Moses Hazen

He was frequently involved in litigation, both military and civil, and constantly petitioned Congress for compensation of losses and expenses incurred due to the war.

[7] Joseph Godin dit Bellefontaine, a leader of the local militia and the father of one of the women, claimed that he was forced to witness this event in an attempt to coerce his cooperation with the rangers.

)[8] General Jeffery Amherst, who did not hear of the incident until after he had promoted Hazen to captain, noted, "I am sorry that to say what I have since heard of that affair has sullied his merit with me as I shall always disapprove of killing women and helpless children.

General James Murray wrote approvingly of Hazen in 1761, "He discovered so much still bravery and good conduct as would justly entitle him to every military reward he could ask or demand".

)[12] After the war, Christie and Hazen jointly purchased the seigneuries of Sabrevois and Bleury, located on the east bank of the Richelieu near Fort Saint-Jean.

[14] As part of his business dealings, he offered General Thomas Gage, then in command of British forces in New York City, facilities and lumber for military use.

This ultimately led to a division of the holdings, with Hazen receiving the southern portion of the Bleury seigneurage, styled Bleury-Sud.

On that day, Hazen met with General Philip Schuyler, explaining to him that Fort Saint-Jean was well-defended and unlikely to be taken by siege, and that the local habitants were unlikely to assist the American effort.

[24] Major Charles Preston, the British commander, was mistrustful of Hazen, and sent him to Montreal under the guard of Claude de Lorimier.

[26] Hazen served in the Battle of Quebec, and was one of two men (the other was Edward Antill) sent to report the devastating loss to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

The Congress, in recognition for his efforts, gave Hazen a commission as a colonel, leading the Continental Army's 2nd Canadian Regiment.

Hazen was initially offered a position as brigadier general, but he refused, requesting instead a colonel's commission, and indemnification against losses caused by the conflict.

Hazen was fortunate in arriving in Philadelphia before John Duggan, one of Livingston's captains, to whom Benedict Arnold had earlier promised the commission for the 2nd Canadian.

[30] Following Arnold's assumption of command at Montreal, Hazen's regiment was assigned to garrison duty at Fort Chambly.

[32] During the American retreat from Quebec in May and June 1776, Hazen and Arnold were embroiled in a dispute that led to charges and counter-charges, courts martial and other hearings, lasting into 1779.

At issue were supplies that Arnold had ordered seized from merchants in Montreal and sent to Chambly for eventual shipment south as part of the retreat.

However, there were irregularities in the proceedings, the judge advocate being the same officer, who had delivered the goods, from Montreal, to Chambly, so he did not testify; Arnold continued to attack Hazen afterwards.

[35][36] Hazen's regiment, which was significantly reduced in size by the retreat from Quebec,[31] was assigned first to Ticonderoga, and then to Albany, in the summer and fall of 1776, before being ordered to winter quarters at Fishkill, New York.

The cultural differences between the original Quebec enlistees and the new recruits from the Thirteen Colonies was a regular source of friction within the regiment, and Hazen consequently kept the French-speakers in companies separated from the English-speakers.

[39] In May 1777, Hazen's regiment was ordered to join the main army at Princeton, where it was active in the Philadelphia campaign as part of John Sullivan's brigade.

[38] Hazen's command during the Battle of Brandywine included the northern (right) end of the American line; this position was one of those flanked by the British in their attack.

"[40] To Sullivan's detriment, the other reports were wrong, and Hazen's was correct; the British flanking maneuver was instrumental in the American loss of the battle.

Plans for possible attacks against Quebec based on routes departing from the Newbury area were again contemplated in the fall of 1778, but Washington continued to resist the idea.

Work was discontinued on the road in August after word was received that the British were preparing a military force at Saint-Jean to attempt capture of the construction crew.

[48] Washington wrote to Congress that the work "was for the purpose of exciting jealousies at Quebec and at the Enemy's posts on the St. lawrence, and of making a diversion in favor of the late expedition under general Sullivan ... this very happily succeeded".

There Hazen was again involved in litigation; he was rejected for service on a court martial considering charges against Benedict Arnold due to their previous confrontations, and he also opened complaints of supply mismanagement during the summer's roadbuilding activities.

By the time the transfer was effected, Hazen was given command of the entire brigade, although repeated requests he had made for promotion to brigadier general were rejected.

[51] Hazen's regiment was garrisoned opposite West Point that fall when British Major John André was captured and General Arnold defected.

[52] On June 29, 1781, Hazen was finally promoted to brigadier general and assigned command of a brigade under Lafayette during the siege of Yorktown.

[54] While stationed there, an international diplomatic situation, known as the "Asgill Affair", developed that threatened the peace treaty between the newly independent U.S. and Britain.

George Campion 's Battle of Sainte-Foy
Hazen's business partner, Gabriel Christie
Mezzotint of Benedict Arnold by Thomas Hart, 1776
The Brandywine battlefield today
Some of Hazen's troops were involved in the storming of redoubt#10 at the Siege of Yorktown .