2nd Continental Regiment Known as Congress’ Own

2nd Canadian Regiment, Congress’ Own

Question received via the forum of the Company of Military Historians:

My relative Captain Antoine Paulin served with Colonel Moses Hazen in the 2nd Continental Regiment known as Congress’ Own. I have been trying to research the flag for this regiment but without success. I wish to have this flag duplicated so that when the DAR, SAR, CAR and USS Midway Ship Museum have their second annual Flag Day Celebration in 2012, this flag can be shown. Thank you for any recommendations of where I might find this information.

Answer:

At least a place to start. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/6389489/Flags_of_the_American_Revolution

See also The Continental Army by Robert K. Wright, Jr. (GPO 2000). The 2nd Canadian, organized in 1776 at Montreal served from 1776 to it was  disbanded in 1783. The regiment fought in the following campaigns: The Defense of Canada, Northern New Jersey, Defense of Philadelphia, New Jersey 1780, New York 1781 and Yorktown.

Major James B. Ronan II is a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians.

US Navy Uniforms, 1797

Information at this link: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-3.htm.

Will also connect you the the Naval Historical Center.

American Naval Uniform 1790-1840

Q.  

I am building a scale replica of the USS Constellation 1797 (1/65 scale)and would like to know the uniforms of the naval men during that period so as to be able to dress the sailors accurately.

A. Here’s a list of articles from our journal Military Collector and Historian on the subject. The numbers indicate Volume, Number and Page.

Robert L. Miller Powder Horn from the Constellation 4 1 18
Henry I. Shaw, Jr. Review – Uniforms of the Sea Services, A Pictorial History, by Colonel Robert H. Rankin 15 1 29
Lawrence J. Bopp Review – USS Constellation: From Frigate to Sloop of War, by Geoffrey M. Footner 56 1 71
Lawrence J. Bopp Review – American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775 – Present, Third Edition, by Jack Sweetman 56 2 146
Matthew P. Brenckle Uniforms for Federal-Era U.S. Navy Gig and Barge Crews 59 4 320

Here’s list of Uniform Plates that may be applicable. The numbers indicate plate number.

113 UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS 1797-1804

229 OFFICERS, UNITED STATES NAVY 1797-1798

Sometimes our plates and journals are not for sale. They should be available from your local library through inter-library loan as we have many institutional subscribers.

Have also attached a link to the USS Constitution Museum http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/. She was a sister ship of the Constellation and they maybe of help. They may also direct you to other institutions.

 

Ways to Find Facts About World War I Service (U. S. Soldiers)

Q. I was doing some re-arranging and stumbled across this WWI cartridge case again, with name “Gregory Lapsuzian Jr.” engraved on it, in addition to “HQ Co. 320th. F.A.”

A. The 320th Field Artillery was (and is) an element of the 82nd Divison.

I think this doughboy was a draftee. The 82nd was a National Army division filled with draftees in WW I and did not enter the Regular army ’til the 1940s. Although many men of the division came from the south, many others came from all over the country, hence the division’s name “All American”.

The web site http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index_community.aspx, the National World war I Museum has directions for requesting records from the National Archives. Unfortunately many of these records were destroyed but its always worth a try.

If no records exist in the archives, the key may be to finding out what state the soldiers was from.

A good source is the web site Ancestry.com. They have a large collection of draft records from the period and other WW I records.

A library or Google Books may connect you with books about the 320th in WW I, some of which contain rosters. Look for a book entitled, Reports of the 320th Field Artillery, N.A. published in Philadelphia by Smith-Edwards in 1919 among others. 82nd Division, AEF, Battle Citation General Orders, 1918-1919 published by Planchet Press in 1984 may reveal some heroism by this soldier.

These may help you determine what state the soldier came from. You may then contact the state adjutant general, state military museum or historical society to find further information of the soldier.

If the soldier was a relative or an ancestor of friends, a search for records at homes may yield many photos and records. I’ve had good luck with this.

An On Line Issue of “Military Collector and Historians” Journal of the Company of Military Historians

Free online copy of “Military Collector and Historian” vol. 58 no. 3.

http://military-historians.org/company/journal/58-3/58-3.pdf

20th Regiment 1898-1900

Q. I’m trying to gather information on my greatgrandfather’s military record when he was in the philippines(and maybe cuba). My family clan knows he was with the north dakota regiment from 1898 until around august 1899. he was mustered out of san francisco.

After I reviewed his old letters it looks like he then joined either the 20th regiment or the 2nd regiment or both. from what I see so far, he joined the 20th regiment in either 1899 or 1900 and he left military service as a Sgt of the 2nd ULSL regiment. probably on or before 1908.

My question now is the following:
1.) is the 20th regiment a cavalry or infantry regiment ? any online info about it ? , perhaps her roster of men ?

2.) Regarding the 2nd ULSL regiment, what does ULSL mean ??? or is this just a misprint in the personal letter I read ??

A. Do not have a complete list of US forces that served in the Philippines but the lists I do have indicate the the 1st North Dakota was there in 1898 and in 1902.

The 2nd and 20th Infantry were there in 1902.

The 2nd Cavalry did not participate in the Philippine Insurection so I think G-Pa was in the 2nd Infantry.

It may be a good idea to reconcile records in your possession with those in the state or DC, especially if a unit of service is not clearly spelled out.

It seems G-Pa may have had about ten years service. he may have enlisted in the 2nd Cavalry in the states.

Out of the Forum, Company of Military Historians

Q. I have had this glass slide for awile and have tried several times to identify it. It may be taken from a stereoview. With the flag pole in the background I thought is may be a military post in New Mexico or Arizona. Any help is appreciated.

A. Try searching the Library of Congress, American Memory, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html.

Another source maybe the Daguerreian Society: http://www.daguerre.org/

Both have large collections of old images.

Might be a good activity for an upcoming chapter meeting if enough members have laptops.

Company of Military Historians Forum

Q. I received this photo from the Smithsonian Institution ten years or so ago. The only caption is “U.S. Cavalry Band, Honolulu, Hawaii, c. 1915.”

I’m guessing that this is the 4th or 5th U.S. Cavalry. I’d be pleased if someone can verify or contradict.

A.The 4th was in Hawaii from 1913-1919, I think its their band.

Comments to NYT on Reviews (3 July 2011) of A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman, reviewed by Geoffrey Wheatcroft and Conscience: Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family — A Test of Will and Faith in World War One by Louisa Thomas, reviewed by Alan Riding (July 3, 2011)

5 July 2011

Editor

NY Times Review of Books

Re: A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman, reviewed by Geoffrey Wheatcroft and Conscience: Two Soldiers, Two Pacifists, One Family — A Test of Will and Faith in World War One by Louisa Thomas, reviewed by Alan Riding (July 3, 2011)

When the United States is viewed as a nation state with national interests rather than a philosophy with ideals, perspective of its history and participants in it change.

The morality and continued existence of slavery in the United States was secondary to the survival of the republic. It was clearly in the interest of the United States not to have its territory divided, peacefully or by force. When viewed this way, romanticized rebels become merely traitors For years the conflict was known as the War of the Rebellion. Conversely, those Britons who favored the South no doubt saw a potential weakening of a global competitor, a British national interest.

I wonder if my grandparents, British subjects, would have immigrated to a truncated United States? And, if he did not, would my grandfather have perished on the Somme as a member of the Newfoundland Division in 1916? World War One was the second of three German attempts to dominate the continent of Europe (1870, 1914, 1939) and it was an imperative interest of the United States not to allow that to happen. And, despite our disagreements with France as a republic (or an empire) the United States could not acquiesce in the extinction of the French nation.

How admirable were abolitionists like Charles Sumner or Harrier Beecher Stowe; how pure the motives of Jeanette Rankin and the Thomas Brothers. But only in the abstract, not in the real world.

James B. Ronan II
Lake Wylie, SC