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I have being doing some research into my ancestors lately. Today I was in St. Anicet, Huntingdon, Quebec where part of my family comes from. On the drive back home I stopped at the Battlefield of Chateauguay National Historic Site. In the museum there is a display listing all of the names of the Canadian troops who fought in the battle. One soldier serving with the Voltigeurs was a Joseph Chretien.
One of my great great grandfathers was Joseph Alexis Chretien, born in March 1791. He would have being 22 years old at the time of the battle in 1813. He settled in St Anicet and married a 17 year old Irish girl, Ellen Kerby, in 1826. He died in 1885.
How can I confirm that Joseph Alexis Chretien is the same Joseph Chretien which served with the Voltigeurs? I search on the Généalogie du Québec web site, and my great great grandfather was the only Joseph Chretien I found of military age for that time.
While searching the web I found the following:
A minor attack on Cape Vincent, then called Gravelly Point, had been made shortly before by Lieutenant Marjoribanks, RN., and Corporal Chretien of the Voltigeurs, of which Captain Viger's diary supplies a graphic account. They had endeavoured to attack, with a gunboat, one of the enemy's gunboats on the river, but failing to overtake it, and "feeling very sore and disappointed," Marjoribanks decided to make a descent on Cape Vincent, the nearest American post, where he hoped to find and surprise some of the "Yankee boats," a proposal accepted by his men with the greatest enthusiasm. The attack was carried out, but the boats were not there, and after forcing an entrance into the deserted barracks and shooting an officer at the Commandant's quarters—looting some small arms by the way—the attacking party "retired under a desultory musket-fire from the returned enemy."
"The naval lieutenant," continues the diary, "in the official report to Commodore Yeo, gave a detailed statement of Chretien's coolness and courage, together with the peril to which he exposed himself during this brush with the enemy. He further charged him to convey his despatch to Kingston, where Sir George Prevost sent for him, and after promoting him to the rank of sergeant, presented him with the sabres and pistols looted at Gravelly Point."
http://www.oldandsold.com/canada/kingston-9.shtml
One of my great great grandfathers was Joseph Alexis Chretien, born in March 1791. He would have being 22 years old at the time of the battle in 1813. He settled in St Anicet and married a 17 year old Irish girl, Ellen Kerby, in 1826. He died in 1885.
How can I confirm that Joseph Alexis Chretien is the same Joseph Chretien which served with the Voltigeurs? I search on the Généalogie du Québec web site, and my great great grandfather was the only Joseph Chretien I found of military age for that time.
While searching the web I found the following:
A minor attack on Cape Vincent, then called Gravelly Point, had been made shortly before by Lieutenant Marjoribanks, RN., and Corporal Chretien of the Voltigeurs, of which Captain Viger's diary supplies a graphic account. They had endeavoured to attack, with a gunboat, one of the enemy's gunboats on the river, but failing to overtake it, and "feeling very sore and disappointed," Marjoribanks decided to make a descent on Cape Vincent, the nearest American post, where he hoped to find and surprise some of the "Yankee boats," a proposal accepted by his men with the greatest enthusiasm. The attack was carried out, but the boats were not there, and after forcing an entrance into the deserted barracks and shooting an officer at the Commandant's quarters—looting some small arms by the way—the attacking party "retired under a desultory musket-fire from the returned enemy."
"The naval lieutenant," continues the diary, "in the official report to Commodore Yeo, gave a detailed statement of Chretien's coolness and courage, together with the peril to which he exposed himself during this brush with the enemy. He further charged him to convey his despatch to Kingston, where Sir George Prevost sent for him, and after promoting him to the rank of sergeant, presented him with the sabres and pistols looted at Gravelly Point."
http://www.oldandsold.com/canada/kingston-9.shtml
