2nd Canadian Regiment The 2nd Canadian Regiment , also known as Congress ' Own or Hazen ' s Regiment , was authorized on January 20 , 1776 , as an Extra Continental regiment and raised in the province of Quebec for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen . All or part of the regiment saw action at Staten Island , Brandywine , Germantown and the Siege of Yorktown . Most of its non - combat time was spent in and around New York City as part of the forces monitoring the British forces occupying that city . The regiment was disbanded on November 15 , 1783 at West Point , New York . The regiment was one of a small number of Continental Army regiments that was the direct responsibility of the Continental Congress ( most regiments were funded and supplied by a specific state ) . Under the command of Colonel ( later Brigadier General ) Moses Hazen for its entire existence , the regiment was originally populated by volunteers and refugees from Quebec who supported the rebel cause during the disastrous Invasion of Canada . Hazen and his staff were authorized by Congress to recruit in other areas to supplement the ranks . Origins . Late in 1775 , Colonel James Livingston raised and commanded a regiment of Canadians which fought at St . Jean , Quebec , in support of General Montgomery ' s 1775 invasion of Quebec . Livingston ' s 300 Canadians , along with about 50 Americans , were instrumental in the fall of Fort Chambly during that engagement . Livingston ' s regiment , which was not formalized by Montgomery until November 1775 , also participated in the action at Quebec . On January 3 , 1776 , Congress commissioned him Colonel , and his organization became known as the Canadian Regiment . Moses Hazen had served as a lieutenant in the 44th Regiment during the French and 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 . Jean , Quebec , when the colonial army invaded . Hazen ' s estate was plundered and his property damaged by the Americans during the siege of the fort . He was incarcerated by the British on suspicion of spying for the Americans , and held for 54 days until he was released by General Montgomery after the fall of Montreal in November . Hazen joined the American cause , and participated in the battle of Quebec . Following the American failure there , he and Edward Antill , an American expatriate , traveled to Philadelphia to report on the battle . Congress partially compensated Hazen by establishing the 2nd Canadian Regiment . Hazen accepted this command , forfeiting his British half - pay , and Antill was given a Lieutenant Colonel ' s commission in the regiment . Although John Duggan , one of Livingston ' s captains , had been promised a regiment by Benedict Arnold , Hazen and Antill reached Philadelphia before Duggan , and Hazen smeared Duggan in his effort to get the regiment . With an allowed maximum strength of 1 , 000 , the 2nd Canadian Regiment was authorized by Congress on January 20 , 1776 , to consist of four battalions ( twenty companies ) , the only such over - sized regiment in the Continental Army . It was assigned to the Army ' s Canadian Department , and was organized by Hazen on February 10 , 1776 at Montreal , to be recruited from the Richelieu and St . Lawrence Valleys . Over the next two months , Hazen and Antill recruited in those areas , until early April , when the recruiting funds dried up , and raised approximately 250 men . 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 disbanded in the reorganization of the Continental Army on January 1 , 1781 , and its Canadian elements were assigned to Hazen ' s organization , which was then redesignated as the Canadian Regiment . Montreal and retreat . The regiment was first assigned to garrison duty in and around Montreal , which was under Major General David Wooster ' s command . In March 1776 , Wooster went to Quebec City to assume command of the army there ; Hazen was temporarily placed in command of the forces at Montreal until Benedict Arnold arrived from Quebec in April . Arnold then assigned the regiment to guard duty at Fort Chambly , where it remained until the American retreat in June 1776 . On July 2 , the Canadian Department was disbanded , and regiment was reassigned to the Northern Department . The regiment was at Fort Ticonderoga in July 1776 , Albany in September , and then Fishkill , New York for winter quarters . By the time the regiment reached Albany , its strength had dropped to about 100 . On November 12 , the regiment was assigned to the Highlands Department . It was reorganized on January 1 , 1777 to consist of four battalions ( 20 companies ) , and Hazen was given permission to recruit " at large " – that is , he was allowed to recruit from any states , not just Quebec . These recruitment efforts met with mixed success , as most states had been assigned quotas for troop recruitment to fill their line companies , and thus preferred to have men enter those commands rather than Hazen ' s . On January 8 , the regiment was assigned to the Main Army . New Jersey campaign . The regiment was at Princeton , New Jersey as early as May 19 , 1777 , where it was assigned on May 22 to the 2nd Maryland Brigade of the Main Army . In early August the regiment , brigaded as part of General John Sullivan ' s Division , was encamped at Hanover , New Jersey . Several of the regiment ' s companies participated in the Battle of Staten Island on August 22 , 1777 . Its losses included 8 officers and 40 men , with the captured including Antill and Captain James Herron . Antill would not be exchanged until November 10 , 1780 . Philadelphia campaign . Battle of Brandywine . Sullivan ' s division then marched south to join Washington ' s army in the defense of Philadelphia . On September 11 , 1777 , a battalion of 200 of Hazen ' s men was sent a mile north of Jones ' s Ford to cover Wistar ' s Ford , and a second battalion of 200 men was posted at Buffington ' s Ford about a mile north of Wistar ' s Ford , situated just below the forks of the Brandywine Creek . Hazen ' s troops spotted British troops in a flanking maneuver and crossing the Brandywine River . They sent a report of this movement to George Washington , who initially did not believe this intelligence despite its corroboration by Lieutenant Colonel James Ross . The regiment lost 4 officers and 73 men in the battle . Battle of Germantown . Still under Sullivan ' s command , the regiment participated in the Battle of Germantown on October 4 , 1777 . The British were encamped at Germantown northwest of Philadelphia . On the evening of October 3 General Washington ordered his troops , encamped at Skippack Creek on the north side of the Schuylkill River , to march as part of a planned surprise attack on the British at daybreak . The Americans would then descend upon Germantown from the north in four columns , under the commands of Generals Sullivan , Greene , Armstrong and Smallwood , along four main roads leading into Germantown . The main effort of the advance was to be General Sullivan leading the column on the right and General Nathanael Greene on the left . Sullivan ' s column , with the Continental troops of his own division and others , was to advance down Germantown Road against Howe ' s center . The regiment was part of the platoon of the advance party that first entered Germantown before the battle became general . Unbeknownst to Washington , the columns of Greene and Smallwood got lost . Washington himself accompanied Sullivan ' s force and , at 5 am , ordered him to launch the assault . The leading element of Sullivan ' s column , General Thomas Conway ' s brigade , attacked the British 2d Light Infantry battalion , which had been reinforced by the British 40th Regiment of Foot under command of Lieutenant - Colonel Thomas Musgrave . The regiment formed part of Sullivan ' s early attack on the British ; its losses were 3 officers and 19 men . Winter quarters 1777 – 1778 . On December 21 , 1777 , the regiment and a detachment of the Maryland Line under the command of General William Smallwood ( the 2nd Maryland Brigade ) arrived at Wilmington , Delaware , to protect the city from the British . They encamped at the present - day Brandywine Park in Wilmington . The highlight of this time included Smallwood ' s capture of the British armed brigantine " Symmetry " on December 30 . This ship was laden with supplies , including winter clothing , en route to the British in Philadelphia . Activities on the northern front . New York and Connecticut . On January 24 , 1778 , Washington ordered Hazen ' s regiment to Albany , New York , transferring it from the 2nd Maryland Brigade to the Northern Department . The objective was a planned invasion of Quebec . Hazen was assigned to the deputy quartermaster ' s post for the expedition , which was anticipated to involve 2 , 500 men . The effort was troubled by supply and manpower difficulties , suspended in February , and then called off by Congress in March . The regiment was then reassigned to the Highlands Department on April 4 and ordered to West Point . The regiment was relieved July 22 from the Highlands Department and assigned to the New Hampshire Brigade , an element of the Main Army . In July 1778 the regiment was sent to White Plains to help guard New York City . At White Plains , Hazen proposed a new potential invasion route to Quebec . This route went from Newbury in the New Hampshire Grants ( present - day Vermont ) , where Hazen owned property , to Saint Francis , Quebec . On July 12 , Hazen departed Newbury to scout the route . By July 25 , he had returned to White Plains ; the effort was abandoned for the time being because the manpower was needed in the New York area . That summer , low manpower in Hazen ' s regiment caused Washington to consider disbanding it ; the regiment ' s size had dropped to 522 , and Washington was concerned over an excessively large number of officers ( 33 ) in the regiment . Hazen successfully argued for retention of the regiment , and noted that the large number of officers was needed because companies from the regiment were often detached to other units for service . During the autumn a large shipment of clothing and shoes arrived from France . After a lottery was held in October , Hazen ' s regiment were issued the uniform of brown coats faced with red . In November , the regiment was ordered to Connecticut where it encamped at Redding for winter quarters . ( Today , this is the site of Putnam Memorial State Park , where more than 100 piles of stone in the area of the park known as the " Encampment Site " are believed to mark the locations of the huts that sheltered troops from this and other regiments . ) A weekly return for the brigade dated December 26 , 1778 , states that 162 men in the regiment were " unfit for duty for want of shoes . " Coös Country . In March 1779 the regiment was reassigned to the Northern Department , and marched to Springfield , Massachusetts . From Springfield they marched to Charlestown , New Hampshire and picked up clothing and supplies . They arrived in what was called the Coös Country of northern New Hampshire in May , and were tasked to build a road now known as the Bayley - Hazen Military Road from the Connecticut River to St . Jean , Quebec . Hazen had been secretly ordered to the area by Washington in April . Along with a large portion of Colonel Timothy Bedel ' s Regiment and Major Benjamin Whitcomb ' s New Hampshire rangers , they began to extend the road , a portion of which had been constructed in 1776 under the direction of Colonel Jacob Bayley . Hazen ' s objective was to extend a road in a northwest direction following the general path of an old Cohâssiac Indian trail from Lower Coös to St . Johns , Quebec . The road cut through the heavily - forested Upper Connecticut Valley in an area of the New Hampshire Grants that was then known as Upper Coös , but is today known as Vermont ' s Northeast Kingdom . The village of Peacham became the base of operations for the military road project . The road actually started at the town of Wells River on the Connecticut River just north of Newbury . Blockhouses were built at Peacham , Cabot , Walden and Greensboro . Hazen made requisition upon the selectmen of the river towns to provide teams for the movement of his stores . Wells were dug at various points , swamps were bridged with logs and the road made passable for teams . Hazen encamped for some time on the present site of Lowell village , and he called the place " the camp at the end of the road " , although the road ' s actual terminus was some miles further on . The road crossed the Vermont Piedmont — rolling hills and valleys with isolated mountains . On June 22 it was reported that Hazen with half his men were within of St . John ' s . The regiment was recalled to the New York area in August ; as a result , the road was never completed . A total of of road was built ; the location where it ended is now known as Hazens Notch . In the fall , Hazen leveled charges of corruption and mismanagement against Isaac Tichenor , the deputy commissioner of purchases at Coös , General Bayley , the deputy quartermaster - general , and Matthew Lyons , the deputy commissioner of issues . His regiment were poorly supplied the whole summer at Coös , supplies of beef arrived spoiled , and Hazen had to send his men into the fields to help with the harvest so they could eat . Courts - martial were later held . Winter 1779 – 1780 Jockey Hollow . In October 1779 the regiment was ordered to Peekskill , New York , and on November 25 it was assigned to Hand ' s Brigade in the Main Army . They spent the winter at Morristown , New Jersey , where they experienced severe shortages of food . The site , known as " Jockey Hollow " , is in the Morristown National Historical Park . On January 14 , 1780 , the regiment participated in a " commando " raid of Staten Island planned in secrecy by General Washington and led by Lord Stirling . The object of the raid was a surprise attack on the enemy at the Watering Place Redoubts and to secure provisions . Preparations for the raid called for British attention to be focused on Irvine ' s detachment in the vicinity of Elizabethtown , while the 2nd Canadian marched to Connecticut Farms ( present - day Union ) . Meanwhile , Steward ' s detachment would advance onto Staten Island , and Stirling ' s forces would then push to Richmond , in the center of Staten Island , where they would surprise enemy troops . Lord Stirling had intelligence that the enemy had a force of about 1 , 000 men , with the main body in huts near the Watering Place Redoubts . These were three British circular redoubts , double - abatised , with about 200 men each , located at present - day Fort Hill Circle in St . George , just north of Tompkinsville . Around midnight on January 14 , loaded with cannon and 1 , 500 – 3 , 000 troops , American forces crossed over the frozen ice of the Kill Van Kull waterway from Elizabethtown Point on 500 sleds . It was a starry night , and Loyalist spies had warned the British of the American approach . As a result , the Americans found the British on the posts and alert . With the element of surprise gone , and conditions extremely cold , the raid was aborted . American troops suffered minor frostbite injuries but brought back 17 prisoners , as well as some horses and camp supplies . New York 1780 . In the spring of 1780 , the regiment was subjected to a thorough inspection by Baron von Steuben , and was found to be " well taken care of " . Von Steuben made recommendations as a result of his inspections ( which covered much of the Continental Army ) that resulted in the merging of the 1st and 2nd Canadian regiments in 1781 . The regiment spent the summer of 1780 at King ' s Ferry , New York . Regimental orderly books show that it was at Morristown , Bryant ' s Tavern , Ramapo and Preakness between April 23 and July 26 . On August 1 the regiment was reassigned from Hand ' s Brigade to the New Hampshire Brigade of the Main Army . This brigade was to be under the command of Enoch Poor , but its command was ultimately given to Hazen , although Hazen was not promoted to brigadier general . On August 23 , von Steuben arrested Hazen for halting his brigade on a march without permission . The army was on the march from Tappan to the Liberty Pole , a pre - war landmark located near Englewood , when Hazen halted the march for his troops to drink water . Hazen was acquitted of the charges , and promptly countercharged von Steuben with conduct unbecoming an officer over the incident ; von Steuben apologized . Following the capture of British spy John André and the defection of Benedict Arnold to the British in September 1780 , one hundred of Hazen ' s soldiers , under command of Lieutenant William Torrey , were detailed to be present at André ' s hanging on October 2 , at Tappan , New York . In the fall of 1780 the regiment was headquartered at Nelson ' s Point in Garrison , New York , directly across the Hudson River from West Point , before entering winter quarters at Fishkill , New York in November . During this time eleven officers of the regiment , led by Major James Reid , complained to General Washington ( without first consulting Hazen ) over the lack of advancement opportunities in the regiment , which were due in part to its unusual position as being the direct responsibility of Congress , rather than under a state ' s supervision . Reid also made complaints against Hazen , which were heard and dismissed in a November 1780 court martial . Hazen had Reid arrested and confined to quarters afterwards ; a long court martial ( running from December 1780 to February 1781 ) resulted in Reid ' s conviction on two counts and a public reprimand by General Washington . Regimental orderly books show that during these periods the regiment had operations at Orangetown , Steeprapie and West Point between September 16 and November 19 , and at West Point from October 5 to March 5 , 1781 . Reorganized as Canadian Regiment . On January 1 , 1781 , pursuant to von Steuben ' s recommendations , the 1st Canadian Regiment was disbanded . The Canadian members of that regiment were reassigned to the 2nd , which was designated as the Canadian Regiment . In this reorganization , most foreign volunteers were also assigned to the regiment . Hazen and part of the regiment participated in a raid on January 22 led by Lieutenant Colonel William Hull . Hull ' s troops raided a position held by a Loyalist corps under Lieutenant Colonel Oliver De Lancey Sr . , that was posted at Morrisania ( in the present - day Bronx ) . The Americans burned the enemy barracks , captured 52 prisoners , and took large supplies of ammunition and forage . Hazen ' s men were assigned to cover their retreat . The British , about 1 , 000 men , pursued Hull ' s force beyond a point where Hazen and his men were concealed . In the ensuing skirmish , British forces lost about 35 men . On June 1 , the regiment was sent from the West Point – Fishkill area to Albany and the Mohawk River valley to guard against an expected British attack . For this action it was reassigned from the Highlands Department to the Northern Department . The regiment arrived at Albany on June 5 , and spent most of the month patrolling in the Mohawk River valley against an attack that never came . When the perceived threat subsided , the regiment was immediately ordered to return to West Point . On June 29 , Hazen was finally given a brevet promotion to brigadier general . Siege of Yorktown . On August 10 , 1781 , the Canadian Regiment was reassigned from the Northern Department to the Main Army . On August 19 , Washington used the regiment to feint preparations for an attack on New York . It crossed the Hudson River at Dobbs Ferry and was ordered to march , together with New Jersey troops , to posts on the heights between Springfield and Chatham , in which position the detachment would cover a French battery that had been set up at Chatham " to veil our real movements and create apprehensions for Staten Island . " Meanwhile , the main body of the American Army was starting their southward movement toward Yorktown . The regiment withdrew , and held near Kakiat for three days from August 22 – 25 . The regiment then went down the Hudson River and joined the army on the way to Yorktown . At midnight on September 2 , 270 of the regiment and other units arrived at Christiana Bridge over the Delaware . The units unloaded the boats and transported supplies for the Continental Army to Elk Landing during the three days before the boat carriages arrived . On September 24 , Hazen was given command of the second brigade of Marquis de Lafayette ' s Light Division , to which the Canadian Regiment ( now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Antill ) was assigned . After cantonment at Williamsburg , the regiment arrived at Yorktown on September 28 . The regiment participated in the siege , and was heavily involved in the October 14 attacks on the British redoubts . According to Lafayette ' s own account the Americans did not fire a gun , but used only the bayonet . The brigades of light infantry under Generals Peter Muhlenberg and Hazen " advanced with perfect discipline and wonderful steadiness . The battalion of Colonel Vose deployed on the left . The remainder of the division and the rear - guard successively took their positions , under the fire of the enemy , without replying , in perfect order and silence . " Guard detail at Lancaster . The regiment was reassigned from Hazen ' s Brigade to the Middle Department on December 6 , 1781 . On this date , a portion of the regiment went to Lancaster , Pennsylvania , where they guarded prisoners taken at 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 . In June 1782 Hazen again had James Reid arrested on charges including disobedience and conduct unbecoming an officer . The court martial , held in December , resulted in a mistrial , with Hazen alleging bias on the part of the presiding judge advocate . After additional hearings , Reid was ultimately acquitted of the charges . In November 1782 , the regiment was moved to Pompton , New Jersey for winter quarters . Its duties during this time included the interdiction of trade between the countryside and the British in New York City . Disbanded . In June 1783 , with the peace nearly finalized , much of the regiment was furloughed . At the same time it was transferred to the Highland Department . Pursuant to a Resolution of Congress of May 26 , 1783 , 300 soldiers were discharged on June 9 . However , members of the regiment refused to depart , whether on furlough or discharge , until they received their pay . Members of the regiment that remained were ordered to march to Washington ' s cantonment near New Windsor . The regiment was reorganized into two companies on June 30 and was completely disbanded on November 15 , 1783 , at West Point , New York . Because the Canadians in the regiment were unable to return to their homes , many of them settled in camps near Albany and Fishkill , where they subsisted on handouts from Congress . General Hazen appealed to Congress to give them land grants , but this effort failed . The state of New York eventually granted Hazen and a number of his men land in the northern part of the state near Lake Champlain . The regiment ' s authorized strength was 1 , 000 men .