 Hazen was apprenticed to a tanner when the French and Indian War broke out . In 1756 , he enlisted with the local militia , which included a number of family members . He first served at Fort William Henry near Lake George , where he probably first met , and may have served under , Robert Rogers of Rogers ' Rangers . Rogers eventually recommended him for an officer 's commission in a new company of the Rangers ; in 1758 , after having worked for his brother providing supplies for the British Siege of Louisbourg , he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in John McCurdy 's company of the Rangers at Fort Edward . In McCurdy 's company , he saw action at Louisbourg , including the initial landings , when the action was quite fierce . 
