Review for History 302
Thomas Dennis
Brumwell, Stephen. White Devil: A True Story of War, Savagery, and Vengeance in
Colonial America. Da Capo Press Inc. March, 2005.
The book opens *…“Nous sommes tours Sauvages,” which translates to *…“We are all
Savages. Its a fitting way to begin a book chronicling the story of Major Robert Rogers
and his rangers journey, Native American slaughter, and return home. In White Devil: A
True Story of War, Savagery, and Vengeance in Colonial America, author Stephen
Brumwell depicts a well researched, unbiased image of: war, hardship, courage, savagery,
vengeance, and survival. Brumwell wants to show his readers an image of the true nature
of war and all the trimmings that goes along with it. There has never been a war where
atrocities were not committed. Further more, there has never been a war where the
atrocities were not committed by all sides, to one extent or another. This war was no
different. This compelling read draws from a broad range of primary sources, including
Rogers Journals, contemporary newspaper accounts, the letters and remembrances of
Rogers surviving Rangers, and several generations of Abenaki oral history.
The book is organized into a well detailed, accurate story account of Rogers journey. It
chronicles the massacre at Fort William Henry that led to everything. Rogers journey to
Canada to the village of St. Francis. His vengeful slaughter of the village in retaliation.
Then the aftermath and the perilous journey home. The research from the numerous
primary sources give it a historic tone. The Abenaki oral traditions themselves poke in the
other side to the conflict.
To summarize the book into a few paragraphs doesnt due it the justice it deserves. The
beginning details of the French and Indian War. The battles and skirmishes. The massacre
that led to Rogers raid. Two years later Major Robert Rogers led a revenge raid against the
Indians some 200 wilderness miles behind the lines.
His long journey took him to Canada and to the village of St. Francis.
The carnage at St. Francis deserves a brunt of the detail. It was now good marching ground
and the men pressed on with celerity till on the 22nd day after their departure from Crown
Point, one of them, by climbing a tree, discovered the village of St. Francis at three miles
distance, when the party were ordered to halt and refresh themselves. At eightoclock in the
evening, Major Rogers, Lieut. Turner and Ensign Avery left the company and went
