Sunday, June 25, 2023

Surviving a Wildfire! If You See Smoke, Part Two©

 

 


But first, before you go...

 


The best way to survive a wildfire is to not be caught in one! 

 

So, first, before you go pay attention to the news, check with the ranger station, and read the weather forecasts for the area you are going to visit, to find out if there is a fire, OR if the conditions are ripe for a blaze.

 


A good source for weather conditions is the National Weather Service, HERE, and HERE, which issues red flag warnings, when the dry, unstable conditions exist, that are ideal for a wildfire.  Thunderstorms bring lightning, which is frequently the spark that touches off a forest fire, and winds, which fan the flames; so be extra careful if the forecast calls for thunderstorms.  And be extra careful during the afternoon hours, when temperatures are the highest and humidity is the lowest.

 

 

If fire weather conditions exist, but there are no active fires, remember to follow all the rules and regulations regarding campfires and open burning, because you don’t want to be “THAT guy”,  you know, the one who burnt up thousands of acres because he was careless!


 

Always plan escape routes in case a wildfire develops near where you are.  Have at least two escape routes, so that you can escape no matter what direction the wind is blowing, towards or away from you.

 

Use the concept of “BINGO Fuel” to help you plan your escape routes.  “BINGO Fuel” is military slang for the absolute minimum amount of fuel necessary for an aircraft to return to its point of departure or an alternate landing strip.  But, since you’re not a plane, change “fuel” to “time”.  BINGO Time” is the absolute minimum amount of time required for you to turn around and safely reach the trailhead or another point of safety.  It is like the “point of no return”; that point in time where the daylight remaining is exactly equal to your minimum “BINGO Time”.

 

If You Spot a Fire…Remember, it is  better to be safe than sorry, so if you see signs of  danger, such as smoke or flames, turn around and get out of Dodge!  And when you get back to the trail head, contact 911, the county sheriff’s office, or the local rangers to report the fire.

 

If you see smoke...

 

Often the first indication you will have that there is a fire nearby, is smoke!  But it is important to remember that smoke and ash can travel long distances, so there is no need to panic at the first sight or scent of smoke.  Wildfire smoke can either be a general haze or a large column, boiling up from the ground!

 

If you see are experiencing a general smoky haze, instead of column of smoke, then you may OR may not be close to the source of the fire. 

 

If the source of the wildfire is far away, you might still be in danger because, as everyone knows, breathing in smoke is bad for your health, and wildfire smoke is full of nasty particles that can damage your lungs if inhaled.  A light smoke or haze can leave you with a runny nose, eye irritation and a sore throat, but a heavier smoke or haze can cause chest pain, difficult breathing, coughing, and wheezing.

 

“Quebec Canada Wildfire Smoke Consumes New Jersey and New York City June 7, 2023”, by Anthony Quintano, from Wikimedia, showing “hazardous” air conditions.


So, if you do encounter smoky or hazy air, you can determine the level of damaging microparticles by observing the color of the sky or the thickness of the haze.  If the sky is a yellowish orange to red hue, the air is “unhealthy”, and you should leave immediately. 

 

Another way to determine air quality is by how far you can see.  If you can see objects more than ten miles (16 km) away the air is “good”.  If you can only see objects five miles (8 km) away, the air is “unhealthy”, and you should consider leaving the area.  But if you can see less than one mile (less than 2 km), then the smoke levels are “hazardous”, and you should leave the area immediately.

 

“Smoke column rises at the High Park Wildfire”, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 22, 2012, from Wikimedia.


If you see a column of smoke, instead of a general smoky haze, then you are close to the source of the fire.  You can use the smoke plume to make an educated guess of how far away, how big, and what direction the fire is burning in.  This will help you assess what escape route to use and how dangerous the fire is to you.  Smoke signals to look for are:

 

White smoke  is an indicator of fire burning finer, fast burning fuels such as grass, and means that the fire is likely a fast moving, short duration fire.

 

Dark smoke  indicates a longer lasting fire that has the potential for “spotting”.  A fire that is “spotting” carried embers aloft in the smoke plume, sparking fires ahead of the main blaze.

 

The bigger the smoke column is,  the bigger the fire is.  If the column gets bigger, then the fire is growing. 

 

If you suddenly get smoked-out,  or see a nearby smoke column, it is time to head for your escape route. 

 

“Rough Ridge Fire Smoke Columns”, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, November 11, 2016, from Wikimedia, adapted by the Author.


The direction the smoke column is bending towards is the direction the fire is moving to.  Fires generally move downwind, and the smoke blows away from the fire.  Fires blown by the wind can move quickly, burning at 20 mph (32 kph), or more per hour. 

 


Remember, don’t try to outrun the fire!  Instead, if the smoke is blowing 180o away from you, escape by moving upwind, opposite to the bending plume.  If the smoke column is bending towards you or at 90o’s from your path, escape by moving perpendicular to the direction of the wind and smoke plume.

 

A rising smoke column, going straight up, is a good sign, and means that there is little to no wind pushing the flames, and it will move slowly.

 

By checking on the conditions before you go, by having a couple of escape plans ready to go, by observing the color and visibility of the sky and by analyzing the smoke plume, if you come upon one, you can avoid the risks tied to wildfires. 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read the exciting conclusion of “Surviving a Wildfire!  If You Get Caught in a Fire, Part Two ©”, where we will talk about how to survive a wildfire, when the flames have gotten way too close!

 


I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

Sources

 

Countryman, Clive M.; Heat-Its Role in Wildland Fire- Part 1, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest, 1975], https://books.google.com/books?id=9-4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Fuels+for+Radiation+and+Wildland+Fire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH_eO1vsH_AhVSFVkFHXwmAuQQ6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=Fuels%20for%20Radiation%20and%20Wildland%20Fire&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Countryman, Clive M.; Radiation and Wildland Fire, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest, 1976], https://books.google.com/books?id=H2h0yRloLdwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Fuels+for+Radiation+and+Wildland+Fire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH_eO1vsH_AhVSFVkFHXwmAuQQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=Fuels%20for%20Radiation%20and%20Wildland%20Fire&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Go Explore Croatia; “How To Survive a Forest Fire”, [© 2016 Go Explore Croatia], https://goexplorecroatia.com/croatia-travel-blog-news/how-to-survive-a-forest-fire/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Green, Lisle R.; Burning by Prescription in Chaparral, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest, 1981], https://books.google.com/books?id=j2OYEfplwCEC&pg=PA31&dq=%22smoke+columns%22+wind+direction&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmgJne0MH_AhUvFlkFHcG_AUc4FBDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=%22smoke%20columns%22%20wind%20direction&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Kia; “How to Escape a Wildfire: A Hikers’ Guide”, April 14, 2021, [© 2023 ATLAS & BOOTS], https://www.atlasandboots.com/travel-blog/how-to-escape-a-wildfire-a-hikers-guide/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Olivier, Jonathan; “How to Escape a Wildfire When You’re Hiking”, June 26, 2018, [© 2023 Outside Interactive, Inc], https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/daily-rally-podcast-lyla-harrod/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Piven, Josh; “Survival strategies to help you escape a forest fire”, Scouting magazine, May-June 2016, [© 2023, Boy Scouts of America], https://scoutingmagazine.org/2016/04/survival-strategies-help-escape-forest-fire/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

REI; “Wildfire Safety Tips for Outdoor Recreation”, [© 2023 Recreational Equipment, Inc], https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/wildfire-safety-tips-for-outdoor-recreation.html, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Schroeder, Mark J., and Buck, Charles C.; Fire Weather: Agricultural Handbook 360, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall, PA, May 1970], https://books.google.com/books?id=j4f_lBHsSKEC&pg=PA88-IA2&dq=%22smoke+columns%22+wind+direction&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI6r_dzsH_AhX4EWIAHYqwCwgQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22smoke%20columns%22%20wind%20direction&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Soares, John; “Surviving a Wildfire While Hiking: What to Do”, July 28, 2018, [© 2023 by John Soares], https://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/2018/07/28/surviving-wildfire-hiking-what-do/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

The Trek; “How to Stay Safe While Hiking During Wildfire Season”, [© 2023 Copyright The Trek], https://thetrek.co/how-to-stay-safe-while-hiking-during-wildfire-season/, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “A picture of the empire state building”, by @Aelthemplaer on Twitter, June 7 2023, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empire_State_Building_on_June_7,_2023.jpg, accessed June 10, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Quebec Canada Wildfire Smoke Consumes New Jersey and New York City June 7 2023”, by Anthony Quintano, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Smoke_from_2023_Quebec_wildfires_in_New_York_City#/media/File:Quebec_Canada_Wildfire_Smoke_Consumes_New_Jersey_and_New_York_City_June_7_2023.jpg, accessed June 21, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Rough Ridge Fire Smoke Columns”, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, November 11, 2016, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rough_Ridge_Fire_Smoke_Columns_2016_11_11-11.45.51.039-CST.jpg, accessed June 21, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Smoke column rises at the High Park Wildfire”, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 22, 2012, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smoke_column_-_High_Park_Wildfire.jpg, accessed June 21, 2023

 

Wilson, Carl C., and Sorenson, James C.; Some common denominators of fire behavior, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall, PA, December 1978], https://books.google.com/books?id=w_tq7y2v8I4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=smoke+wind+direction+wildfire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi78oTswcH_AhUxMVkFHSE_Dd04ChDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Surviving a Wildfire! Part One©

 

 


Forest fires, wildfires, brushfires, conflagrations, infernos, global cataclysms!  It doesn’t matter what you called them, but it seems like everyone was talking about them on June 7th, as the smoke from the Canadian wildfires drifted down the East Coast of the United States, negatively effecting air quality on a continental scale.


 

This week we will talk about what causes a wildfire to become an inferno, and next week we will talk about how to survive a wildfire in the wilderness, if you get caught up in one!

 


Wildfire!

 


What turns an ordinary small and controllable flame into an uncontrollable inferno?

 

Wildfires, just like small campfires, need three ingredients to sustain combustion; fuel, oxygen, and heat source to ignite the fuel.  The heat from a wildfire is radiated, conducted, or transferred by convention to other nearby fuels and the fire grows and grows.

 


Besides fuel, there are two other conditions, weather, and topography, which when combined change a controllable fire into a monster conflagration, out of control.

 

Fuel

 


Wildfire fuels are typically the remains of plants, however the quality of the fuel, its ability to easily combust, depends on its surface area and the amount of moisture that it has absorbed from the environment around it.  

 


The smaller and finer the fuel, the easier it catches fire and the faster it burns, because of its greater surface, than larger, thicker fuel. 

 

Conversely, the greater the surface area, the faster the fuel can absorb
moisture from the environment.  When the moisture content of the fuel is high, it is difficult to ignite, and it will burn poorly, if at all.  When moisture in the fuel is low, it will ignite quickly, and will burn well.

 

Weather

Wind and amount of moisture in the fuel are the two most important weather related conditions affecting wildfires and of the two, wind is the least predictable and most changeable.  Winds are affected both by the large scale weather patterns and the topography of the land over which they blow.  Winds affect wildfires by drying forest fuels and by aiding initial ignition and combustion, by increasing the oxygen available to the fire.  Wind also aids the spread of wildfires by carrying heat and burning embers to new fuels and by bending the flames closer to the ground and the unburnt fuels, ahead of the flames.

 

Topography

Topography, the shape of the land’s surface, has a major effect  on how fast a fire moves and where it moves to.  Fires run uphill surprisingly fast, particularly on steep slopes, and in gullies, which funnel the wind.

 

A fire blazing uphill resembles a fire burning before a wind.  The speed of burning will usually increase as the slope increases.  Not only are the flames closer to the ground on a steep slope, but the upwardly moving heated air is more likely to carry firebrands and start spot fires.  All things staying the same, a fire burning on level ground (a slope up to a 5% or 3o) will spread twice as fast when it reaches a 30% or 17o slope.  This rate of spread will double again when the slope reaches 55% or 29o.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Surviving a Wildfire! Part One©”, where we will talk about how to survive a wildfire in the wilderness if you get caught up in one!

 


I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Sources

 

 

Countryman, Clive M.; Heat-Its Role in Wildland Fire- Part 1, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest, 1975], https://books.google.com/books?id=9-4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Fuels+for+Radiation+and+Wildland+Fire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH_eO1vsH_AhVSFVkFHXwmAuQQ6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=Fuels%20for%20Radiation%20and%20Wildland%20Fire&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Schroeder, Mark J., and Buck, Charles C.; Fire Weather: Agricultural Handbook 360, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall, PA, May 1970], https://books.google.com/books?id=j4f_lBHsSKEC&pg=PA88-IA2&dq=%22smoke+columns%22+wind+direction&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI6r_dzsH_AhX4EWIAHYqwCwgQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22smoke%20columns%22%20wind%20direction&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Wilson, Carl C., and Sorenson, James C.; Some common denominators of fire behavior, [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Broomall, PA, December 1978], https://books.google.com/books?id=w_tq7y2v8I4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=smoke+wind+direction+wildfire&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi78oTswcH_AhUxMVkFHSE_Dd04ChDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed June 13, 2023

 

Sunday, June 11, 2023

The Peculiar Case of Dr. Blank, Part Three ©

 

 


 

Author’s note – for more on Dr. Blank’s adventure, read “A Ranger’s Story, 1756 ©”, HERE, “The Peculiar Case of Dr. Blank, Part One©”, HERE, and The Peculiar Case of Dr. Blank, Part Two ©, HERE.

 

Circumstantial evidence, inconsistencies, and things that ring true...

 

Ordinarily, in the absence of direct evidence, it would be “case closed”, and we would have concluded that Dr. Blank’s tale was nothing but a tall tale.  However, there are so many details in his narrative that look plausible, sound true, and illustrate a firsthand knowledge of how Roger’s Rangers and other scouts operated during the French and Indian War, that it makes me wonder if, even in the absence of any direct evidence, whether there is some truth to his tale.  Was there any circumstantial evidence, evidence which proves one or more facts from which you can deduce another fact, to support his story?  Was Dr. Blank’s peculiar tale of adventure as a member of Rogers’ Rangers a true tale, or was it simply a tall tale?  Perhaps by looking at some of the details in his story, and proving them true, we can find some indirect evidence to support his story. 

 

 

 


“...at Lake George, on the memorable eighth of September...

 

The doctor fought ... at Lake George, on the memorable eighth
of September
...
saw, or imagined he saw, the fall of his brave leader [Colonel Ephraim Williams--Author’s note]; and is quite sure that he put a bullet into the French officer, Mons. St. Pierre.

 

Dr. Blank, who we have identified as Dr. John Manning, mentioned that he observed both the deaths of Colonel Ephraim Williams and
Monsieur Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre at the Battle of Lake George,
but who were they and can their deaths help us solve this mystery? 

 

By late August of 1755, the army commanded by William Johnson of New York, and made up of 3,000 Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire  and New York Provincials, and with 300 allied, mostly Mohawk, Native Americans, reached the south end of “Lac du Saint-Sacrement” as it was then known to the French.  Once there he renamed the lake, “Lake George”, and began to clear the ground to build a fort. 

 

Meanwhile Monsieur Jean-Armand, the Baron de Dieskau, the commander of “Fort Saint-Frédéric”, and the senior military commander of New France, was leading a column south from Fort Saint-Frédéric, which was known to the English as “Crown Point”.  This force included 200 French regulars, 600 Canadian militia, and 700 Caughnawaga Mohawk, and Abenaki, Native American allies.  On September 7th, unknown to the English, Dieskau’s column cut the road between Johnson’s camp at Lake George and “Fort Lyman”, which was later renamed “Fort Edward1, to the south.  

 


On September 8th, a force of a thousand men from the Third Massachusetts Regiment and Second Connecticut Regiment of Provincials, with about 150 Mohawk allies, reconnoitered in force south from their camp on the shores of Lake George, to reinforce Colonel Joseph Blanchard at Fort Lyman/Fort Edward.  “In about an Hour

an Half”2, they marched into an ambush, just over 2-½ miles (4 km) from their camp; an ambush that the provincials called the “Bloody Morning Scout”.  Colonel Ephraim Williams was shot in the head and killed, as he charged the western embankment trying to rally his men and lead them out of the ambush, by charging the flank.  After his death, most of the Third Massachusetts fled north toward Johnson's camp, while Lt. Colonel Nathan Whiting, commanding the Second Connecticut, and Lt. Col. Seth Pomeroy, of the Third Massachusetts, rallied about 100 of the survivors and most of the surviving Mohawks, and with the Second Connecticut provincials conducted a successful fighting retreat.  As Lt. Col. Pomeroy wrote in his journal, ...this Morning Sent out about 1200 men near 200 of them our Indians went Down ye Rhode toward ye Carrying pla [ce ] got about 3 miles they ware ambush'd & Fir'd upon By Franch and Indians a number of ours yt war Forward Return'd ye Fre & fought bravely but many of our men toward hind Part Fled ye others being over match't ware oblig'd to fight upon a Retreet & a very hansom retreet they made by Continuing there fire & then retreeting a little & then rise and give them a brisk Fire So Continued till they Came within about 3/4 of a mile of our Camp there was ye Last Fire our men gave our Enenies which kill'd grate numbers of them Sean to Drop as Pigons...

 

It was during this Last Fire, of the rearguard fight, that Monsieur Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre was killed.

 


Monsieur Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre was an officer in the
Troupes de la Marine” and was born in Montreal on October 24, 1701.  He commanded the Canadian Milice and the French allied Native Americans at the “Bloody Morning Scout” ambush.  He was well respected and had great influence with the Native Americans and his death was a great blow to the French forces. 

 

The conclusion of “The Battle of Lake George” brought an end to the English expedition against Crown Point, and the surviving soldiers began building “Fort William Henry” at the southernmost point of Lake George, to defend the northern end of the “Great Carrying Place” road2. 

 

Dr Blank claimed to have seen the death of Colonel Ephraim
Williams,
during the first moments of the ambush of The Bloody Morning Scout, and if so, then he would have to have been part of the Third Massachusetts Regiment of Provincials. 

 

If he also saw the death of Mons. St. Pierre, then he would have had to have fought in the rearguard action, with the survivors of the Third Massachusetts and the men of the Second Connecticut, since Monsieur Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre was reported to have been killed at “...ye Last Fire our men gave our Enenies..., which took place only about ¾ of a mile (1.2 km) south of Johnson’s camp on Lake George. 

 

If Dr. Blank was Doctor John Manning, and if he did see both Col. Williams and Mons. St. Pierre both fall during The Bloody Morning Scout, why couldn’t we find him in the muster rolls of Third Massachusetts Regiment of Provincials, or even in the rolls of the Second Connecticut Regiment of Provincials?

 

Was it because he wasn’t there?  Is it possible he had only read about the battle in a newspaper? 

 

Because, soon after The Battle of Lake George, newspapers and pamphlets reported the details of the battle, such as the deaths of Col. Williams and Mons. St. Pierre, however, each reported different details, in a different way.

 


General William Johnson wrote a letter to the Governors of the Several Colonies, on September 9th, 1755, from his camp at Lake George, reporting the details of The Battle of Lake George.  This letter reported briefly on both the deaths of Col. Williams and Mons. St. Pierre, by noting “In this Engagement we suffer’d our greatest Loss; Col. Williams” and that we have killed a great number of the enemy; amongst whom is Mons. St. Pierre, who commanded all the Indians”.3  This letter in turn was reprinted in newspapers, both in the American Colonies and in Great Britain.4

 

Interestingly, General Johnson’s account of the battle did not say
when Colonel Williams died, only that he died.  Nor did his account describe when Mons. St. Pierre was slain, only that he did not survive the day.

 


The New-York Mercury, on September 22nd, 1755, featured a different account of The Battle Lake George, one that didn’t mention Mons. St. Pierre death at all, and only briefly mentioned that Col. Williams was killed in the battle.5

 

And to confuse matters even more, an account of The Battle of Lake George was offered for sale in Boston, in December 1755, by
Samuel Blodget, a civilian sutler, a merchant who sold wine, rum, tobacco and other goods to the off-duty soldiers and officers at frontier military camps.  Blodget, who noted in his account that he
“was my self present in the Camp...I took my Post at the Eminence where the Field-Piece was planted, from whence I could, with Advantage, view the Action, in all it’s Parts, from the Beginning to the End of it”.  He continued with, “I have not therefore contented my self with my own Observations, but made it my Business to converse with those, at the Camp, who were most capable of enabling me to give a fair and full Account of the Transactions of this memorable Day...As to the Fight of the Detachment of which Col. Williams had the chief Command, I am beholden to others...and I received it immediately from their Mouths”.  And just like General Johnson, Samuel Blodget wrote of the death of “St. Pierre, the chief Commander of the Indians”; but interestingly he didn’t even mention the death of Col. Williams at all!6

 

So, it appears that in the days following the battle, Monsieur Jacques
Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre’s death was widely spoken of in the camp at Lake George, and that both General Johnson, Samuel Blodgett, and the rest of the army, would have known of it.  And, they would have also known of the circumstances of Colonel Ephraim Williams’ death, during the initial moments of the ambush of The Bloody Morning Scout. 

 

But the newspapers and the pamphlets which were published  immediately after the battle, and which each had a different account from that of Dr. Blank’s in one detail or the other.  Dr. Blank remembered that he ...fought ... at Lake George, on the memorable eighth of September... saw, or imagined he saw, the fall of his brave leader”, Colonel Ephraim Williams, and that he was ...quite sure that he put a bullet into the French officer, Mons. St. Pierre. 

 

This is certainly an interesting bit of circumstantial evidence, but that is all it is, and it cannot be considered conclusive.  So once again, we are left without any conclusive evidence to prove if Dr. Blank’s tale is true, or a just tall tale foisted upon “New Contributor”; all we have is another big maybe!  In future installments of “The Peculiar Case of Dr. Blank”, we will discuss some other bits of circumstantial evidence, inconsistencies, and other things that ring true.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “How to Survive a Wildfire ©”, where we will talk about what to do if you are caught in a wildfire!

 


I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

1 On September 21, 1755, Sir William Johnson changed the name of Fort Lyman, to Fort Edward in honor of Edward, Duke of York and Albany, grandson of George II and brother of George III.

 

2 From The London Gazette Extraordinary, Whitehall, October 10; The Whitehall Evening Post, or London Intelligencer, Thursday October 30 to Saturday November 1, 1755.  No. 1511,

 

3 This road was the 15-mile “Great Carrying Place” portage route, known to the Native Americans as “Wahcoloosencoochaleva”, that bypassed the falls and rapids of the Hudson River, and took travelers to the southern end of Lake George or if they took the eastern branch of the trail, Lake Champlain.

 

4 From The Papers of Sir William Johnson, Volume II, by James Sullivan, Ph. D., page 25

 


5 Later the The Gentleman’s Magazine: for November 1755, reprinted the earlier account, which had originally been printed in the New-York Mercury on September 22nd, 1755.

 

6 “A Prospective-Plan of the Battle Near Lake George”, by Massachusetts Society of Colonial Wars,

 

 

Sources

 

 

“Agawam Tribe”, Access Genealogy, [© 2023 Access Genealogy], https://accessgenealogy.com/massachusetts/agawam-tribe.htm, accessed April 7, 2023

 

Essex Institute; Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, Volume 4, [G. M. Whipple & A. A. Smith, Salem, 1862], page 166, https://books.google.com/books?id=WG8MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA166&dq=%22john+manning%22+ipswich&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn6cfhuKz-AhUqGVkFHev7CjA4ChDoAXoECAcQAg#v=onepage&q=%22john%20manning%22%20ipswich&f=false, April 17, 2023

 

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