My 4th Great Grandfather, Etienne LeBlanc, was born about 1753 in Grand-Pre Acadia. He was in Quebec in 1776, when he was recruited into the United States Continental Army to fight the British.
With the threat of Ex-communication by the Bishop of Quebec, Etienne served on and off with the 2nd Canadian Regiment led by a Col Moses Hazen. The 2nd Canadian Regiment was known as "Congress's Own" as it was unaffiliated with any State Unit. The units major battles were in Quebec, Brandywine, and at Yorktown.
While in service, Etienne returned on and off to Yamachiche Quebec, where he married Amable Rivard in 1778, and sired 3 children between the years 1779 and 1883.
At the end of the war, 1784-1786, the family was temporally in exile in Albany NY living on rations and quarters from the American government. Etienne's 4th child was born in Albany while in exile. The family returned permanently to Quebec sometime in the years 1786-1787.
For further information on The 2nd Canadian Regiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Canadian_Regiment
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ReplyDeleteI am interested to know what your sources are for this entry. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAt Albany NY: "Census of Canadian Refugees in New York State, 1784, 1785,1787", French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, vol. IX, nos 1-4,1p. 241-254.
ReplyDeleteOn p. 243 - Stephen WHITE (and family) is listed on a page headed"Returns of the Canadian Refugees Drawing provisions...(1785)"
Stephen White, M soldier, Albany, 32 (Pvt joined 1776)
Marble? " , W " , 28
Mary White
Stephen White Jr
Peggy White --------the last three "C", ages 5, 9, and 3.
Etienne's erlier service with the 2nd Canadian Regt. is speculative, but he enlisted in 1776 and the 2nd Regt was formed in Quebec in 1776. He most definately was with the 2nd Rgt at the end of the war as all Foreign fighters (French-Canadian, German, Etc) were assigned to the 2nd Regt at the end of the war.
The original Census of Canadian Refugee's was destroyed in a fire at the NY State Archives. A partial member list of the 2nd Rgt I got from the National Archives didn't list Etienne or any of the French Canadians in the unit.
I have yet to find anything that would qualify for membership in an organization such as the DAR or SAR, but the mention in the Census of Canadian Refugees verifies his service.