2nd Canadian Regiment Totally Explained

Everything about 2nd Canadian Regiment totally explained

2nd Canadian Regiment, also known as Congress' Own or Hazen's Regiment, was raised on January 20, 1776 at Montreal, Quebec for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen. They saw action at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Yorktown. During the winter of 1778–1779 the men were in winter quarters in Redding, Connecticut, at what is now Putnam Memorial State Park. The regiment was disbanded November 15, 1783 at West Point, New York.

Origins

Late in 1775, Colonel James Livingston (American Revolution) raised and commanded a regiment of Canadian refugees which fought at St. John's, Quebec, in support of General Montgomery's invasion of Canada. Livingston's 300 Canadians and 50 Americans were instrumental in the fall of Fort Chambly. Livingston participated in the action at Quebec. On January 3, 1776, Congress commissioned him Colonel, and his organization became known as the Canadian Regiment. The regiment went on to fight at Fort Stanwix, at Stony Point and at Verplanck's Point as well as in both battles of Saratoga [55].
   The 2nd Canadian Regiment was authorized 20 January 1776 in the Continental Army and was assigned to the Canadian Department. Organized 10 February 1776 at Montreal, Canada, to consist of four battalions (twenty companies) from the Richelieu and St. Lawrence Valleys.
   Moses Hazen was the first commander of the 2nd Canadian Regiment. He had served as a Lieutenant in the 44th Regiment during the French-Indian War and was receiving a half-pay pension from this British service. In 1775 he was living on this pension and the income from his growing estate in St. Johns, Quebec, when the Continentals invaded Canada. Hazen's estate was plundered and his property destroyed. Hazen was incarcerated for forty-four days and finally released by General Montgomery. Congress partially compensated Hazen by offering him command of the 2nd Canadian Regiment. Hazen accepted this command, forfeiting his British half-pay [54].
   During much of the war, the 2nd Canadian Regiment was known as Congress's Own Regiment, and Livingston's organization continued to be known as the Canadian Regiment. Livingston's organization, depleted, was reduced on January 1, 1781, and the Canadian elements of it seemingly went then to Hazen's organization, which then was officially called the Canadian Regiment [55].

Hazen's Regiment

June 1776: Left Canada for Crown Point. Relieved 2 July 1776 from the Canadian Department and assigned to the Northern Department. Sent to Fort Ticonderoga in July 1776, Albany in September 1776 and Fishkill, New York for winter quarters.
Relieved 12 November 1776 from the Northern Department and assigned to the Highlands Department. Reorganized 1 January 1777 to consist of four battalions (20 companies) recruited at large. Relieved 8 January 1777 from the Highlands Department and assigned to the Main Army. Assigned 22 May 1777 to the 2d Maryland Brigade, an element of the Main Army. Hazen's troops spotted British troops in a flanking maneuver and crossing the Brandywine River. A report sent forward to George Washington who initially didn't believe this intelligence despite its corroboration by Lieutenant Colonel James Ross. The highlight of this time included Smallwood's capture of the British armed frigate ship "Symetry" on December 30, 1777. This ship was laden with supplies en route to Philadelphia [37].

New York 1778

On January 24, 1778, Washington ordered Hazen's Regiment to Albany, New York. Relieved 28 January 1778, from the 2d Maryland Brigade and assigned to the Northern Department... On July 5, 1781, the regiment arrived at Albany. The scare of an enemy attack at Albany had subsided and the regiment was immediately ordered to return to West Point Assigned 24 September 1781 to Hazen's Brigade, an element of the Main Army.

Winter 1781 - 1782: Guard Detail at Lancaster

Relieved 6 December 1781 from Hazen's Brigade and assigned to the Middle Department. On this date, a portion of Hazen's Regiment went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where they guarded prisoners captured at the Siege of Yorktown. They were on this detail for 10 months with prisoners under guard at Lancaster, York and Reading. The most notable prisoner under Hazen's watch during this time was 20-year-old Captain Charles Asgill. On May 3, 1782, upon orders by Washington, he was selected to hang in retaliation for the brutal summary execution of American Captain Joshua Huddy by the British. In November 1782 his life was spared after heartrending correspondence by his family and intervention by the Queen of France [38] [39].

Winter 1782 - 1783 Pompton

November 1782: Regiment to Pompton, New Jersey for winter quarters.

Furloughs

June 1783: Furloughing began with regiment at Pompton. Relieved 9 June 1783 from the Middle Department and assigned to the Highland's Department. Per Resolution of Congress 26 May 1783, 300 soldiers were discharged on June 9, 1783. However, no member of the regiment was going to depart, on furlough or discharge, until they received their pay. Members of the Regiment that remained were ordered to march to Washington's cantonement near New Windsor. [56].
Reorganized 30 June 1783 to consist of two companies. Disbanded 15 November 1783 at West Point, New York.

Troop Strength

Note that the regiment never neared its authorized strength of 1,000 Men. April 1, 1776: 250 Men
   June 1777: 486 Men
   August 1777: nearly 700 Men
   January 1778: 592 Men and 44 Officers February 20, 1778: 466 Men
   Spring 1778: 720 Men
   Autumn 1778: 522 Men and 33 Officers
   January 1779: 491 Men and 44 Officers
   Spring 1780: 401 Men
   March 1781: 418 Men (162 Men and 16 Officers were Canadian volunteers) August - October 1781 (estimate) 200 Men (Regiment had estimated 4 - 6 Women followers) [33]

Casualties

Battle of Staten Island, August 22, 1777: 8 Officers and 40 Men. Lt. Col. Antill and Capt. Herron captured.
Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777: 4 Officers and 73 Men.
Battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777: 3 Officers and 19 Men.

Sources

15. Garrison, New York
   18. History of Redding, Connecticut, Charles B. Todd http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ct/county/fairfield/redchap4.html
   19. http://www.hudsonrivervalley.net/AMERICANBOOK/Methodology.html
   20. Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A482401
   21. Letters of Lt. Col. Edward Antill http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/antill/coledwardletters1783.htm
   22. Adjutant Benjamin Mooers http://www.calarchives4u.com/organizations/sar/sar-j-p.htm
   23. The Continental Army in Morris County in the Winter 1779-80 Edmund D. Halsey (1889) http://www.njreporter.org/archive/wanj1889.html
   24. Index of the original Orderly Books for Hazen's Regiment: http://www.revwar75.com/ob/canada.htm#cn-02
   25. http://www.historycarper.com/resources/american_revolution_timeline.htm
   26. http://www.americanrevolution.org/t1781.html
   27. http://www.nps.gov/archive/morr/smith/gwpaperproject.htm Lord Stirling's January 12, 1780 letter detailing his plan for the raid on Staten Island.
   28. Morristown National Historic Park, "Jockey Hollow: the "Hard" Winter of 1779—80" http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/7/hh7c1.htm
   29. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(wd0376))
   30. http://www.srcalifornia.com/uniforms/p4.htm
   31. http://www.johnsteelegordon.com/genealogy/n_0.html
   32. John André 33. http://www.revwar75.com/library/rees/proportion.htm
   34. Schoharie County NYGenWeb Site, History of Schoharie County by Jeptha R. Simms, 1845, Chapter XIX http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyschoha/simms19.html
   35. History of Ryegate, Vermont Chapter IX http://www.electricscotland.com/History/ryegate/9.htm
   36. Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume: 14 October 1, 1779 - March 31, 1780 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(dg014508))
   37. Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 8 September 19, 1777 - January 31, 1778 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(dg008464))
   38. New Jersey during the Revolution; The Asgill Affair http://www.doublegv.com/ggv/Asgil.html
   39. Washington, George, 1732-1799. The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=WasFi24.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=218&division=div1
   40. Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 7 May 1, 1777 - September 18, 1777 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(dg007461))
   41. Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~wcarr1/Lossing1/Chap14.html#e009a
   42. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/germantown/page2.asp?secid=31
   43. Thrilling Incidents in American History http://www.generalatomic.com/AmericanHistory/battle_of_germantown.html
   44. http://www.usahistory.info/Revolution/Morristown.html
   45. William Alexander 46. The New York Public Library http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=962&template=StatenIslandOldNames
   47. "Staten Island Timeline - 1700s," New York Public Library http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=962&template=timeline3
   48. "Forgotten NY Cemeteries" http://www.forgotten-ny.com/CEMETERIES/blazingstar/deadpool.html
   49. http://historical.maptech.com/quad.cfm?quadname=Staten%20Island&state=NJ&series=15
   50. http://www.geocities.com/naforts/nycity.html
   51. "St. George, Staten Island, NY," New York Public Library http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=962&template=StGeorgeNeighborhoodHistory
   52.Sergeant Colin McLachlan http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newjersey.counties.morris/4304/mb.ashx
   53. Sergeant Colin McLachlan http://genforum.genealogy.com/americanrev/messages/14427.html
   54. "Memorial of Colonel Moses Hazen," Moses Hazen to George Washington, February 12, 1780 http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html
   55. The Canadians That Fought At Yorktown, National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Ythanout/Canadians.htm
   56. Hazen to Washington, June 12, 1783 http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html
   57. History of Coös County, New Hampshire, by Georgia Drew Merrill; Syracuse N.Y.: W.A. Fergusson & Co., 1888, 1888, 1018 pgs. http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/coos-history/History_Lancaster_NH.txt
   58. Early History of Haverhill by Archie Steenburgh http://www.town.haverhill.nh.us/haverhill,nhoffi.html
   59. Tidbits of History - New Hampshire http://www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/menh_nh.html
   60. The Physiographic Regions of Vermont http://academics.smcvt.edu/vtgeographic/textbook/physiographic/physiographic_regions_of_vermont.htm

Further Information

Get more info on '2nd Canadian Regiment'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://2nd_canadian_regiment.totallyexplained.com">2nd Canadian Regiment Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.