<bgsound src="MIDIS/libertysng.mid">

Ancestors in the American Revolution

Patriotic Swirl

In spite of everything the Acadians had been subjected to throughtout the Deportations years of 1755-1763, numerous Acadian soldiers served in the U.S. Army during the American Revolution of 1775-1783. For the most part, these men were members of militia units raised in Louisiana, then Spanish territory, I believe.

However, in Massachusetts was Pierre Robichaud, the Acadian Minute Man who took part in the Lexington/Concord skirmishes. Recalling the Acadian Deportation and how young Acadian children were often taken from their parents and indentured by the British, then the presence of these Acadian names among Massachusetts soldiers are not surprising. Some of the names were originally mistaken as being Huguenots but with the knowledge we have acquired about how the names changed, etc., in prior research on the military of this war, it was eventually realized that some of these names were very Acadian such as Baririeu, Gautreau and Poirier. Could it be that some of these individuals had been post-deportation refugees?

Whatever the case may be, the following also served in Massachusetts:

Joseph Benoit - he served in Col. Ebenezer Thayer's 5th Suffolk County regiment, dated Braintree, January 20, 1778 on the list of return of mean enlisted into the Continental Army. He was enlisted for the town of Braintree; joined Captain Langond's company, Colonel Crane's regiment, enlisted for 3 years; reported a transient; mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master.

Jean-Baptiste Beriooit (Barrieu?) Return of mean, enlisted into Cont. Army from Essex County, subsequent to Feb. 11, 1778, dated Aril 18, 1778, residence, Amesbury: enlisted for the town of Amesbury; joined Capt E. Lunt's Co., Col. Henley's Regiment; enlisted for 3 years.

Jean Bernard - list of men mustered in Suffolk County by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master, dated October 26, 1777, Col. Crane's Regiment.

Jean-Philip Bernard (this could be the same as the above) Return of men into the Cont Army from Capt Obediah Beal's Co. (no year given); residence; Cohasset; enlisted for town of Cohasset; joined Capt Langdon's Co.; Col. Henry Jackson's Regiment, enlisted for 3 years; mustered by Nathaniel Barber, Muster Master.

Stephen Gautraw (Gautreau?) Boston, private in Lieut. Hodijah Bayles's Co. of grenadiers; Col. Henry Jackson's Regiment; pay roll for February 1778, dated Gulph, Pennsylvania, service, 1 month; also, same co. and regiment pay roll for June 1778, sworn-to at Providence, service 1 month; also return certified at camp near Morristown, New Jersey, April 30, 1780, of officers and men belonging to Colonel Lee's, Colonel Henley's and Colonel Jackson's regiments, and men belonging to Massachusetts in Colonel Henry Sherburne's Regiment who were incorporated into a regiment under the command of Colonel Henry Jackson, agreeable to the arrangment of April 9, 1779, residence, Boston; rank - private; enlisted Nov. 20, 1777, enlisted for 3 years; reported killed in Rhode Island August 29, 1778; said Gautraw appears among men belonging to Col. Henry Jackson's Regiment who had been discharged from the rolls prior to above engagement.

Jockes Pouryea (Jacques Poirier) receipt dated South Hadley, Mass., March 26, 1782, signed by Noah Goodman, Superintendant for Hampshire County, stating that he had received said Pouryea, a solder engaged to serve in the Continental Army for the term of 3 years, to the credit of the town of Granby.

Simon LeBlanc (as well as Francois LeBlanc, whose record he shares) list of French prisoners sent from Halifax to Boston October 8, 1778 to be exchanged; reported a Seaman; letter from Bat. Fox, Commissary of Prisoners to the Commissary of Prisoners at Boston, dated en board the Rainbow at Halifax, October 8, 1778; accompanying list requests that said be exchanged for British prisoners.

TO BE CONTINUED ... Source: the now defunct Fleur de Lys of New Bedford, MA - The last issue of this publication was in 1980. The reference given was: Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolution.

Patriotic Swirl

Acadian descendants should be very proud of the many contributions their ancestors have made in honor of their adoptive country, America. After all that our Acadian ancestors went through with the Great Diaspora of 1755, some of the ancestors who had known the pain of exile or hiding, actually volunteered to fight in the American Revolution of 1776. At the time of the Revolution, a group of Acadians from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia enlisted in the Continental Army and fought as patriots under the leadership of Colonel Jonathan Eddy who was originally from Massachusetts.

Colonel Eddy and Captain Isaie Boudreau met with General George Washington on March 17, 1776 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to request aid and to discuss their strategy. This meeting is well documented in General Washington's correspondence to the Continental Congress.

One book that speaks of the participation of the Acadians in the American Revolution is The Siege of Fort Cumberland, 1776: An Episode in the American Revolution by Ernest Clarke. The publisher: McGill-Queens University Press, Montréal - 1995 - 302 pages.

The Acadians who participated in the American Revolution left numerous descendants. Many are not aware of their connection to the Acadians Patriots. Descendants of the Acadian Patriots are eligible for membership in the very prestigious women's organization The Daughters of the American Revolution - D.A.R.. The male organization is known as The Sons of the American Revolution - S.A.R. The application must be filed with the genealogical proof to your ancestor who would have fought in that war. As a member, an engraved Certificate indicating membership with the member's name and the name of the Ancestor Patriot is listed. Quarterly newsletters are also published and sent to members.

It is ironic that our deported ancestors, some born on other shores than Acadian, would have came back then engaged in a battle for freedom for those colonies that were at times so cruel to them. We can indeed be proud of these Patriots whether or not we descend from them.

Patriotic Swirl

The Acadian Patriots
in addition to the above from Massachusetts


Name


Isaiah Boudreau
Peter Casey
L. F. Delesdernier
Baptiste Maylet (Maillet)
Peter LeBlanc
Michel Bourg
Benjamin Allen (Alain)
Maturin Gaudet
Joseph Legere
Chas Maylet (Maillet)
Jean D'Roches
Jean Gaudet
Joseph Bastarach
Maturin D'Roches
Michel Govin
Louis Gould (Doiron)
Jos. Boudreau
Paul LeBlanc
David Farrell
J. B. Troop
Isaac Tebodeau
Joseph Gaudet

Station


Capt.
1 Lieut.
2 Lieut.
Sgt.
Sgt.
Cpl.
Cpl.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.
Pvt.

Time of
Enlisting

Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14
Nov. 14

Time of
Discharge

Feb. 14
Nov. 30
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Nov. 30
Nov. 30
Nov. 30
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Nov. 29
Nov. 29
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Feb. 14
Nov. 29
Feb. 14
Feb. 14

Time of
Service

3 mos.
15 days
3 mos.
3 mos.
15 days
15 days
15 days
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
15 days
15 days
3 mos.
3 mos.
3 mos.
15 days
3 mos.
3 mos.

Lincoln SS. Michias, Feb 12, 1778, this day Personally appeared before me Capt. Isaiah Boudreau and swore to the above Roll to be true & just in all the facts.

Benj. Foster, Justice Peace

Reverse/ April 29, 1778
Ordered a warrant be drawn on the treasury for this Roll.


The Acadians who had been expelled to Massachusetts in 1755-56 started to return to the Maritime Provinces of Canada in 1766. Some stayed until the eve of the War of Independence of the U.S. Even when war broke out, there were still some Acadians in different States, some of whom took part in the war.

In Massachusetts, when the war started, one of these was Pierre Robichaud, born January 28, 1753, in Port Royal, the son of Pierre and Marguerite Robichaud. This family had been exiled for some time in Walpole, with the d'Entremonts. Pierre Robichaud was to be one of the Minute Men of which much has been written. History tells us that the Minute Men played a huge role in the Battle of both Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, when the shot heard around the world was fired. Pierre Robichaud was from Wrentham, a Private, and belonged to Captain Oliver Pond's Mintue Men Company. Along long with the other Minute Men he responded to the alarm of April 19, 1775 and served 7 days. He re-enlisted at Stoughton, on August 8, 1777, this time in Captain Abner Crane's Company of the Regiment of Colonel John Robinson . He served a month and 23 days in Rhode Island. A year later, on August 22, 1778, enlised again and was this time in Lieutenant Hezekiah Ware's Company. Expected to return again to Rhode Island with this Company, on Sept, 11, after 21 days under arms, he retired.

Joseph Robichaud was Pierre's brother. He had been in exile May of 1756, while his family was exiled to Walpole. Joseph aslo enlisted Dec. 8, 1776 and was a private and member of Captain Samuel Fisher's Company of Warwick, Rhode Island. He served 23 days. A few years later, June 11, 1779, he married Mary Ware of Wrentham. She was 28 years of age and the daughter of Daniel Ware and of Mary Hewes. She died in 1806. Joseph Robichaud, perished Dec. 10, 1787, aged 31 on Lovell's Isle, Boston Harbour, They were both buried in the Wrenthan Center cemetery. A daughter Mary was born on November 20, 1787 in Foxboro and she was only three weeks old when her father Joseph died. She spent her life teaching school and died March 31, 1873, at Walpole at the age 85.

Basile Mius whose family was sent to exile in Massachusetts also fought in the American Revolution. He was born at Cape Sable just prior to his family being deported April, 1756. He was the ninth child of the 13 children of François Mius and Jeanne Duon. This family spent most of its exile in Salem, Massachusetts. After Francois died this family only began making its way back to Nova Scotia in 1775, first to Pubnico, then to Sluice Point, at Muise's Point, known to the French people as "La Pointe-des-Ben," because it was established by Benjamin Mius, one of the sons. Four of the other boys remained in Salem where, it seems, they got married, among whom was Basile.

On Jan. 27, 1776, Basile Mius enlisted as a soldier in the First Company of Captain Daniel Warner, who was stationed in Gloucester for the defense of the American coasts. He retired thirty five days later. He re-enlisted on June 12 of the same year (1776) at Salem on board the sloop "Tyrannicide," under the command of Captain John Fisk. He was discharged the following September 20.


Men, including Acadians from Louisiana who fought in 1776 under Galvez

This list from Dudley LeBlanc's Acadian Miracle were copied from the records
in Seville, Spain. Some were written in French and some in Spanish.

Militia at what is now St. James
April 8, 1776
Don Nicholas Verret - Captain


Jean Azostegue
Pierre Azostegue
Ambroise Bernabe
Paul Bernabe
Joseph Bernabe
Jean Bellefontaine
Pierre Berteau
Pierre Blanchard
Pierre Blanchard, Jr.
Joseph Blanchard
Laimable Blanchard
Victor Blanchard
Jean Jaunis
Pierre Lambert
Pierre Lambert, Jr.
Joseph Boudreau
Joseph Bourg
Pierre Bourg
Baptiste Bourgeois

Jean Bourgeois
Michel Bourgeois
Baptiste Cormier
Baptiste Cormier, Jr.
Jean Cormier
Pierre Charpentier
Jean Louviere
Jean Millet
Pierre Michel
Pierre Charpentier, Jr.
Pierre Doiron
Paul Doucet
Jacques Dubain
Joseph Foret
Joseph Dupuis
JeanDugas
Pierre Godet
Joseph Godet

Claude Godet
Francois Hebert
Jean Richard
Joseph Richard
Joseph Robicho
Joseph Landry
Olivier Landry
Olivier Landry
Pierre Lanoux
Andre LeBlanc
Jean Mouton
Louis Mouton
Salvador Mouton
Jean Poirrier
Jean Sonnier
Joseph Terio
Pierre Thibodo
------Vallee


ACADIANS DEFEND THEIR HOME AGAINST THE BRITISH
IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

On June 1779, Spain declared war on Great Britain and ordered Spanish Colonial Governor of Louisiana, Bernado de Galvez to organize an expedition and capture the forts at Mobile and Pensacola and to attack and clear the English from the banks of the Mississippi.

Galvez leaves New Orleans with an army of Spanish regulars and the Louisiana militia made up of 600 Cajun volunteers and captures the British strongholds of Fort Bute at Bayou Manchac, across from the Acadian settlement at St. Gabriel. And on n September 21, they attack and capture Baton Rouge.

Between 1779 and 1781, the census of the Opelousas district listed 535 whites and 218 blacks and the Opelousas Militia was composed of 4 officers, s sergeants, three corporals and 89 enlisted men. The Opelousas Militia was in the detachment that captured Natchez.

Source: "La Compagnie de Malice des Attakapas" was the name of the military unit that fought in the American Revolution. (Spanish Records, dated 1 May 1777. pp. 289-290 "S.A.R. Spanish English War 1779-1783" compiled by C. Robert Churchill).

Thanks to Don Landry for this information.



© Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Acadian & French Canadian Ancestral Home
1998 - Present

Please Navigate This Web Site
Using The Sidebar To The Left
If You Do Not See A Sidebar Click Here