Author: James Edward Mitchell
James Livingston was born 27 Mar 1747 in Albany, New York (NY) to his parents John Livingston (1709-1791) and Catherina Ten Broeck (1715-1802). James’ surviving brothers were Richard Livingston (1744-1786), who was commissioned as a LieutCol in James Livingston’s Bttn (20 Nov 1775) Continental Army and Abraham Ten Broeck Livingston (1754-1803) also, made the rank of Capt. within his older brothers Bttn.

James’ father, John Livingston was a prominent merchant at Albany County, NY. By James’ 18th birthday in 1765 their family had resettled to exploit a fur trading business opportunity in French speaking Montreal. James’ mother, Catherina above, was a daughter of Dirck Ten Broeck (1686-1751). Catherina was a sister of Christina Ten Broeck (1718-1801) and BrigGen’l Abraham Ten Broeck (1734-1810); see, http://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov//albany/bios/t/abtbroeck6.html

James Livingston, age 27, before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War was employed as a merchant at Boucherville, Chambly on the St. Lawrence River. He married, Elizabeth Simpson, an Irish Catholic immigrant in 1772 at Montreal.
The couple started a growing family; sons, Edward Livingston and Richard Montgomery Livingston ; daughters, Elizabeth m. Peter Smith, a fur trading partner with John Jacob Aster; Catherine and Margaret (1785-1871) m. Daniel Cady (1773-1859).

Background: Albany County, NY land baron MajGen’l Philip Schuyler’s daughter Gertrude married James Duane, a prominent New York City lawyer and an associate of many NY British army land speculators with grants given them in rural Vermont; see, Ethan Allen by Willard Stern Randell publ. by W.W. Norton & Co., NY, pgs 200, 361, 367 and 413. Thus the New York’s Albany aristocracy easily arranged for an approach by an American doing business at Chambly to determine James Livingston’s desire to accept a commission as an American Colonel to form the 1st Canadian Rgt., Continental Army. (This regiment would go into existence officially after it was ordered to cross Canadian soil in Sep 1775.) Livingston accepted Gen’l. Philip Schuyler’s commission on 20 Nov 1775 following James Livingston’s Québec Campaign that was begun successfully by capturing Fort Chambly with 200 trusted French Acadians at Québec on 18 Oct 1775.

After Oct, 1775, the American force including 500 Connecticut New England militia and several hundred NY militia led by Col(s) Ethan Allen, James Livingston with his two brothers, LieutCol Richard Livingston and Abraham a Capt, allied with MajGen’l Richard Montgomery and (Massachusetts, Col) Benedict Arnold’s army to assault Québec City’s Saint Jean Gate on 31 Dec 1775 in the snow. Richard Montgomery was killed, and Benedict Arnold, wounded leading American forces against the towers and ramparts.

After the May 1776 retreat from the siege at Québec City by American Col Benedict Arnold, hundreds of French Acadians and Canadiens taken as prisoner to be marched to British prison ships variously situated as far south as the East River at New York City.

On 7 Jun, companies of the 1st Canadian Rgt., Livingston’s Bttn., were outnumbered in the battle of Trois-Riviéres and elected to retreat to Sorel.
After Livingston’s failed assault on the British post, Trois-Riviéres his Rgt., was composed of only a few hundred soldiers that retreated to safety at Fort Ticonderoga. Livingston’s Bttn., at the close of Dec 1776, was assigned garrison duty (Bristol) Ontario County, NY. Rebuilding the 1st Canadian Rgt., early in 1777 was made imperative. By Aug, 1777 the 1st Canadian Rgt. was assigned to Col Benedict Arnold for his ordered expedition in relief of the siege of Fort Stanwix. The 1st Canadian Rgt. saw service in both battles of Saratoga Campaign that resulted in a decisive American victory and the surrender of the British Army led by Gen’l John Burgoyne. Garrison duty at Freetown, Cortland, NY was ordered for the 1st Canadian Rgt., between Mar and Dec 1779.

The posting of officers and enlisted French speaking soldiers of the 1st Canadian Rgt., was strategic in exploiting and firing on the British sloop Vulture sent with a British passenger Maj. John André aboard prior to his classified secret meeting set previously with American traitor Benedict Arnold, and British wife, Peggy Shippen. British Maj John Andre’s prize-- the exploitation of the Hudson River Valley and Fort West Point-- was denied when the Vulture was made to turn around. André was discovered, interrogated and ordered hung by Commander-in- Chief George Washington for military spying in civilian clothing without his rank visible.

The officers and enlisted soldiers of the 1st Canadian Rgt. overwintered between Jan and Mar 1780 at strategic Morristown, New Jersey (NJ) just 30 miles west of the British command in New York City, where far too many American prisoners were still marooned, without adequate rations, medicine and an opportunity for exchange. Col James Livingston‘s Bttn., Continental Army saw Revolutionary War combat primarily in the Canadian theater and New York with a significant number of French Acadians (foreigners) held in great esteem for their allegiance to their commander and vice versa. Livingston’s Bttn. was disbanded on 1 Jan 1781 at New York. Col Livingston retired from the Continental Army on the same date, above. In recognition for his service James Livingston was granted a 3,500 acre tract located near present day -Tyre, NY and also, a sizable tract at Columbus, Ohio.

Livingston, now age 33, resettled with his wife and family at Saratoga after the close of the Revolution. Between 1783 and 1794 he served until reaching age 46 in the New York State Legislature. James Livingston died on 29 Nov 1832 at age 85 in (Schuylerville) Saratoga County, NY. His remains were buried in a private family tract cemetery, now lost. However, at Prospect Hill Cemetery located off Burgoyne Street and Cemetery Road in Schuylerville, NY 12871 is the Saratoga Monument. West of the Cemetery Road entrance, some distance from Burgoyne Street, can be found a dark, aged, stone obelisk missing it’s round capstone. The base is faintly inscribed: “COL JAMES LIVINGSTON who commanded a regiment of American Soldiers near this spot at Burgoyne’s surrender in 1777”; see, photograph at Find A Grave Memorial# 55097772. The Col James Livingston obelisk is situated at Latitude: 43.096728 and Longitude: -73.594454