and Haversacks were carried on the Ranger’s back
on the left side and would contain his food rations, personal items, ice skates, and
ice creepers. (Ice creepers could be attached with leather thongs to the bottom of
shoe, moccasins, or snowshoes…”3
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The rangers tied the creepers to their moccasins, which were preferred over
shoes, when going onto an icy waterway and removed them when exiting. They
also attached them to their snowshoes if the terrain on which they were
snowshoeing were icy or slippery. This method is noted in the following passage:
On the third day of the patrol, 12 March 1758, the listening posts were
brought in and the march resumed at sunrise, the rangers moving in
extended order up the lake, using ice creepers on their feet, snowshoes
stowed on their packs. Rogers kept the men close to the east bank so as to
minimize observation on the lake.
About three miles up the lake, the point spotted a dog running across
the ice. Rogers immediately pulled his party into the fur trees along the
east shore and sent a small reconnaissance party forward to investigate the
islands that lay just ahead because of the possibility of ambush. Everyone
knew that dogs frequently accompanied parties of Indians. Ranger
Historian Burt Garfield Loescher suggests that the lost dog may actually
have belonged to the war party of fifteen Indians that attacked a local
patrol near Fort Edward on the morning of 12 March 1758. Rogers was
taking no chances. His recon party returned with a negative report.
Nevertheless Rogers ordered ice creepers removed, snowshoes donned,
and took his force into the woods where they moved parallel to the east
shore of the lake as far north as Sabbath Day Point on the opposite side. 4
There have been examples of ice-creepers found at many French and Indian
War sites, especially Rogers’ Island.
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HOW TO MAKE A SET OF ICE CREEPERS
There are many ways to obtain a set of ice creepers. One can purchase
them from a sutler or hand forge their own pair. I elected to construct my ice
creepers using a modern process since I did not have the tools
nor the knowledge to make a pair by
forging them as would have been done
in the 18th century. However, through
my research, I found an article
describing how to make ice creepers by
forging them as a blacksmith would.
Drawing by author
Both methods are included. The ice creepers when built should resemble the
pair in the drawing above on the right.
LAYOUT OF YOUR ICE CREEPER
First, one must draw a pattern to scale so that you can get the proper
measurements for your own foot. There many ways to create a scale drawing, I
used a drawing program on my computer called Smart Draw by SmartDraw.com
to create my blueprint (see drawing on next page). This gives me all the
measurements and locations of cut lines and holes to be drilled.
Once the drawing is completed, the drawing can be transferred to the piece
of metal. I drew the pattern on the piece of metal using a metal scribe. This gave
me the lines and intersections as on the drawing. If one is going to use the
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forging method, you need to center punch the points marked on the blue print
and then use the proper technique when the forging process is being used.
I chose to purchase a piece of cold roll steel that measured 1 ½ inches wide
by 18 inches long by ¼ inch thick. If the metal is too thick, it will be hard to work
with. If the metal is too thin, the creepers will not hold their shape. I was able to
purchase the metal close to my measurement and the cost was about three dollars
for the steel.
There is a formula for determining the length of the creeper. You must
measure across your instep to find that length. Then use the following formula:
Length of creeper = Width of instep of your shoe + 3 inches
This will give you the proper length. The total length per creeper was
approximately six (6) inches. Once I had the blueprint measurements
transferred to the metal, I could start my construction phase. Before we go the
two methods of construction, let’s start with a word of advice. If you do not have
the proper tools or talent to do this, remember the cost of the ice creepers is
relatively low. It might be better to purchase them from a reliable sutler.
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PRIMATIVE METHOD5
In order to pursue this method, one must have the proper tools. The following
tools are needed to complete this task:
• Blacksmith hammer
• Shilling chisel
• Center punch
• Hot punch (capable of ½ inch hole or greater)
• Anvil
• Forge
• Tongs for entering and extracting the metal from the hot coals
• Safety glasses
• #10 flat bastard file (a file for metal)
• Leather (welding) gloves
• Patience
The following steps describe this process:
a) If you are planning to forge your
creepers then you need to mark
2 lines, one 3/8" parallel to the
length and the other 1-1/4" from
the end. Mark this intersection
point with a center punch (refer
Drawing by Author
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to drawing at the right). This will be the end point of the hot cut line from
the intersection to the corner of the metal.
b) Once you have laid out your pattern on the metal (iron or cold roll steel)
using the metal scribing tool, you are ready to start the construction phase.
c) You will want to have your forge up and ready (heated up with a good bed
of coals for your work). Remember to have your safety glasses over your
eyes and you leather gloves on. A good item to have, but not necessary, is
a leather apron to prevent hot metal from hitting your legs or burning your
clothes. Also proper foot attire is required. A good pair of work boots
should be considered. Remember you will be working with extremely hot
metal that can cause severe burns.
d) A skilled blacksmith will know how to tell when the metal is ready for
shaping by the color that it glows. When working with metal, color of the
heated metal is important for determining both temperature and
workability. Too hot and it will not hold its shape, too cold it will not bend
correctly. As the metal is heated, it will first glow red, then orange, yellow
and finally white. The ideal heat for forging our creepers is orange-yellow
which is often called “forging heat”. The actual temperature (using a
special thermometer) will vary with the type of metal that you are using.
That is why a blacksmith learns the colors. In addition, a blacksmith does
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not work in a brightly lighted environment so he can see the color
correctly.
e) You will have to monitor the progress of your metal in the forge. To get it
to the temperature you need, you need to manipulate your forge by
blowing air over the coals to get them hot enough to get the metal to heat
to the desire forging color (Orange- yellow).
f) Once the metal has reached the proper color, remove it from the fire using
your tongs and place it on the anvil. Using the Shilling chisel (cutting
chisel), cut this line on each side and spread slightly spread the kerf.
g) Using the blacksmith hammer, bend the points down and straighten on
the side of the anvil. If the metal is losing its color, place it back in the fire
using your tongs.
h) Once the color is correct, remove and prepare to make the loop section.
The loop section is that section that allows you to connect a leather strap
or lace to your creeper. Take a proper punch and punch a hole through the
metal by striking the punch with the hammer. When you have achieved
the proper hole width stop.
i) Then using the hammer, bend the loop section in the opposite direction of
the points. Repeat the process for the other side.
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j) The cooling process should be done in steps. One heats and cools the metal
down from orange-yellow to no glow what so ever. If you allow the cooling
process to happen too rapidly, you can cause a stressing of the metal,
which will weaken it and cause the metal to split or break.
k) Once the one creeper is complete, proceed and make the other. If you are
making several pairs, then continue to do the same process over again
until you forge all the desired creepers.
In addition, note that the creepers have a rusty appearance, which is caused
by oxidation from the forging process. To get rid of this, you would take a fine
sand paper (crocus paper) and remove the oxidation. One can also remove the
coarse scale with a file and apply oil to the creeper.
When fitting the creeper to your shoe or moccasin, check to be sure the loop
section does not rub against the shoe or it will wear a hole in your shoe.
This method is for those who are interested in taking this hobby to a new
level.
NON-TRADITIONAL METHOD
For the non-traditionalist, the following tools are what I used to make my
creepers.
• Hacksaw
• Metal Scribe
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• Combination Square
• Ball peen hammer
• Bench vise
• Small cold chisel
• #10 flat bastard file (a file for metal)
• Small round metal file
• Vice Grips
• Oxy-acetylene Torch
• White felt tip marking pen
• Metal ruler
• Safety glasses
• Work gloves (preferably leather)
• Patience
The following steps describe this process:
a) The layout of my creepers was pretty much the same as called for with the
forged pair. I used the metal scribe, but it was hard to see the scribe lines.
I went over all the scribe lines with a white felt tipped marking pen to
make it easier to see. Once everything was marked properly, I double-
checked the dimensions.
b) Remember – Safety first! Wear your safety glasses. Also, put on your
work gloves since you will be dealing with sharp corners on the metal.
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c) Place the metal bar in the vise and cut to length the first creeper that is
marked on the bar. Then do the same for the second one.
d) Now I was ready to construct each creeper. I placed the creeper in the vice
vertically and cut the two cut lines that I had marked using the hacksaw. It
takes a lot of patience not to rush cutting. If you do, you risk cutting the
line crooked or breaking the hacksaw blade.
e) I did both ends of both creepers. I spent about 30 minutes per creeper
cutting the points and loop sections. I cleaned the oil residue from the
metal using paint thinner. I allowed ample time for it to dry before
proceeding to the next step (Warning - paint thinner is extremely
flammable).
f) When the entire cutting process was complete, I fired up my Oxy-
Acetylene torch and heated the metal to bend it. I knew that if the metal
were heated, it would bend easier. I heated the metal to a bright red (just
below orange) and bent the points orthogonally to the base all in the same
direction (for purpose of this paper, points down). Then I heated the loop
area, bent it orthogonally opposite of the points, and let it cool. I did this
for both ends of both creepers.
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g) After both creepers cooled off, I checked the angles of the points with the
base using my combination square. I wanted them as close to ninety
degrees as possible. Everything checked out.
The picture on the right is of the
pair of ice creepers that I made using
the process described above. This
project took me about two hours to
complete. The forged pair described
above would take a skilled blacksmith
less time.
Photo taken by Author
The forged pair would take a skilled blacksmith less than forty-five (45)
minutes to complete. The results came out the same in either case.
FINISHING
Whatever process you used to construct your creepers, you will need to
complete the following steps before using them.
• The length of the points will depend on your footwear. If you are wearing
shoes, then the points will have to be longer to pierce the ice surface than if
you were wearing moccasins. You will have to modify the points to fit your
needs
- 24 -
• The side plates (wear the leather straps connect) have to be bent slightly
away from the side of your footwear to prevent the metal from rubbing a
hole into the footwear surface.
• It is very important to file ALL the metal edges of the loop section round
and smooth (other than the points). If you fail to do this, your straps or
laces will be severed and your creepers will fall off your feet.
• Clean and oil the creepers with a liberal dose of oil (I used sweet oil … olive
oil). I used fine sandpaper (crocus paper) which is used for metal
polishing. I also used steel wool to remove some of scale and oxidation
before applying the oil. I used a liberal amount of oil and wipe the
creepers down with an old cloth to remove the access.
• Attach your straps / fasteners to the creeper. I used leather lacing on my
set.
• Your ice creepers are ready for use.
CONCLUSION
All present day rangers should have a set of ice creepers in their kit for
winter travel. The French and Indian War members of Rogers’ Rangers used
- 25 -
them for travel on scouts through the winter months. I have used mine once
since I built them over four years ago but I have only been on a few winter scouts.
I forgot them on one scout, which put us marching out on a frozen lake. I had
problems keeping with the few that did have them. In addition, the winters today
do not seem to be as severe as they were in the 18th century. However, when I did
use the ice creepers, they performed as they should and I did not lose my footing
on the ice. I tried them with my moccasins and they bothered my feet. I found
that the spikes are too long (designed for my shoes). When designing the spike
length, decide what foot attire you will be wearing when using the creepers.
The cost for the creepers was about six dollars ($6.00) in materials (For metal
and leather lacing). It was far cheaper than the cost asked for by the sutlers.
The time constructing the ice
creepers was worth every second. In
the future I would like to try forging a
set of them.
The ice creepers in the picture to
the right are the one’s I made using the
process described above.
Photo taken by Author
- 26 -
Endnotes
1 Knox, Capt. John “HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF CAMPAIGNS in NORTH-AMERICA,
FOR The YEARS 1757,1758,1759 and 1760: Vol1” p 101 –102 2 Alaska History and Cultural Studies; Southwest Alaska; The Sea, A Common Bond
URL: http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=93 Date accessed: 17 November 2006
3 Bearor, Bob “Battle on Snowshoes” Chapter 5, page 17 4 This excerpt was taken from Joseph Meany’s article “Frigid Fury”. The article was written
and published for the New York Sate Military Museum and Veterans Research Center. This information is found in the section labeled “The Patrol”.
5 The description here is a synopsis of blacksmithing principals done by Glenn Conner
(Blackstone Forge). He created a step-by-step tutorial for a beginner on how to forge metal in the 18th century tradition. URL: http://www.anvilfire.com/index.htm Date: 18 October 2006
- 27 -
CHAPTER 3 … ICE SKATES INTRODUCTION
Today, ice skates are predominately used for recreation. There are some people
who use ice skates to earn a living, such as professional hockey players and figure
skaters. However, there was a time when ice skates were used for transportation and
even warfare.
During the 18th century, winters in northern climates, with large snowfalls and
below freezing temperatures, made travel extremely difficult. Waterways, one of the
major means of transportation, were frozen solid and slippery to walk upon while
roadways on land were buried beneath the snow. The waterways, because of their vast
openness, would usually be swept clean of snow by the wind thus making the ice
surface smooth and flat. There were drawbacks such as faults in the ice that one would
have to learn to navigate passed (i.e.: pressure ridges, thin spots due to unseen
currents, etc). With a pair of ice skates, one could cover more distance with less
energy than one would just walking.
HISTORY OF ICE SKATES
The oldest pair of skates known dates back to about 3000 years B.C., found at
the bottom of a lake in Switzerland. The skates were made from the leg bones of large
animals. Holes were bored at each end of the bone and leather straps were used to tie
the skates to their feet. This helped them travel in during the winter months by using
- 28 -
waterways. The bone ice skates although improved travel had a serious drawback,
they were susceptible to breaking easy.
Another known development in the history of ice skates is the Dutch wooden
platform skates, in the 13th or 14th century. Iron was used to construct the blades, and
leather straps held the wood-iron skates onto the skater’s shoes. Much like skiing, the
skaters used poles to push themselves forward.
Around 1500, the Dutch modified the skate blade to make it narrow and
double-edged, eliminating the use of poles and lead to the discovery of the Dutch Roll,
a simple skating step which is still used today. The Dutch improved the skates and
made skating easier and travel on ice faster. The iron blade was more durable and did
not break like the bone skates. The ice skate became a tool of war in 1572, at the Battle
of Ijesselmeer, which took place in Amsterdam. The Dutch surprised the more
powerful Spaniards by skating on the frozen canals for combat.
There is no doubt that well before the mid 1600s ice skating had become an
important recreation in Holland. Skating was done by every class of society from the
simplest peasant to the royalty. The sport of skating was definitely introduced by the
nobility. Speed would be the main preoccupation of the peasants hurrying to market.
Refinement and grace were more important to the nobleman.
This kind of skating was likely brought to England during the Restoration
when the Stuarts returned to England from exile in the Netherlands. The British
adopted ice-skating and in 1696, Wilson Blades was founded in Sheffield, England.
King Charles requested that Wilson, a noted toolmaker, make a pair of skate blades for
him. Today the company is still the leading manufacturer of skate blades in England.
- 29 -
By the 18th, ice-skating became a very popular as a pastime during the winter in
the European Countries and was brought to America by the Scottish, Dutch and
English immigrants. Skates were used in the colonies during the winter, as river ice
would allow, helping in the delivery of mail and other information from one settlement
to another.
RANGERS USE
During the 18th century, it was customary, in Europe, for the armies to suspend
hostilities and go into quarter for the winter. On the North American continent,
during the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763), the Native Americans and colonials
would carry-on hostilities to a limited extend during the winter months. Fighting in
to snowy cold wilderness took special skills and equipment. With the heavy snowfalls
in the northern areas, travel was usually accomplished be traveling on frozen
waterways and using lands routes as little as possible. The British rangers under
Captain Rogers equipped themselves with ice skates, ice creepers and snowshoes and
braved the cold temperatures on many expeditions into enemy territory. The ranger
patrol would use ice skates to glide along the ice which allowed them to cover more
distance with less energy. Rogers wrote in his journal “January 14, 1756. I this day
marched with a party of seventeen men, to reconnoiter the French forts; we proceeded
down the lake, on the ice, upon skaits, and halted for refreshment near the fall out of
Lake George into Lake Champlain.”1 In this case, the whole ranger patrol was able to
ice skate with their winter clothing and equipment to wage war. This patrol was led by
Rogers which indicates that he knew how to ice skate. I do not infer that all rangers
skated, but I believe the majority of them knew how. This may have changed as the
- 30 -
war progressed due to the influx of men that did not have the frontier skills of the early
ranger corps.
Think about the clothing and accoutrements that each man had on his person
when going on a scout during the winter months2. The rangers still could strap on a
pair of skates and move out along a frozen lake with ease.
The length of Lake George is approximately 35 miles. The rangers were able to
skate up and back plus snowshoe overland. This is a remarkable feat of physical
ability.
Rogers also used rangers on ice skates, to scout ahead of the main body patrol
when they were marching on the ice (using ice creepers). The scouts could move
ahead to do their reconnoitering and return with ease to report their findings. Rogers
mentions this in his Journals, “In this manner we continued our march till within
eight miles of the shore, French advance guards, when Lieutenant Philips sent a man
on scates back to me, to desire me to halt”.3
The British regulars participated in ice skating as a form of recreation also. In
Captain John Knox’s Journal, “Siege of Quebec”, he states “Frost and snow; the Nova
Scotia winter now sets in with hasty strides; we had pleasant skaiting on the ice
today”.4 John Knox goes on to say “Our principal amusement here is skaiting; the
marshes, been overflowed before the frost set in, aford us now a scope of several
miles:”.5 From the information that Knox gives about the British regulars skating for
recreation, I believe the rangers probably did the same since their post on Rogers’
Island was surrounded by water that froze solid in the winter.
The enemy was also quite proficient at skating. “The Canadians skate in the
manner of the Dutch, exceedingly fast.”6 This information points to the malice and
- 31 -
possibly the French Marines could skate. Since skating was popular in Europe and the
Dutch were innovative in the hobby, the French soldiers also skated when necessary.
It also noted that some of the Native Americans also skated. “But the Indians dart
along like lightning”.7
HOW TO OBTAIN A SET OF ICE SKATES
PURCHASE OR BUILD
Building a set of period correct ice skates requires many special tools and skills.
It also takes a great deal of time if you do not have the proper environment to
accomplish the task. My shop is strictly used for woodworking and storage of tools.
As it is, my shop is fairly cramped. To build ice skates, you need room to do
blacksmithing. I could not fire up a forge in my shop. It would have to be done out of
doors which is difficult to do in the winter months. Also, when doing blacksmithing
you need to be in a darkened shop in order to see the color of the heated metal.
I also do not have a forge and would have to either purchase or construct one.
In addition, I do not have the blacksmith tools other than a small anvil. One has to
weigh the cost of purchasing all the necessary tools to accomplish the task against the
cost of purchasing the skates from a reputable sutler. This led me to the question of do
I attempt to build or purchase? I decided to do both but since I did not have the tools
for blacksmithing, I would use my 21st century tools to accomplish the task.
PURCHASE ICE SKATES
- 32 -
I contacted a blacksmith, Flintlock Forge, which makes 18th century ice skates
at a reasonable price. I queried him for more information. The blacksmith required
the following information:
a) The sutler required an outline of your foot with the type of foot apparel that you
wear. In my case, I wear winter moccasins, which have a soft sole.
b) The sutler needs type of foot apparel you would be wearing when using the
skates. He needs this information in order to modify the skate so it has no
sharp points coming up from the foot platform.
BUILD ICE SKATES
In order to build a pair of 18th century ice skates, you need the proper skill set,
tools and shop. The proper shop will be needed to be spacious to include necessary
bench space to construct the various parts of the skates.
Safety issues abound when doing this project. You deal with heavy equipment
(anvil), power tools (band saw, table saw and drill press), forge, welders (MIG and
stick) and various sharp edged tools. One must maintain safe shop principles during
the project to prevent injury. In addition, you must always wear you safety glasses
when working in the shop.
In order to build ice skates, you will have to have a plan in place in order to
complete the project successfully. The outline that I have provided is an over view of
the project and does not get into minute details. I start by listing the major tools and
materials that will be needed to build the skates.
- 33 -
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
I had the chance to talk with a Helmut Gunkel, a machine mechanic and a
blacksmith for over 35 years, about selecting metal for my skate blades. I was looking
for metal stock to construct the blade that is 4 ft long by 3 inches wide by 3/16 inches
thick. He informed me that the thickness of the metal of the blade may be a little too
thin. He suggested that 1/4 inch would make a stronger blade. I found a piece of
material but was undecided about the width of the material. I know that modern
hockey skates have a blade thickness of ~3 mm. These blades are hollow ground to
enhance control and performance. The 18th century skate would be double the
thickness, which would be 6 mm (0.2362 inches). This measurement boils down to
about ~1/4 inch. Therefore, I determined that the blades would have to be ¼ inch
thick and Helmut’s advice was sound.
Helmut also informed me that I would need to understand the difference
between cold rolled steel and hot rolled steel. He stated that it would affect my ability
to shape the skate blade properly depending on which I used. He also told me to
make a full size pattern to determine the amount of stock I need to purchase.
When forming the metal, he told me to heat it to a cherry red color, and then
form the metal using an anvil and a ball peen hammer in lieu of a blacksmith hammer.
This is forging and I read up on it just in case I have to do it. In addition, it would be a
good idea to make a form of the skate blade bend so that both blades come out the
same. He also told me that I would need patience. He warned me that if I rush it, I
could ruin the piece I was trying to make.
I consulted with Norbert Gunkel about the making of the skate blades. He is a
Wire EDM Specialist and a toolmaker with 15 years of experience. He warned me
- 34 -
about the using hot rolled steel over cold rolled. There is a structure in the metal (hot
rolled), which will make it harder to work with. I asked about using iron (original
material) and both men had the same opinion. Iron is hard to find and very costly in
the size I am after. In addition, the process that I would be using creates low grade
steel by the heating process.
They both warned me about trying to forge the metal using the blacksmithing
process without have access to the proper tools.
TOOL LIST:
a) Metal working tools:
1) Die grinder
2) Discs for Die Grinder
• Cut-off discs (4 inch diameter x 1/16 inch thick)
• Metal grinding discs (4 inch diameter x 1/4 inch thick)
3) A.C. Stick Welder
4) Anvil
5) Blacksmith hammer or ball peen hammer
6) Vice grips to hold the metal
7) Forge
8) Various hand files for metal working (i.e.#10 Flat Mill Bastard)
b) Wood working tools:
1) Band saw with wood cutting blade
2) Table saw with various types of saw blades including a dado blade.
3) Drill press
- 35 -
4) Power planer or Joiner
5) Hand planes
6) 10” Back saw
7) Scraper set for wood
8) Wood chisels
9) Square
10) Various wood files
11) Various grits of sand paper
c) Leather Working Tools:
1) Leather hole punch
2) Scissors / sharp utility knife to cut the leather
3) Straight edge / square / marking pen for marking leather
4) Thread / needle for sewing leather
MATERIAL LIST:
1) One (1) piece of hard wood. oak maple or cherry (2 inches thick by 14 inches
wide by 18 inches long.
2) Two (2) pieces of cold roll steel 1/4 inch thick by 1 1/2 inches wide by 48 inches
long
3) Four (4) pieces of leather (cow hide) 1/8 inch thick by 3/4 inch wide by 5 feet
long
4) Four (4) forged metal O-rings 2 inches in diameter
5) Two (2) metal “D” buckles, 1 ½ inch (18 century design)
- 36 -
DESIGN PHASE
a) Before any design can be done, you must know what an 18th century ice-skate looks
like. There were several styles. The two that are foremost are the Dutch style
(good for speed) and the English style which provide good maneuverability.
1) View a skate in a museum.
• There is an actual ice skate without straps at the museum in Fort
Ticonderoga.
2) Consult a reference book
• Kravic, Frank J. Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American
Revolution Scurlock Publishing Company, Inc.; page 162.
Just as snowshoes served on snow-covered surfaces, skates were a means of
traversing the iced waterways both for travel and recreation. References
mention their use and it is known the Rogers’ Rangers employed them
regularly in raids during the French and Indian War.8
• Wulff, Matt Robert Rogers’ Rules for the Ranging Service: An Analysis
Heritage Books 2006; page 30. Matt also sent me several pictures of ice
skates that he has in his collection.
• Zaboly, Gary American Colonial Ranger .. The Northern Colonies 1724 –64
Osprey Publishing 2004; page 35 Plate C
• Zaboly, Gary A True Ranger: The Life And Many Wars of Major Robert
Rogers Royal Blockhouse Publishing 2004; page 119. Mr. Zaboly gives the
following description of the ice skates. The skates had iron runners that
- 37 -
made an upward semi-loop in front, and supported wooden platforms with
small protruding metal points for anchoring thick soled moccasins or shoes.
Leather straps kept the feet firmly attached to the skates.
b) Draw a rough design of what your skate should look like based on your research. I
made the drawing (See the drawing)
c) Draw the outline of your foot on a piece of paper or cardboard
1) Remember to have the foot apparel on you plan to wear when using the ice
skates.
2) Also that both feet are made the same. There is no left or right skate.
d) Draw a full size drawing of your skate
1) Using the rough design drawing and the outline of your foot, draw a full size
drawing on the ice skate (include all dimensions). The more detail given here,
the easier the construction phase becomes.
2) Draw a detailed drawing of the iron (steel) skate blade
3) Draw a detailed drawing of the wooden platform
4) Draw a detailed drawing of the leather straps that hold your skate to your foot.
Include the large O-rings for the heel and the buckle assembly.
- 38 -
CONSTRUCTION PHASE:
Now that you have a plan to work form, you can start the construction phase of
building your ice skates.
CONSTRUCT SKATE BLADE
The construction of the skate blade will follow this outline.
1) Locate piece of steel to be used for the skate blade.
a. I purchased a piece of cold roll steel 1-1/2 inches x 48 inches x 1/4 inch.
I could make both blades from this piece of metal.
2) I had to decide on how I would cut the steel. There are several methods and
they all have there drawbacks. I decided not to use the band saw since this
process can be very labor intensive. I decided that I would cut the metal using a
die grinder (small hand grinder).
3) Transfer skate blade pattern from drawing to steel.
- 39 -
a. I had to draw the pattern on the metal using and pencil. I found that it
was hard to see the pencil line on the steel. You may want to use a white
marker or crayon.
4) Cut the skate blade from the metal.
a. Locate a work area where you can fasten the steel to the bench surface
securely using clamps.
b. Using the die grinder with a cut-off disc, cut out the skate blade. Here I
must make a point of safety. You will need a pair of raw hide gloves, full
face safety shield, safety glasses, leather apron, proper shop clothing and
work boots.
c. You need to take your time when using this method so that you do not
have severe kick backs from the die grinder.
d. Remember that you have to cut two blades (one for each skate).
5) After the blades were cut out, I laid one on top of the other to verify that they
were both the same size.
a. Since the blades that I cut did not match exactly, I changed from the cut-
disc to a grinding disk and did some finish grinding to make the blades
the same.
6) Form the front part of the skate blade.
a. Make a pattern for this operation
to insure that both blades will have
the same curve. The pattern is
made from a flat piece of wood and six penny nails.
b. Form the curved section of the front of the skate blade.
- 40 -
i. Heat metal in a forge.
ii. Shape the blade on an anvil using a heavy hammer. Use the
pattern to check it for the desired shape.
Forged blade fits pattern Photo taken by Author
iii. Shape the point on the front of the skate blade.
c. Allow blade to cool properly.
d. Make second blade (2 blades per set of skates).
7) After blade has cooled, file down all rough edges.
8) Add mounting tangs to skate blade.
a. Make Forward Skate Blade Fastener for fastening the forward part of the
blade to the wooden platform (refer to Skate Blade Dimension Drawing).
b. Make Rear Skate Blade Fastener for mounting blade to wooden platform
(refer to Skate Blade Dimension Drawing).
9) You will also have to determine weather the surface of the blade will be flat or
grooved (produces two edges).
a. If flat, you have to carefully flat file the skate blade and then touch it up
with a sharpening stone to remove the file marks. This will also ensure
that the edges of the blade will be sharp and capable of digging into the
ice.
- 41 -
b. The other method (grooved), you would have to cut the groove in the
surface of the skate blade using a grinder. This is done by hand and
takes skill and patience. However, the grooved blade will allow easier
effort for the skater.
10) Your skate blades are ready for final assembly of the skate.
NOTE: This is the most important phase of construction. If you can not do this
phase, you might give thought to having the blades made for you by a blacksmith.
However, this could lead to a redesign in the wooden platform.
Finished Ice Skate Blade
Photo taken by author
CONSTRUCT WOODEN PLATFORM
The construction of the
wooden platform, which supports
your foot, will follow the outline.
- 42 -
1) To start construction of the wooden platform of
the skates, select a good piece of hardwood.
Make sure that it is large enough to make two
wooden platforms for your skates. Also make
sure it is at least 3/4 inch thick.
Wooden skate platform pattern Photo taken by Author
a. I used an old wooden step (oak).
2) Using the table saw, cut two wooden platforms.
a. Remember that you need one for each
skate. The skate platforms that I cut were
14 inches long by 4 5/8 inches wide.
Wooden skate platform blanks Photo taken by Author
b. Using the dado blade, cut a grove into the longitudinal center of the skate,
1/4 inch wide by 3/8 inch deep. This groove will hold the skate blade.
3) True up all surfaces of the platform.
a. I planed the front and back surface of the platform using a 13 inch planer
to insure they both were flat. I also did the long edges. The short edges
were square when cut on the saw. The planning process also clean off all
the weathering and left me with a nice clean piece of wood.
4) If leather straps mount through the platform, then you will have to do all the
inletting for those straps at this point.
a. Using the drawing, I marked off were my strap holes would be using a
ruler, pencil and combination square.
- 43 -
b. I set up my drill press and preceded to inlet the wooden platforms for the
skate straps.
5) Form the wooden platform to fit your foot.
a. Trace the outline of your foot on a piece of paper.
b. You will need to clean up the drawing in order to make a neater pattern for
your foot.
c. Trace the platform pattern onto the square wooden platform.
d. Using the band saw, cut each platform.
i. I made my skates so that they fit either foot. There is no left or
right.
ii. I also cut the wood so that I left a little margin around the desired
cut line for finishing purposes.
6) Using a file and /or sandpaper, smooth and slightly round all edges.
a. Using a 1-1/4 sanding drum on my drill
press, I sanded the edges of the platforms
so that they had no saw marks.
b. Using 60 grit sand paper, I sanded the
edges and rounded sharp corners.
Wooden skate platforms cut out
Photo taken by Author
7) Constructing the front blade notch. This holds the front of the blade to the
wooden platform,
a. Using a 10 inch back saw, I cut a notch into the front part of the wooden
platform. This notch starts at the front of the bottom grove and is cut at a
45 degree angle (1 inch front the front of the wooden platform,
longitudinally). I placed three cuts into the wood.
- 44 -
b. Using a 1/4 inch wood chisel, I carved out the slot to secure the front part
of the skate blade.
8) Prepare the wooden platform for finish
a. Using 120 grit sand paper or wood scrapers, finish the wooden surface.
b. Make sure that the surface is free of gouges, sanding paper marks and dirt.
9) Apply weather protection substance to wooden platform (linseed oil, bees wax,
etc).
a. I used a dark stain on my platforms to make them look aged.
10) The wooden platforms are now ready for final assembly.
(Wooden skate platforms Photo taken by Author)
CONSTRUCT LEATHER STRAPS
Construction of the leather straps and heel of the skate are done using cow hide. I
found a craft store that deals with leather goods that would supply the raw straps for
me. They cut four straps ¾ inch wide by 50 inches long. They price was $2.70 per
strap.
- 45 -
1) MAKE FRONT STRAP
a) In my design, I planned for the front strap to be 45 inches long by ¾
inches wide.
b) Select an end of the strap and sew on the forged metal buckle.
c) Do not punch the holes for the buckle at this point since you do not no
their correct location.
d) You have to make two straps.
2) MAKE REAR STRAPS
These leather straps hold the back of the foot to skate in lieu of the large screw
that protrudes into the heel of the shoe. The moccasins are thin soled so the
leather straps hold the foot securely in place.
a) Cut the leather heal straps according to the dimensioned drawing.
b) Make sure that you have two 1 ½ inch iron (forged) “D” buckles and four
(4) 1 ¾ inch forged iron O-rings.
- 46 -
c) Take two (2) O-rings and the longest heal strap and sew the O-rings on
to each end using either linen thread or artificial sinew. You will need
needles that can penetrate leather and a punch. The length of the leather
strap after sewing should be what you design drawing specifies
d) Find the strap that measures about five to six inches and sew it to the
long strap as designated in the dimension drawing.
e) Do not punch any holes in the front strap until you are fully assemble
and trying on the skate.
f) Remember you must have a set for each skate that you make.
FINAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ICE SKATES
To complete the skates, one would have to assemble them according to the
original design drawing.
A. Fasten skate blade to wooden platform
a. Place skate blade in blade channel on the bottom side of the wooden
platform.
b. Make sure the blade and mounting tangs fit properly. If it does not,
you will have to determine the problem and correct it.
c. Locate some suitable fasteners. One method would be to use some
screws. Another would be to use long forged pins (look like nails).
d. Fasten blades with fasteners. I used wood screws to fasten my blades
to the wooden platform.
B. Attached rear leather straps.
- 47 -
a. Take the strap that has nothing on it and pass it through the rear skate
strap mounting hole.
b. Take the stitched rear strap assembly and fasten it to the strap through
the skate by stitching it to the O-rings as you did previously.
c. Take the heal strap and fasten it to the rear underside of the skate
using some ¾ forged tacks.
C. Attached the front leather strap.
a. Take the free end and pass it through an O-ring from outside the skate
to inside. Then take that free end across the platform and pass it
through the front skate strap mounting hole. Then pass it over the top
of the skate and through the mounting hole a second time.
b. The end that is loose will not pass over the skate to the other O-ring
and you will be done with the assembly of the skates.
c. Neat’s-foot oil will be applied to the leather for protection
d. You are now ready to put the skates on your feet with the footwear that
you designed them for. Once you have done this. You will be able to
punch in a set of hole for the buckle.
You are ready to go out and try them providing the weather and climate allow.
CONCLUSION
After some consideration and consultation, I decided to do both, build and
purchase ice skates.
I selected Flintlock Forge in Charlestown, New Hampshire to build a pair of
skates for me. My selection was based on recommendation of a fellow ranger who
- 48 -
purchased a set of skates from him and also from viewing a photo of his product. My
skates are made for use with moccasins. I am also able to use my shoes with them.
Once I placed the order, it took about 4 weeks to arrive. Mr. Miller also sent me
a write up on where the design for this set came from. The skates that I have are late
17th century design. The photo following photograph shows the type of skates that I
purchased.
Ice Skates purchased from Flintlock Forge (Photos taken by author)
The skates that I constructed (see photo on page 49), came out well and as of this
time I have not tested them on the ice. However, the cost of the materials (see table
below) for the skates were insignificant compared to the cost of the tools and labor
time.
Cost of Material Leather for skate Straps $17.00 Forged Buckles for Skates (2) $16.00 Forged O-rings (4) $16.00 Steel (Hot roll) 48” x 1.5” x 1/4” $ 9.00 Hardwood for skates (discarded oak step) NC Wood screws $ 2.35 Shipping cost of Forged hardware $ 4.60 TOTAL $64.95
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I had some of the required materials (glue, stain, beeswax finish, etc) from other
projects.
It was worth the effort to build them and I even learned how to do some low
level blacksmithing. The curves in my skate blade were forged using the same method
as would have been used in the 18th century. It took me over three hours to forge the
front curve on both skate blades. I learned to do the job in small steps and take my
time in doing it.
The down side is that unless you have the tools and knowledge of how to use the
tools; do not attempt to build them. I estimated the rough cost of the tools that I used
and found that I would have had to make an investment of over $1700.00 for the tools.
I have not kept accurate track of the labor but I am sure it would exceed over 60 hours.
This includes all the restarts due to mistakes.
My advice here would be that the purchased skates are worth the cost. My
skates from Flintlock Forge cost me $120.00 which included shipping and
documentation on their authenticity.
Ice Skates built by Author Photo taken by Author
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Endnotes 1 Rogers, Robert “The Journals of Major Robert Rogers” Reprint of the 1769 Dublin edition”.
Published as “WarFare on the Colonial American Frontier: Journals of Major Robert Rogers & An historical Account of the Expedition Against the Ohio Indians in the Year 1764, Under the Command of Henry Bouquet, Esq” Bagersville, Indiana: Dresslar Publishing, 1997; page 10
2 See drawing (A-1) in appendix, page 91 3 Todish, Timothy and Zaboly, Gary S. “ The Illustrated and Annotated Journals of Major
Robert Rogers” page 90 4 Knox, John “HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGNS in NORTH AMERICA FOR
The YEARS 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760:” page 80 5 Ibid, page 220 6 Zaboly, Gary “American Colonial Ranger … The Northern Colonies 1724-64” Osprey
Publishing 2004; page 58 7 Ibid; page 58 8 Kravic, Frank J. “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”
Scurlock Publishing Company, Inc. Texarkana, Texas 1997; page 162
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CHAPTER 4 … HAND SLEIGHS INTRODUCTION
During the 18th century, the roads in New England, which were few, would be
covered. They did not plow them off but instead used wagons that had runners on
them to go over the snow. These vehicles were referred to as sledges (sleighs). The
larger sleds would be pulled by horses or in some cases dogs, depending on the size of
the sled. There are various forms of sleds. Some have runners while others are just
flat. In this section I plan to discuss a type of sled that was used to carry gear for the
rangers while out on scout (patrol) and describe the one I built for moving my
equipment in and out of winter events.
There were two different types used in North America. One was of the
European influence and brought over by the early settlers and explorers. The sledge
or sleigh was a vehicle on runners for transportation over snow, pulled or pushed by
one or more persons or drawn by horses, dogs or reindeer. In order to carry supplies
and equipment long distances over snow and ice, explorers used Sledges (sleighs). In
addition, the sleighs were strong and big enough to carry heavy loads, yet light enough
for men or dogs to pull up slopes. The style of the runners was important for the task
you wanted to perform. Narrow runners are used for hard ice and wide runners for
soft snow.
The other style of sleigh used was of the North American native design called a
toboggan. A toboggan differs from most sledges or sleighs in that it has no runners or
skis on the underside. The bottom of a toboggan rides directly on the snow. The
traditional toboggan is made of bound, parallel wood slats, all bent forward at the
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front to form a sideways 'J' shape. A thin rope threaded through the top of the loop to
provide rudimentary steering. Toboggans come in various sizes. While great in deep
snow, toboggans have a steering problem due to the fact they do not have runners and
have to be guided by another person in the rear of the toboggan. In Bearor’s book,
Leading By Example … Volume 1, he states that toboggans are a curse when used in
the forest or over hilly terrain “Dragging a traine or toboggan full of provisions on a
frozen lake or river is one thing, dragging it behind you through the forest is quite
another. It is, to put it mildly, a real nightmare, and coming down a grade or slope it
has a mind of its own”.1 Another shortcoming is when the snow thaws during the
winter months, the gear on a toboggan would be susceptible getting wet in areas of
puddle water since the toboggan has minimal height to it.
HISTORY
There is no date in time when man discovered and started the use of a sled. It is
commonly thought that man used to pile his belongings on animal hides and drag it
over the snow thus saving him many trips. The first sleds were more likely toboggans.
The sub arctic peoples invented toboggans. Toboggans were wooden platforms
that rested directly on the snow. The front of a toboggan is curled back and rope or
twine made from the inner fiber of trees was attached in order to pull the toboggan. A
toboggan was usually between 10 to 12 feet long (could be smaller 4 to 6 feet) and was
usually pulled by the women instead of the men, or even dogs. Andrew Gallup and
Bob Schaffer give a description of a toboggan (traine by the French) in their book,
LaMarine: The French Colonial Soldier in Canada, 1745-1761,
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“ The traine is a thin planke, six to nine feet in length, and twelve to fifteen
inches in width. It is bent at one end in a half circle, called a hood, to which a strap
called a collar is attached-made of white birch withes about eighteen feet long. The
center part is three or four inches wide and sixteen to eighteen inches long. This collar
is used to haul a load. The thick middle piece of the collar rests on the forehead, or
sometimes slantingly across the chest and shoulders. The traine has, down its length
and sides, sinews of animal hide into which a cord is laced to hold the goods loaded on
the traine.”2
With this device, great distances could be covered over snow and ice by those
who using them.
Sleighs were developed in the Europe and brought to America. They come in
many sizes and shapes although the have one thing in common. They all have
runners, which are made of wood or iron. They cargo bed is not at ground level. It is
elevate above the ground to protect the cargo from the elements (mud and water).
RANGERS USE
In Rogers’ journal, there are several references to use of hand sleighs. The
rangers would pack essentials for the scout onto the hand sleigh and then take turns
drawing the sleigh on the scout. The rangers would only draw the sleighs so far and
then they would hide them to await their return to this spot. An example of this tactic
is explained by Gary Zaboly in his description of the Legend of Rogers’ Slide in the
book The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers; “ … the
Ranger leader ordered the survivors to run for their lives. They had left their hand
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sleighs and additional provisions at today’s Friend Point, five miles to the south by the
shores of Lake George, and this would be their place of rendezvous”3. In addition,
the rangers used the sleighs for other work also. If they were on woodcutting detail,
they would retrieve the cut wood on the sleighs. “Yet our wooding-parties are
constantly employed on that fatiguing service, and the fuel, when cut, is drawn home
by the soldiers on sleighs; the rangers forming, the van, and scouring the woods on
each fide of the road, while some regulars bring up the rear.”4
The rangers also used the sleighs to bring in the wounded and dead. This is
evident in the passage from Knox’s Journal’s. “The whole company of rangers went
out this morning to scour the country towards Bay Verde: they returned in the
afternoon,, and brought with them a sleigh which our unhappy sufferers had taken out
with them, and on it were laid the bodies of four of our men, and one ranger, who were
killed and scalped ; the rest are still missing :”5
The size and duration of the scout would determine how many sleighs the
rangers would need. In Gary Zaboly’s book American Colonial Ranger; The
Northern Colonies 1724-64, he describes the hand sleighs with a drawing6. Others
describe the sleighs as toboggans. It is my belief at this point that both would be
correct as well as others small sleighs used in New England.
HOW TO BUILD IT
The type of hand sleigh that I decide to build is one that would be found on
most New England farms. The sled is small and has two narrow runners with boards
fastened to it to place supplies on to transport across the snow. The runners are 3- 1/4
inches high by 1- 1/8 inches wide. The length of each runner is 43 ¼ inches. The
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wood I selected is #3 common pine for the cargo deck and spruce for the runners,
which would have been a type of wood found in New England during the 18th century.
DESIGN PHASE
I thought over the different designs
and then thought about the use and the
method of transporting to and from
events. I decided to go with a farm sledge
for present. This is a sleigh with runners
and a flat surface for loading equipment.
I found a description of sleds in an article
written by Karen Bergstralh on 17th -18th
century sleds. She describes how sleds
were used and how the were built. I used Karen’s description along with other
information to design my small sled. Now, I had a concept and a lunch bag drawing
(see drawing for dimensions).
MATERIAL LIST
a. One 2 x 4 pressure treated (1 ½ inch x 3 ½ inches x 96 inches) … runners
b. One 1 x 12 pine boards #3 common ( ¾ inch x 11.5 inches x 96 inches) … bed
c. A box of 2 inch cut nails
d. Two paint brushes (2 inch)
e. One 1/2 pint can of Walnut stain
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f. One pint can of Spar Varnish
g. Small spool of ½ inch hemp rope
The materials were purchased from Lowe’s Home Center.
TOOL LIST:
The following tools are needed:
a. A cross cut hand saw / electric saw
b. Coping saw to cut the front and back of the runners
c. 16 oz. hammer
d. Punch for setting the nails in the wood
e. Paint brushes
f. Small wood plane
g. Hand drill (manual / electric)
h. Small square / combination square
i. Two saw horses
j. Measuring device (folding ruler, tape measure, etc)
k. A carpenter pencil or equivalent
l. Shop gloves (optional)
m. Glue (if desired)
n. Sand paper
o. Paint thinner
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CONSTRUCTION PHASE
Once you have all the materials, tools and an area to do the construction, you
will want to start. Warning, you should have a good basic knowledge of carpentry and
do not forget to wear your safety glass during the construction process.
The following steps describe the construction:
1) Make the boards for the bed of the sleigh
a) Take the 1” x 12” x 8’ pine board and cut it down into two 1” x 5” x 8’ boards.
b) Locate one of the pine boards and place it on the sawhorses.
c) Now take your square and check the end of the board. If the board end is not
square, take your square and put a mark across the board using your square.
Trim the end using the handsaw so it is square.
d) Measure along the length to your desired length (mine was 20-1/8 inches in
length). Place a small mark on the wood using a square.
e) Take the handsaw and cut the board through. Now you have one of you boards
for the bead of your sled.
f) Repeat this step until you have all the boards you sleigh requires my sleigh has
6 boards).
2) Once you have all the boards cut, take your small plane and round all edges on the
boards. If you do not know how to use a plane, then take and use sand paper
instead. You boards are ready for fastening to the runners.
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3) Now you need to construct the runners.
a) Cut the 2 x 4 into half using the handsaw. I chose to use the hand saw since I
wanted to get more to level of the 18th century craftsman. After the 2 x 4 is cut
in half, each section should measure 48 inches or near that.
b) Check to see if your runners are cut to desired length (specified in your design).
Both runners have to be same length.
c) Using your template for the front of the runners, mark each runner using a
pencil and the template.
d) Cut the front shape of the runner using a coping saw.
e) Do the same for the back of the runners using the template for the rear of the
runners.
f) You should have twin runners now (they are identical).
4) Now you are ready to assemble your sleigh
a) Consult your plan for location of the front bed board. Make sure the small edge
of the board is parallel to the length of the runner. Nail board done to the
runner using the cut nails. Do the same at the other end with the second
runner.
b) Continue until you have fastened all the bed boards to the runners.
c) Round all edges with the plane or sand paper.
5) Place a hole in each runner (front) for the ½ inch tow rope using the hand drill and
a 9/16 inch drill bit.
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6) Your sled is ready for finishing
at this point. The level of
finish you wish to accomplish
is part of the individualism
that we strive to achieve. I left
my sled sit out in the elements
for a few months before
putting the finish on it.
The sled is ready to be sanded, stained and varnished.
(Photo taken by author)
7) I used this finishing process.
a) Make sure all sharp corners are round smooth by using the hand plane or sand
paper.
b) Apply the stain using one of the paintbrushes. I tried to get it on very even.
However, it does not matter.
c) Once it dries for twenty-four hours, you can put the spar varnish on. This will
need at least twenty-four hours between coats. I applied two coats to my sled.
8) Cut the towrope to desired length and place through holes on fronts of runners.
9) Your sleigh is done.
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CONCLUSION
This was a fairly easy and low cost project to complete. I used rudimentary
skills of carpentry to complete it. It is a nice piece of equipment to have if you are
participating in winter events. I plan to use it to get my gear to the campsite when
there is heavy snow on the ground. The only drawback is that I made my runners only
3 ½ inches high. If the snow is very deep, the sled may not work very well. However, I
can always tramp down a path using my snowshoes so I feel confident that my sled will
work out well. The other advantage is that it packs well in my vehicle for
transportation to events.
After completing the sled, I tried it out in the snow. It pulled with ease. It is
very light on can be used by two rangers for supplementary gear. See photos below.
One of the rangers in our company (Sergeant Tim Green) also built a hand sleigh
(sledge). The dimensions of his sled are 36" in length X 18" in width. The runners
measure 5" high but are ¾” in width. The deck on ranger Green’s sled has open slats.
Ranger Green’s sled is lighter than mine since he used cedar which is very common in
the woodland of the northeast.
While both sleds are similar, they still have differences. This would be true of
the original rangers also. They would have built the hand sleighs according to a
method of which they were the most familiar (view the photos on next page).
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Finished Sled Photo taken by author
Sled built by Ranger Sgt. Tim Green (Schroth’s New York Company)
Use of photo with permission from Tim Green
Finished Sled with gear aboard
Photo taken by author
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Endnotes 1 Bearor, Bob “ Leading By Example … Volume 1” page 32 2 Gallup, Andrew and Donald Schaffer “Marine: The French Colonial Soldier in Canada, 1745-
1761” pp. 69-70 3 Zaboly, Gary and Todish Timothy “The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Robert
Rogers” page 97 4 Knox, John “HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGNS in NORTH AMERICA FOR
The YEARS 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760:” page 226 5 Ibid; page 223 6 Zaboly, Gary Z. “American Colonial Ranger; The Northern Colonies 1724-64” page 32
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CHAPTER 5 … SNOWSHOES INTRODUCTION
In the extreme Northern
Hemisphere, a traditional means of
transportation during long winter
months has always been a reliable pair
of snowshoes. Simple and robust, these
lightweight frames enable effortless
walking, since they keep the wearer from
sinking into the snow. Their ease of use
makes them the ideal choice for walking A ranger on snowshoes
(Photo taken by Author)
through open fields, dense woods or crossing other more difficult terrain.
In recent years, snowshoes have seen an incredible revival in our country.
One of the beauties of this sport lies in its simplicity. All you have to do is step
into a pair of snowshoes, strapped them on and with two walking sticks the fun
can begin immediately! No other special equipment or rigorous physical training
is required, no extra hassle. It’s no wonder more and more enthusiasts are
discovering the simple delights of snowshoeing!
However, there was a time, during the 18th century that snowshoes were
more than just a sport. They were the primary means of transportation if you
lived in the New England/New York colonies. The heavy snowfalls accompanied
by frigid cold weather, made travel difficult. In order to travel from one location
to another, snowshoes would make it possible. Especially the Native Americans
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and the militias who were protecting the frontier settlements utilized snowshoes
during times of war.
In this chapter, I discuss the parameters for selecting the proper pair of
snowshoes. When reading the many interpretations of Rogers’ journals and well
as the journals of others, the rangers were depicted as always using/carrying their
snowshoes during winter scouts.
I will discuss using present day knowledge and technology of the why and
wherefores of snowshoes so that the reader has a better idea of snowshoes. If you
have the knowledge then you can make the proper decision for obtaining a pair of
18th century style snowshoes.
HOW IT WORKS
Snowshoes work by distributing the traveler’s weight over a large surface
area, thus the wearer does not sink down as far in the snow (this is referred to as
floating). When a snowshoe is sized properly for person wearing it, that person
will only sink into the snow, a few inches.
Another factor that will affect flotation is consistency of the snow. The
lighter, fluffier or dryer the snow is, the deeper a person on snowshoes will sink
into the snow. If the snow is wet, the user of the snowshoes will not sink as deep
or may even stay on the surface. If the snow is crusted, a chance of breaking
through using snowshoes is lessened. If you do break through crusted snow, you
will not sink very deep. This makes travel over deep snow less of an effort.
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HISTORY OF SNOWSHOES
Although, there is no archeological evidence, snowshoes are thought to
trace their origin to a common ancestor called "shoeski", invented 4000 to 6000
years ago in Central Asia. It was a solid piece of wood with a crude binding. The
"shoeski" made it possible for people to migrate into farther reaches of the
Northern Hemisphere.
Around the time of Christ's birth, that the inhabitants of the Caucasus
used to attach flat surfaces of leather under their feet and that the Armenians
used round wooden surfaces instead.
Two groups of snowshoe pioneers diverged early on; setting patterns that
can still be seen today. One group abandoned the snowshoe as it migrated north
to what is now Scandinavia, eventually turning the design into the forerunners of
the Nordic ski. The other went northwest, eventually crossing the Bering Strait
into North America.
A group of these ancient people known as the Amerindians settled in
Quebec, eastern Canada, and North Eastern part of what is now the United
States. These people made a style of snowshoe by joining pines branches under
their feet. It is thought that the Amerindians got this idea from observing the
tracks of animals that they trapped such as otter, beaver, foxes (fox’s tail for
stabilizer used in the Huron snowshoes) or bear (bear paw snowshoes used by the
Montagnais).
When the French settled in northern North America in 1608 with
Champlain, they used Amerindian snowshoes to explore hard to reach regions.
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During the French and Indian Wars (1665 - 1763), the British and French
troops, colonial militias and Native American allies used snowshoes during
winter months in the northern climates for warfare as well as just going out of the
fort doing daily tasks.
Traditional snowshoes are made of a single strip of some tough wood,
usually white ash but can be any other hardwood. They are curved round and
fastened together at the ends and supported in the middle by a light crossbar.
The space within the frame thus made being filled with a close webbing of
dressed caribou or rawhide strips, leaving a small opening just behind the
crossbar for the toe of a moccasin foot. The snowshoes are fastened to the foot by
leather thongs and in some cases rope. Some versions have leather straps with
buckles to perform the same function. Such shoes are still made and sold by
native peoples
RANGERS USE
“The English, during the King Philip’s War (1675 –76), had learned to
travel on snowshoes and moccasins in the deep snows of the New England
winters.”1 The snowshoes helped them protect their settlements with daily
patrols being sent out to find the enemy and issue a warning of an impending
attacks. In addition, during Dummer’s War (1725), Capt John Lovewell became
famous for leading his rangers on an extended patrol during the winter months
on snowshoes. He planned to attack an Abenaki village but instead track down a
marauding band of Abenaki and killed all of them. He was made a hero upon his
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return to Boston. Thus, by the time Rogers’ Ranging Company was formed
in1756, the colonist had time to perfect the method of snowshoeing. Rogers’ had
learned the technique and applied it very effectively.
The snow would pile up during the winter months making travel difficult
in the ranger’s theatre of operation. The rangers that would go out from the fort
would usually carry a set of snowshoes with them. They would put them on when
confronted by deep snow, which was very common in their theatre of action along
the Lake Champlain / Lake George corridor. “Rogers and his rangers, 184 men
in all, departed from their camp on the island at Fort Edward at about mid-
afternoon on 10 March 1758 and, Rogers recorded, marched to the half-way
brook, in the road leading to Lake George and there encamped the first night.
On the second day of the patrol, the rangers marched to Lake George, passing the
burned out ruins of Fort William Henry, then, proceeding onto the frozen surface of
the lake.”2 Although it does not state they used their snowshoes, it would be safe to
assume since this area receives a lot of snow and it would be difficult if not
impossible to march along this route without snowshoes. As the scout progress into
the third day, actual reference to the use of snowshoes is made. Rogers orders his
men to remove their creepers (which aid movement along slippery ice surface of
Lake George) and put on their snowshoes. “Nevertheless Rogers ordered ice
creepers removed, snowshoes donned, and took his force into the woods where they
moved parallel to the east shore of the lake as far north as Sabbath Day Point on the
opposite side. Although they reached this point by ten in the morning the men must
have been exhausted from the tiring, unnatural gait required to use snowshoes
effectively.”3
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The rangers also spent time while in garrison performing tasks using
snowshoes and making snowshoes. The following reference is one of the tasks
assigned to the rangers at Fort Edward. “At Fort Edward in February 1758, “a
Number of Majr Rogerss men” wrote a provincial diarist,”was over On this Side
with their Snow Shoes to Thread Down ye Snow Round on the Glassea[glacis]”4
From the previous passages, one can conclude that the rangers were very
proficient in the use of snowshoes for daily chores as well as warfare.
Due to the construction of the wooden snowshoe, the rangers were
constantly repairing and making new snowshoes. The experts today, claim that
wood frame snowshoes are susceptible to breakage. The rangers were to supply
snowshoes for a winter expedition. Roger’s was blamed for not making the
required amount of snowshoes by Haviland. In a report to Lord Loudoun from
Lord Howe, “More snowshoes were need, he wrote (eventually blame would be
placed on Rogers’ Rangers for not making more than 300 pairs; but redcoat
workmen under the supervision of Engineer lieutenant Mathew Clerk had fared
no better, constructing only 200 pairs)”5.
PARAMETERS FOR SNOWSHOES
There are several ways to procure a set of snowshoes. One way is to go out
and purchase them from a reputable source. Another way is to construct a set
either from a kit or from scratch. I have had my set of snowshoes for many years.
However, when I purchased my set, I was many years younger and did not have
the knowledge of what one would need to know when purchasing them. It is my
intent to present all the pertinent information about snowshoes so that an
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individual can go forth and make a sound decision on which path he would prefer
to take.
The individual who is considering a set of snowshoes needs to understand
some basic facts before looking for a set of snowshoes.
a) Anatomy of a Snowshoe
b) Snowshoe Sizing
c) Style of snowshoe
d) Type of Binding
a) ANATOMY OF A SNOWSHOE
There are many different types of
snowshoes; however they all have the same basic
parts. This section will briefly describe the part
with reference to the picture at the right of
snowshoe parts.
• BINDINGS -- the binding is that part of
the snowshoe that holds the shoe to your
foot. A binding should be able to align the
foot properly with the snowshoe and hold
that alignment to enable the user to
maintain an efficient stride in all types of terrain and snow conditions.
The main feature of a binding is its adjustability and fit.
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NOTE: Make sure it's something that will hold your boot tightly and more
importantly make sure it's something you can get in and out of with a
minimum of hassle even with cold, gloved hands.
• FRAME -- the frame of the snowshoe is the most fundamental part in that
it holds everything together. The frame can be made of wood (ash
preferred; but can be oak, elm, spruce, etc). Frames come in different
shapes from wide ovals (maximum flotation) to asymmetrical shapes for a
natural gait. Snowshoe shape is a combination of type and style. In the
case of reenacting, we need to fit both type and style into the period of the
18th century.
• DECKING / WEBBING -- this part of the snowshoe is also known as the
webbing or lacing. This is what provides the flotation on the snow. On
traditional wooden snowshoes, the decking is made of rawhide or a
synthetic equivalent stretched between the sides of the frame.
• TOE BAR / HEEL BAR -- these two bars also called spreaders are
located in from and back of the snowshoe between the wrung of the frame
for added strength and stability.
• TOE -- this is the front of the snowshoe. It can be flat or bent upward
depending on the style of the snowshoe.
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• TAIL -- this is the rear of the snowshoe. The shape of the tail depends on
the style of the snowshoe.
• TOE HOLE -- the opening in the front of the decking (webbing) that
allows the forefoot to pivot through its range of motion.
b) SNOWSHOE SIZING / FLOATATION
The size, more commonly the length of the shoe you choose determines
to a large degree how well you'll stay on top of the snow. You're will discover
that no matter how large of a shoe you use it will not keep you entirely on top
of the snow. The method used to determine the right shoe for you is based on
your weight. Actually, that will be the entire weight on the snowshoes, which
is you, your clothing, your pack etc. I believe that the rangers at least the
earlier ones (1755-58) who were familiar with frontier life knew how to design
the snowshoe.
Well you might say I can solve this problem by going with the largest
snowshoe I can handle. The larger snowshoe will undoubtedly help keep you
on top of the snow but keep in mind that many times the trail that you will be
using might be packed and your snowshoes will not be on your feet they will
be attached to your pack or you will be carrying them. Remember, the larger
they are the more they weigh and the more of a challenge they will be to carry
especially if you have to go through thick brush. In addition, larger usually
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means longer, they more difficult to use when trying to negotiate sharp turns,
step over fallen trees and generally maneuver in the woods.
According to the multitude of articles I read on selecting size of
snowshoes, my advice would be to by the smallest snowshoe that you can get
away with.
Remember that Floatation is a combination of the surface area of the
snowshoe, the type of decking (webbing), weight applied to snowshoe by the
individual using the snowshoe and density of the snow.
c) STYLE OF SNOWSHOES
Huron or St. Lawrence (also known as
Beaver Tail, Michigan or Maine) style
snowshoes are the style most likely used by
soldiers in Canada. This style is the most
common depiction of Canadian snowshoes in
contemporary 18th century images of both
Drawing from Author’s Library
Natives and French Canadians. These snowshoes are still made today by
the Huron in Quebec.
This snowshoe is teardrop shaped, has an upturned toe, and a
narrow tail for use on trails or open woods. The advantage of this
snowshoe is versatility, will work fairly well in most situations. The
disadvantage is they are clumsy in thick woods or in very deep, powdery
snow. However they are by far the most popular design
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Iroquois Bearpaw
These types of snowshoes are said
to be the style most favored by the
Six Nations. However, popular
modern opinion says this style is
Drawing from Author’s Library
not as effective or as comfortable as others. This style gives great
maneuverability in heavily forested areas.
Ojibwa
These snowshoes are another upper
Lakes style similar to the Huron style.
However, both ends are pointed. This
makes it easier when walking through
snow that has brush concealed under
it.
Drawing from Author’s Library
Alaskan (Yukon)
This snowshoe is long, narrow with up turned
toes. These snowshoes are excellent in open
country with deeper snow.
Drawing from Author’s Library
One concludes at this point that there is no one type or style of
snowshoe for all situations.
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d) TYPE OF BINDING
With the selection of available traditional snowshoes (wooden
frame/rawhide webbing), the next most important decision to be made is
what binding do I use. As stated previously, the binding is the item that holds
the snowshoe to your foot. You will want to select the binding that works
best. If you were going to use modern snowshoes, this decision might be
hard. However, we are trying to use the same type of snowshoe-binding
combination used by the rangers during the 18th century. There are two types
of bindings.
One binding is the H-style and the other is just a long (3 ft. minimum)
piece of narrow leather or buckskin, lamp wick (narrow canvas, loosely
woven), rawhide or rope. Each binding will works serve the purpose and is
correct for the 18th century. I chose the leather strap because of it simplicity
and easy of putting on/taking off. Rhonda Lake describes this type of binding
of having a unique feature which I believe the rangers were aware of since
most of their travel would be along water routes. “This old-timey binding is
actually tied with lamp wick. Its claim to fame is that it is the only binding
you can kick off should you go through the ice”.6
The purpose of the binding is very simple. “A binding should keep the
foot snugly in place without restricting movement. It should keep the
snowshoe under control.”7 Rhonda Lake describes a process by which you
can check a binding for proper fit. The process is quite simple. If you pick up
your foot and point your foot to the right and then to the left and shake it or
move it up and down, the snowshoe should follow the same motion and not
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wiggle. The neoprene step-in bindings I had almost accomplish the process
but there was some slop. I believe the problem was created by the way I had
the binding fastened to my snowshoe. I changed this year to the simple
leather strap for two reasons.
a. It is more correct to the type use by the Native Americans during the
18th century, which would also be used by rangers.
b. The binding is easier to get into and out of when out in the field. The
binding can be tied /untied with gloved hands.
BUY OR BUILD YOUR SNOWSHOES
Compare the difference in building verses purchase a set complete
a. Cost of kits vs. complete
b. Amount of time to complete
c. Skills to build
Now you have to decide how do I get a pair snowshoes for my persona?
One question to ask yourself is, do I participate in winter events? If you are a
sunshine ranger (only participate during summer) then you will not need to go
any further.
However, if you do plan to be a year round ranger, then you will have to
make this decision. Remember that next to your winter clothing and your trusty
musket; snowshoes are the most important item. Decision time is here. Do you
build or purchase a set of snowshoes?
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If you chose to purchase your snowshoes, you need to make another
decision, which is new or used. If you attend garage sales or flea markets, you
might pick up a pair of traditional snowshoes (wood frames/rawhide webbing) in
good condition for a few dollars. One ranger reenactor that I serve with bought a
pair at a garage sale for fifty dollars ($50.00). However, if you have the “I need
it now” syndrome, you will want to search for a reputable dealer and look at what
there is to offer. The style of snowshoe that most resembles the one that the
rangers may have used is the Huron. You can save money if you shop around for
new or more money if you purchase used.
If you are fortunate enough to live in an area that has a lot of snow and
snowshoeing is practiced widely (Adirondack Region of New York State), you
may find a dealer that will let you try before you buy. This is a recommended way
to purchase snowshoes.
If you chose to build your own snowshoes, then you will again be faced
with two choices. Do I purchase a kit or do I go from scratch? If you build them
from a kit, there are merchants that handle snowshoes in kit form. The kit offers
the advantage of most of the material appropriation has been done. Also, that
you have an explicit set of instructions to follow. However, this luxury comes at a
price but still is less expensive then purchasing the snowshoes ready-to-go.
If you decide to build them from scratch then you will need to research the
process to accomplish the task of build snowshoes. I did just that to see if it how
one would go about doing it. I found two fairly reliable sources to get an idea of
all the requirements and pitfalls involved in the building of snowshoes. I an
article by Carl Heilman II, he states the qualifications for crafting snowshoes.
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“Although it’s admittedly not a simple job, snowshoe crafting is a worth while
project for anyone who has basic carpentry skills …”.8 Carl goes on to explain
the process, which I outlined below.
OUTLINE for Crafting Snowshoes
I. Make a paper pattern
A. Use newspaper or a wrapping paper
B. You can get your basic design and size from any commercial
snowshoe vendor. They advertise this information with their
product.
C. Draw your desired design (18th century style)
D. Make sure measurements are correct for you. Remember that the
snowshoes must fit you.
E. Fold paper in half and cut out pattern. This will insure that the
snowshoe is symmetrical.
II. Make a bending jig / Molding board
A. You will need molding board form to shape your frames.
B. Find a piece of wood that is of sufficient size to hold your snowshoe.
You need enough to make two (2) forms.
C. Transfer the snowshoe pattern to the board (form).
D. Apply all necessary blocks to hold your frame along its pattern. See
the diagram below.
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Drawing by Author
III. Cut and split wood
A. If using green wood, find a supply of ash or hickory saplings. Live
wood is the easiest to work with because it can be bent without
breaking. When it is dried, it will hold its shape.
1. The saplings (ash or hickory) should be straight and knot free.
2. Split saplings using a crooked knife
3. Using a draw knife trim sapling wood to ¾” x ¾” stave. The length
of the stave should be approximately 7’.
4. Also, select to larger saplings from the same lot to make the
crossbars.
B. If using store bought wood, find an appropriate lumberyard where you
can purchase the wood for the frames.
1. You can purchase the wood (ash or hickory) ready for forming. The
lumber yard will be able to provide the staves at in the desired
dimension ( ¾” x ¾” x 7’).
IV. Steam wood for Frame
A. If using green wood, this step can be omitted.
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B. If you elected to use dried wood, then you will have to steam the wood
to shape it. If you do not will crack and break.
C. You will have to build a steaming box. A steaming box can be made
from scrap wood. Steaming box plans are available in textbooks as
well as on the Internet. The article in Mother Earth News by C. Keith
Wilbur describes how to build a steaming box.9
V. Bend the frame
A. The frame is bent around the form
B. Spreaders
1. If you use green wood, the spreaders have to be from the same
batch of wood.
2. The spreaders have to be ready for the steam process since they are
inserted into the frames.
C. Once the frame is place on the form, secure the frame to the form using
blocks (made form scrap wood and for this purpose).
VI. Final frame touches
A. There are many opinions of when and how you do this. It will be
described in the article you read and has to be considered as part of the
overall plan when building.
B. If holes are needed for lacing, then drill them at this time.
C. Do all necessary sanding of the frame
D. Apply spar varnish (if green wood, it has to be dry).
VII. Lace it up
A. Determine the type of lacing you plan to use
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B. To "fill" the snowshoe, that is, to make the basket work, or netting, it
is best to use one-sixteenth of an inch "Ba-bitch" (Autumn killed)
caribou hide, because that is considered the best for the toe and heel.
C. For the middle part filling use a quarter of an inch moose hide.
D. Make the toe and heel mesh about three eighths of an inch and the
middle mesh about one quarter of an inch, though commercial shoes
are made much coarser and with a wider mesh
E. You should have a good knowledge of working with raw hide to
complete this part successfully.
F. Follow the diagram for your particular type of snowshoe
G. Add bindings
VIII. Bindings
A. The snowshoe is usually fastened to the moccasin-covered foot by a
deer thong.
B. There are several methods of lacing the foot to the snowshoe. All of
them will produce the same result if properly done.
IX. Test it
A. Take it out and try it if you have deep snow.
Many steps have been left out since this is just an overview. There are
many books on the subject as well as periodicals.
In the same manner, in an article on crafting snowshoes by C. Keith
Wilbur, he describes a process of very similar to the one Heilman uses. However,
he describes a step to bypass the steaming process if you have access to a supply
of ash or hickory saplings. He also describes how you can use strips of green
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dehaired hide to make your webbing. This would be the closest that one could
come to the way the snowshoes were made back in the 18th century by the
rangers.
Both Wilbur and Heilman use a process that is very similar. I decided that
to look up another source. I searched the Internet and found a reference to an
article by written by Dan Beard. Dan Beard, founder of Boy Scouts of America,
describes a process by which he makes a pair of snowshoes from scratch. His
process (early 1900) is very similar with two present day experts. I believe from
reading the three descriptions that they are very similar to the way snowshoes
were crafted in the 18th century.
Unless you are extremely talented, have a good knowledge of carpentry
and have a lot of time at your disposal; crafting snowshoes from scratch would be
a real task. I venture to say that it would be less expensive and time consuming
to locate a good pair of used snowshoes and go with them or find a reputable
sutler and have a pair crafted (18th century style).
HOW TO USE SNOWSHOES
The use of snowshoes is just like walking. The more you use them the
easier it becomes. There are some things to know about snowshoes when using
them.
Walking backwards on a pair of snowshoes can be very difficult depending
on the style of snowshoe you are using. Most of the information that I read was
pointed at if you want to go backwards just turn around and walk to your destiny.
However, you can walk backwards with a pair of snowshoes. It is difficult, but
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not impossible. I attended a winter training seminar that is given by Boy Scouts
of America for adult leaders called Okpik (OOk' pick). We had a New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation ranger, Gary Hodgson, taught us
snowshoeing. He showed us a technique by which you can walk backwards on
your snowshoes. You need a pole, long stick or your musket to accomplish this
task. As you pick up your foot with the snowshoe the tail tends to drop. You have
to over come this by pushing down on the toe of the snowshoe with the pole or
the butt end of musket stock. This will bring the tail up and it will not stick in the
snow. This is time and energy consuming as should only be used when you have
no other recourse.
After you get used to your snowshoes, you will be able to develop a stride
that will enable you to cover distances rapidly. Do not rush it. Also, beware of
allowing one snowshoe to step on the other. This can cause a fall or damage to
the snowshoe.
Remember is never let your snowshoes “bridge” between two high points.
This condition can damage your snowshoe especially wood framed snowshoes.
Another point of using snowshoes is trail breaking. That is you are the
first person walking through the snowshoe making footprints for the others
following you to step into (breaking trail). This will tire you rapidly. You will
want to change off with the other members quite often. That way no one person
becomes so tired that you have to take long breaks. Speaking of breaks, your
group should pace themselves and take breaks regularly. Also when
snowshoeing, remember that you need a good supply of water to keep your body
hydrated.
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CONCLUSION
With the information given in this chapter, a person should be able to
make a sound decision about getting a pair of snowshoes. I addressed everything
from the anatomy of a snowshoe to use of the snowshoes in the field.
I did not build my own snowshoes and was not aware of this information
when I got my snowshoes. If a person decides to build his snowshoes, he/she will
need to evaluate his talent and resources carefully. I, myself, would go out,
purchase a kit, and start at that level before building from scratch.
Snowshoe kits can be purchased from the vendors below:
1. Country Ways
6001 Lyndale Ave S Suite A
Minneapolis, MN 55419
Phone: 1-800-216-0710; You can contact Country Ways by phone Monday -
Friday 8:30 - 4:30 CST.
Web URL: http://snowshoe.com
2. Michigan Snowshoe Center
212 North Main Street
Roscommon, Michigan 48653
Phone - Toll Free: 989-275-0300
Web URL: http://www.snowshoecenter.com
3. Run-A-Muck Trading Co.
45 Lockatong Rd.
Stockton, NJ 08559
Phone: 908-528-3578
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Web URL: http://www.runamucktradingco.com/
These are a few of the websites that I found that offered kits at a decent price.
The following photos are of my snowshoes using a traditional binding
made of rope.
Photos taken by author
Endnotes
1 Malone, Patrick M. The Skulking Way of War page 98 2 Meany, Jr. Dr. Joseph F. Frigid Fury: The Battle on Snowshoes, March 1758. New
York Sate Military Museum and Veterans Research Center; New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs: Military History; section- The Patrol
3 Ibid 4 Zaboly, Gary American Colonial Ranger – The Northern Colonies 1724-64 page 23
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5 Zaboly, Gary A True Ranger: The Life and Many Wars of Major Robert Rogers Royal
Blockhouse 2004; page 203 6 Lake, Rhonda So You Want To Don Big Feet & Walk on the Snow Lake Superior
Magazine October / November 1998 7 Ibid 8 Heilman II, Carl Make Your Own Snowshoes Mother Earth News November / December
1981 Issue 9 Wilbur, C. Keith Making Your Own Snowshoes Mother Earth News Issue #126
November/December 1990.
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CHAPTER 6 … CONCLUSION
The four items (Ice Creepers, Ice Skates, Hand Sleighs and Snowshoes)
described in the previous chapters are all important to carry when on winter
scout as a ranger. However, many do not participate in winter events; you may
still want to purchase this gear to use for public education. In addition, many
may not know what is important and others may not be able to afford all the
hardware and that raises the question what is the order importance.
The table below will note the order of importance of the equipment for events:
• Hand Sleighs For moving equipment to and from campsite
• Snowshoes Not often used at events due to lack of snow
• Ice Creepers Not often used due to lack of ice surfaces to cross during events
• Ice Skates Very seldom used. Most ranger reenactors do not ice skate
This table reflects order by cost to build (materials and time, not tooling)
ITEM COST
• Snowshoes ~$179.00 for a kit
• Ice Skates ~$65.00 for wood, steel and leather
• Hand Sleighs ~ $25.00 for wood, rope and nails
• Ice Creepers ~ $6.00 for the steel
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This table reflects ease of construction
ITEM DIFFICULTY OF BUILD
• Ice Creepers Basic metal working skills needed
• Hand Sleighs Basic carpentry Skills
• Snowshoes Intermediate carpentry skills and skills in weaving the decking
• Ice Skates Advanced carpentry and blacksmithing skills. You will also
need a wide assortment of tools.
The rangers always carried their snowshoes and ice-creepers with them on
scouts during the winter months. The use of snowshoes was imperative during
the winter months due to deep snow cover. Without the snowshoes, travel would
be difficult and tiring. The trip from Fort Edward to Ft. Ticonderoga was about
70 miles one-way. Just think about walking that far in the dead of winter
through deep snow and over frozen bodies of water without any equipment to aid
you. Rogers made several entries into his journal about these items. One of
such reference is dated January 19th 1757. “The 19th we marched three miles
further down the lake, and then took the land, and, upon snow-shoes, traveled
northwest-west about eight miles from our landing, and three from the lake,
where we encamped”1
We may not get as much snow as they did during that time but if you
venture into some areas of the Adirondack Mountains, you will find snow
exceeding two to three feet. I have used my snowshoes in western New York in
snow that was approximately two feet deep. They were easy to walk with and it
was easy breaking trail with them.
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The ice creepers are useful if you are going to be on icy surfaces or surfaces
that limited traction takes place. If the ground in the campsite is frozen over and
traction is limited, you can use your ice-creepers if you have them. I have used
mine twice at winter events where we walked over the ice. The nice feature of the
creepers is they are the lowest cost of all four items. Ice creepers are also easy to
construct using very rudimentary skills in metalworking. Gary Zaboly describes
the use of ice creepers in the book “The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of
Major Robert Rogers”. His description of a ranger with ice-creepers on his feet is
as follows; “His feet are encased in warm moose hide shoepacks, or high-flapped
moccasins; and metal ice-creepers are strapped to them”. 2 When viewing the
illustration in the appendix3, you can readably spot ice-creepers on each of the
rangers in the foreground. They appear as if they are getting ready to go out on a
scout and will have to cross the ice surface they are standing on. Due to the
lowest cost and ease of construction of ice creepers, I believe that all serious
ranger reenactors should have them as part of their kit.
Hand sleighs come in several types as one can see from chapter 4. I have a
farm sledge and I made it for hauling my gear into the fort and out at winter
events. That is where the sledge comes into service. Because of its design, it can
be packed into the vehicle and does not take up much space.
On trail, I carry only what I need and I am only out for a short time. So to
spend a lot of time building a toboggan or a sledge with higher runners would not
benefit my needs at this time.
I will get a lot of use from my skates. However, you must remember that
the Rogers’ men used ice skates on many patrols. One such occasion was in 1758
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when he was on the scout, which is known as the “Battle on Snowshoes”. “ I sent
Lieutenant Phillips with fifteen men, as an advanced guard, some of whom went
before him on scates, …” 4
While all this equipment was important to the rangers, it is not as
important to us since many of the ranger reenactors do not go to winter events.
Nevertheless, if you want to sample the lifestyle of a ranger in the 18th century,
you will need the equipment and you will have to go out in the harsh winter
environment to get a sampling of what it was like to move against the enemy in
the cold Adirondack winter.
I have only covered a few pieces (4) of gear that the rangers used during
their winter campaign. There are many variations of each. Many of these items
were made by the rangers for their winter campaigns. Each piece of equipment
has its own skill set to construct if you decide to build it. The ice skates were the
most difficult since the builder has to have many skill sets and tools.
If you as a ranger reenactor decide that you need this type of equipment,
you will need to decide what the best way to procure it is. In some cases I did
both purchase and build. The choice will be yours to make. I hope this
document will shed some light on what to do.
Endnotes 1 Rogers, Robert “The Journals of Major Robert Rogers; Reprint of the 1769 Dublin
edition” Published as “Warfare on the Colonial American Frontier: Journals of Major Robert Rogers & An historical Account of the Expedition Against the Ohio Indians in the Year 1764, Under the Command of Henry Bouquet, Esq” Bagersville, Indiana: Dresslar Publishing, 1997; page 36 (Henceforth known as Warfare on the Colonial American Frontier)
- 91 -
2 Todish, Timothy J. and Zaboly, Gary S. “The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of
Major Robert Rogers” Flieschmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, Ltd., 2002; Library of Congress Control Number: 2002101418; page 307, approximately halfway down the first column
3 “Rangers in Winter clothing and Gear” a drawing done by Gary Zaboly depicting rangers
dressed for a winter scout. This drawing shows the equipment the rangers carried in the winter on scouts. Appendix page 89
4 “Warfare on the Colonial American Frontier” page 74
- 92 -
- 93 -
APPENDIX
A-1
Rangers in Winter Dress --- Drawing by Gary Zaboly
Permission to use drawing on following page.
- 94 -
PERMISSION FOR A DRAWING
Subject: Re: Permission for a Drawing Date: 7/21/2007 11:54:55 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time From: GaryZaboly To: FKnitis Hi Jerry, Sure, if you need to use the drawing in a non-profit way, I have no problem. If you need a large, clean print of it, you can order it on Wayne Zurl's website: Wayne Zurl Or I guess you can just copy it from the book. At any rate, best of luck in your paper, and thanks. Cordially, Gary S. Zaboly
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCE BOOKS: Anderson, Fred “Crucible of War: The Seven Years’ War and the Fate
of the British in North America 1754-1766” New York; Alfred A. Knopf,
2000
Bearor, Bob "The Battle on Snowshoes " Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie,
Maryland, 1997; ISBN 0-7884-0619-1
Bearor, Bob " French and Indian War Battlesites: A Controversy "
Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie, Maryland, 2000; ISBN 0-7884-1475-5
Bearor, Bob “Leading by Example … Volume Three” Heritage Books, Inc.
Bowie, Maryland 2004; ISBN 0-7884-2514-5
Cuneo, John R. “Robert Rogers of the Rangers”, Oxford University Press,
NY, 1959. (Reprint for Fort Ticonderoga, NY, by Academy Books, Rutland,
Vermont, 1988); Library of Congress Catalog Number: 88-81932
Kayworth, Alfred E. and Potvin, Raymond G. “ The Scalp Hunters
Abenacki Ambush at Lovewell Pond – 1725” Brandon Books, Inc. Boston,
Ma. 2000; ISBN 0-8283-2075-6
- 96 -
Knox, John “HISTORICAL JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGNS in NORTH
AMERICA FOR The YEARS 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760:” VOL I
LONDON: Printed for the au t h o r and sold by W. Johnston, in Ludgate-Street;
and J, Dodsley, in Pall-Mall. DCCLXIX. (1769) … (NOTE: This book is on-line
in the Library of Congress) LC Control Number: 14018944
Kravic, Frank J. “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American
Revolution” Scurlock Publishing Company, Inc. Texarkana, Texas 1997;
ISBN 0-9605666-8-6
Loescher, Burt Garfield. “The History of Rogers’ Rangers: Volume I, The
Beginnings” Originally published : San Franciso ,CA., 1946 (Reprinted
Heritage Books,Inc. Bowie, Md., 2001); ISBN 0-7884-1741-X
Loescher, Burt Garfield “The History of Rogers’ Rangers: Volume II,
Genesis: Rogers’ Rangers-The First Green Berets The Corps and the
Revivals April Set 1758 -December 24,1783”. Published privately by the
author, San Mateo ,CA,1969 (Reprinted Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie, Md.,
August 2000); ISBN 0-7884-1575-1
Malone, Patrick M. “The Skulking Way of War” Madison Books Lanham,
Maryland 2000; ISBN 1-56833-165-7
- 97 -
Parkman, Francis. “Montcalm and Wolf: The French and Indian War. “
New York: DeCapo Press, Inc., a Subsidiary of Plenum Publishing Corporation
1995
Rogers, Robert. “The Journals of Major Robert Rogers” Reprint of the
1769 Dublin edition. Published as “WarFare on the Colonial American
Frontier: Journals of Major Robert Rogers & An historical Account
of the Expedition Against the Ohio Indians in the Year 1764, Under
the Command of Henry Bouquet, Esq.” Bagersville, Indiana: Dresslar
Publishing, 1997
Rogers, Robert J. “Rising Above Circumstances; The Rogers Family in
Colonial America.” Sheltus & Picard, Bedford, Quebec, Canada, 1998; ISBN
0-9696296-5-6.
Starbuck, David R. “The Great Warpath: British Military Sites from
Albany to Crown Point.” Hanover, NH: University Press of New England,
1999.
Todish, Timothy J. and Zaboly, Gary S. “The Annotated and Illustrated
Journals of Major Robert Rogers” Flieschmanns, NY: Purple Mountain
Press, Ltd., 2002; Library of Congress Control Number: 2002101418
- 98 -
Wulff, Matt. “Robert Rogers’ Rules for the Ranging Service: An
Analysis.” Westminister, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 2006;
ISBN: 0-7884-3376-8
Zaboly, Gary S. “American Colonial Ranger. The Northern Colonies
1724-64.” The Warrior Series, 85. London: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2004;
ISBN: 1-84176-649-6
Zaboly, Gary S. “A True Ranger: The Life and Many Wars of Major
Robert Rogers” Garden City Park, NY: Royal Blockhouse LLC., 2004;
ISBN: 0-9761701-0-8
MAGAZINES / PERIODICALS
Heilman II, Carl “Make Your Own Snowshoes” MOTHER EARTH NEWS
Issue #72 – November/December 1981; Ogden Publications, Inc., 1503 SW
42nd St., Topeka, Kansas 66609-1265
Lake, Rhonda “Choosing the Right Feet” Lake Superior Magazine
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 Volume 20 Issue 5; Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. 310
E. Superior St. #125 Duluth, Minn. 55802-3134
Lake, Rhonda “So You Want to Don Big Feet & Walk on the Snow” Lake
Superior Magazine OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 Volume 20 Issue 5; Lake Superior
Port Cities Inc. 310 E. Superior St. #125 Duluth, Minn. 55802-3134
- 99 -
Stenasaas, Mark “Shoes on the Snow” Lake Superior Magazine
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 Volume 20 Issue 5; Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. 310
E. Superior St. #125 Duluth, Minn. 55802-3134
Wilbur, C. Keith “Making Your Own Snowshoes” MOTHER EARTH
NEWS Issue #126 – November/December 1990; Ogden Publications, Inc.,
1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, Kansas 66609-1265
Zaboly, Gary, “The Battle on Snowshoes”. American History Illustrated,
December, 1979
E-SOURCES
Beard, Dan “Articles on Snowshoes” (Electronic format … Internet)
• SNOWSHOES: Beard’s Introduction to Snowshoes
• PIONEER SNOW SHOES
• SNOWSHOE BINDINGS
• CHIPPEWA SNOWSHOES
Web URL: http://www.inquiry.net/
Jessop, Elon “Snowshoe Use” (Electronic format … Internet)
Web URL: http://www.inquiry.net/
Meany, Jr. Dr. Joseph F. Frigid Fury: The Battle on Snowshoes, March
1758. New York Sate Military Museum and Veterans Research Center; New
York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs: Military History, (Electronic
Format … Internet)
Web URL: http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/articles/articlesindex.htm
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