The 1st Canadian Regiment (1775–1781) was an Extra Continental regiment of the American Patriots'

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

, consisting primarily of volunteers from the Province of Quebec. The 1st was raised by James Livingston to support Patriot efforts in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

during the invasion of Quebec. Livingston, who was born in New York and living in Quebec, recruited men from Chambly,

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

as early as September 1775, but a formal regimental designation was made by Richard Montgomery on November 20, 1775, with recognition by the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meetings of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, which established American independence ...

following on January 8, 1776. The regiment, which never approached its authorized size of 1,000 men, saw action primarily in the Canadian theater and New York, and was disbanded on January 1, 1781, at King's Ferry, New York.

Formation

In September 1775, militia forces from New York and other colonies under the command of

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War and a United States Senate, United States Senator from New York (state), New York. He is usually known as ...

and Richard Montgomery crossed into

with the aim of driving British military forces from

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

. Guy Carleton, the British governor and military commander, had fortified Fort Saint-Jean as the primary defense of Montreal. The colonial forces, preparing to besiege the fort, sought local support. James Livingston, a grain merchant living near Chambly, about from Saint-Jean, raised a local militia, which in October assisted in the siege and capture of Fort Chambly, and the capture of supplies intended for the besieged moving on the Richelieu River. Following the fall of Montreal, Livingston was authorized by Montgomery on November 20 to raise a regiment to assist in the coming assault on Quebec City. In eight days he raised approximately 200 men. The regiment received formal recognition from the

on January 8, 1776. Livingston, p. 238 The regiment at first consisted of a mix of Canadiens, Acadiens, and Quebec anglophones. Two of Livingston's brothers served in the regiment. Richard Livingston was a lieutenant colonel, and Abraham served as a captain.

Service

Quebec

When Montgomery's army arrived outside Quebec, the 1st Canadian consisted of two to three hundred Canadiens. Institute of Canada Annual Report, p. 44 On December 31, 1775, the regiment was charged with making a diversion at

's Saint Jean gate, to draw British attention away from the primary attacks, which were led by

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

and Richard Montgomery, and were directed at the city's Lower Town. The diversions did not work, and the battle ended disastrously for the Americans, with Montgomery killed, Arnold wounded, and about 400 men taken prisoner. The remnants of the army, then under Arnold's command, besieged the city until May 1776, when British reinforcements began arriving, forcing the Americans into a panicked retreat. The retreat ended at Sorel on May 20, where they were met by reinforcements, and eventually put under the command of General John Sullivan.

Trois-Rivières

On the night of June 7, 1776, Livingston's regiment was part of a force of about 2,000 under Brigadier General William Thompson that returned from Sorel to Trois-Rivières to drive off what they believed to be 300 to 600 British troops from Quebec. When they arrived near Trois-Rivières, they instead found the vanguard of the British counteroffensive, numbering several thousand. After a brief skirmish, the Americans forces were broken, and made a disorganized retreat back to Sorel. Following this battle, the regiment retreated with the rest of the army to Fort Ticonderoga. While the regiment had never been particularly large (Livingston never had more than a few hundred men under arms at any one time), the retreat from Quebec left the regiment much reduced in size, since anyone leaving the province was unlikely to be able to return.

New York

Following the army's return to Ticonderoga, the regiment was assigned garrison duty in upstate New York, primarily the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys, so that it could be reorganized. Gardiner, p. 178 Wright, p. 60 During this time, Livingston was known to be recruiting in New York City. Magazine of American History, p. 72 Following Burgoyne's invasion from Quebec in 1777, the regiment was moved to the upper Hudson River valley. In August 1777, the regiment was assigned to

on his expedition in relief of the Siege of Fort Stanwix. It then saw service in both Battles of Saratoga as part of Ebenezer Learned's brigade.

Rhode Island

The regiment saw action in the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.

Garrison duty

For the remainder of the war, the regiment had garrison duty in New York. Most notably, Colonel Livingston was in command of Verplanck's Point on the Hudson River in September 1780, and played a crucial role in the unmasking of Benedict Arnold's treachery. While on guard duty, his troops fired on the British sloop of war ''Vulture'', forcing that vessel to retreat southwards. This ship had brought Major John André to meet with General Arnold, who was then in command at West Point. Since the ship was driven off, André was forced to attempt travel by land to New York, when he was captured not far from the British lines near Tarrytown with incriminating papers in his possession. André was hanged as a spy, and Arnold, his plot discovered, managed to escape to the British lines.

Disbandment

The regiment was disbanded as part of a major reorganization on January 1, 1781, at King's Ferry, New York. Members that remained in service were assigned to the 2nd Canadian Regiment. Wright, p. 157

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:1st Canadian Regiment Military units and formations established in 1775 Military units and formations of the Continental Army French Canadians in the American Revolution Military units and formations of Quebec Expatriate military units and formations Military units and formations disestablished in 1781 Canadian-American history