The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
State of Service: PA
Qualifying Service: Patriotic Service / Brigadier General
Birth: 01 Jun 1733 Haverhill / / MA Death: 05 Feb 1803 Troy / Albany / NY
Qualifying Service Description:
Prisoner of war in Montreal
Participated in the siege of Quebec; Colonel in charge of the 2nd Canadian Regt. Brigadier General in 1781 under Lafayette
Additional References:
Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1600-1889,pg 150
*This means that the NSSAR has no applications for this Patriot on file.
Instead the information provided is best effort, and from volunteers who have either researched grave sites, service records, or something similar. There is no documentation available at NSSAR HQ to order.
Moses Hazen was born to a Jewish family in Haverhill, Massachusetts, in 1733. When the French and Indian War broke out, he became a local militia member. He embarked on a lengthy military career, fighting in numerous actions of the French and Indian War. He was known for his bravery and willingness to participate in dangerous missions. He eventually became a Lieutenant and retired from the service in 1763.
Moses settled in the Richelieu River valley south of Montreal and went into business with another British officer, Gabriel Christie. They purchased extensive landholdings, and Moses ran the business while Christie was often away. He developed the land but went into heavy debt to accomplish his schemes and support a lavish lifestyle, building a 20-room mansion for himself. By 1770, Christie was upset with Mose's liberal spending and sued him. The two were in and out of lawsuits for the next ten years, and their property was divided.
When the American Revolution began, he was in a quandary. An American invasion was coming into Canada right through his valley. He had to decide which side to favor. British Governor Sir Guy Carleton authorized him to raise a regiment to fight the Americans. Still, he met with the American General Philip Schuyler instead. He tried to persuade him not to attack Fort Saint-Jean, telling him the Fort was well-defended and would be difficult to take.
Other locals, however, told him the opposite, and Moses was taken prisoner. Shortly after, his captors were captured by the British, who then threw him in prison in Montreal for helping the Americans. He was kept in harsh conditions for two months and then captured by the Americans again when he was being transported. After this, he sided with the Americans permanently and joined them in the Siege of Quebec.
He was sent to Philadelphia with the news of General Montgomery's death and the failure to capture Quebec. Congress made him a Colonel and gave him command of the 2nd Canadian Regiment. Moses was in charge of the captured Montreal for a time, and his unit would fight in the battles of Staten Island, Brandywine, and Germantown. In 1779, several disputes erupted, and he was involved in several court-martials and counter-charges but was acquitted.
In June 1781, he was finally made a Brigadier General and placed under Lafayette in Virginia. His unit was involved throughout the Yorktown engagement and in the pivotal taking of the redoubts around the city.
After the war, Moses settled in upstate New York and continued in land speculation. On paper, he was a wealthy man continually involved in debt lawsuits. In fact, he was arrested 14 times after the war because of his debts. One of his redeeming qualities, however, was that he fought constantly for the rights of Canadian refugees in America who had been forced to leave Quebec after the war. He lobbied Congress continuously to reimburse them (and himself) for lost property and income.
The Patriot died in Troy, New York, on 5 February 1803. Congress finally awarded a small portion of what he claimed to his estate after his death.
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Additional Information:
No entry was found in DAR Ancestor Search in Feb 2024