Major Clément Gosselin

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Clément Gosselin (June 12, 1747 – March 9, 1816) was a revolutionary soldier in Moses Hazen regiment Revolutionary War

1 Early life
2 Event of the war
3 Moses Hazen Regiment
4 Wounded at Yorktown
5 After the war
6 External links

[edit] Early life

Clément Gosselin was born in 1747, so at the time of the British invasion of 1759 Clément was twelves years old. He was the youngest of a large family living in Saint-Famille, on the eastern side of Isle d'Orléans east of Québec city. This island was a landing site of Wolfe Army. So Clément Gosselin was fully aware of the war and knew Montcalm.

[edit] Event of the war

Clément was part of the attack of December 30-31, 1775 in Quebec city.

Clément went in hiding from the spring of 1776 to the spring of 1777.

Clément was taken to prison in the Autumn of 1777 and release six month later in spring 1778.

In spring 1778 he rejoined his regiment with his father in law Germain Dionne and his older brother Louis.

In October 1778, the Congress established a plan to take Canada with the French.

On November 28, 1778 Clément send a report on the state of the British force in Canada to Washington.

In summer of 1779 he is with Moses Hazen to build an invasion road parallel lake champlain in Coos County.

In 1780 his regiment is send to Albany to guard the frontier from Iroquois attack.

In June 1781 he was in Fish Kill near the Hudson river on the eastern side, just below West point.

There his regiment received order to proceed to Yorktown in the south.

On October 13, 1781 he is send to siege duty and he is wounded severely on the leg.

Clément Gosselin was in prison when Brandywine 1777 occur, he was also still in prison for Valley Forge winter after Brandywine, He will join the American in the spring of 1778 since the French had just joined the war in February 1778.

[edit] Moses Hazen Regiment

James Livingston at Chambly made the 1st Canadian Regiment to help Shuyler and Ethan Allen take Chambly. Moses Hazen try to join the British but they refuse and burned his house, after that he joined the American cause for good. Moses Hazen joined the 1st Canadian Regiment but after the defeat at Quebec he founded another regiment.

3 weeks after the Quebec disastrous assault the second Canadian Regiment was formed. In March 1776 Clément became Captain in that regiment. Clément Gosselin uniform was brown and his hat was black and with cylindrical shape with a pointy tip. On it was inscribed COR for Congress Own Regiment. This uniform is extremely close to the Red Coat uniform since many of the English in it were former British Soldier of the previous war. Clément and his regiment were of Line, they were not rangers. So they fought in the European line manner, not hiding in the wood.

[edit] Wounded at Yorktown

On October 13, 1781 in the General Order of Georges Washington you can read that Moses Hazen regiment is assigned for sieges duty. So 6 days before the final attack on October 19, 1781 Clément is send in harms way. This is where he will be hit in the leg by wood flying from a canon ball explosion near him. So it's from a stretcher that he will see the final attack and the victory parade of his regiment.

[edit] After the war

In January of 1782 Clément is in Lancaster, Pensylvanie to guard British soldier of Yorktown. Lancaster is Amish Country. In 1783 he was discharged and promoted Major for his pension. He was also granted a land at Chazy, near lake Champlain, one hour drive from Montréal.

[edit] External links

Many detail of the Regiment of Moses Hazen can be discover by reading the Washington Letters, a compilation of all letters related to Washington life. In it you can search for word like Gosselin or Hazen to find information. One crucial part is the final general order of Washington from October 13 to October 19 1781 where each day is detailed for the final attack at Yorktown.