Siebert, W: American Loyalists in the Eastern Seigniories an

Excerpt from The American Loyalists in the Eastern Seigniories and Townships of the Province of Quebec

If Quebec was saved from capture, Montreal was not, and remained in possession of the Americans until the last week in June, 1776. On the day following its re-occupation by the Canadians, Sir John Johnson arrived there with about two hundred followers, having fled from his patrimonial estate in the Mohawk Valley toward the close of the pre ceding month.t Sir John received a cordial welcome from Governor Guy Carleton, and was at once commissioned to raise a battalion, to be called the King's Royal Regiment of New York, from among his companions and the distressed people he had left behind. In granting this commission Carleton was acting under the express authority of the home government in England, which had given its approval of the formation of a corps by Sir John in the previous Marchi This shows conclusively that the baronet's military preparations at Johnstown before his flight were part of a preconcerted plan that might have been thwarted if General Philip Schuyler and his Continentals had taken Sir John into custody in January, 1776, instead of disarming and releasing him at that time.4 However, when the danger of arrest again threatened Johnson and his party escaped, departing by way of the Sacondaga, thence taking a northwestwardly route to avoid Lake Champlain, lest it might be in the possession of the Americans, and entering the Province of Quebec probably east of the St. Lawrence by way of St. Regis. The corps received frequent accessions from the colonies, the first to be recorded being parties, some with arms, who had come in at Crown Point for refuge, and who joined the regiment in November.5 The spirit of the new organization was warmly commended by Carleton two months later. At the same time, provision was made for the care of the unincorporated refugees with the regiment and for the adminis tration of the oath of allegiance to all who had thus far arrived.

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