Loyalists and Genealogists Unite to Hear Gavin Watt

By Sandra Shouldice

Photo by Fraser Carr

A joint meeting of Leeds& Grenville OGS and Col Edward Jessup UELAC drew a sizable audience in Brockville on November 10 to hear military historian, Gavin Watt outline the history of Jessup’s Rangers.  As founder and officer commanding the King’s Royal Yorkers, Watt is well known in the area, having participated in most of Prescott’s Loyalist Days re-enactments.  He also founded the Museum of Applied Military History, the recreated Perth Regiment, the Service Rifle Shooting Association and is president of the Ontario Arms Collectors’ Association.  He is an expert on the Loyalist Regiments who fought in the American Revolution and as such he outlined the history of Jessup’s Corps whose men settled in Leeds and Grenville in 1784.

Prior to the revolution Edward, Ebenezer and Joseph Jessup owned large properties on the west side of the Hudson river near Albany NY.  They were early to join the British cause and in 1776 they used their influence to recruit British supporters to form a company for the defense of the colony.  It was decided that Ebenezer, although second oldest, would be given command allowing him additional pay to support his family.  With a small group of men they joined Sir Guy Carleton’s army at Crown Point.  Watt explained that they were unable to raise a full company of recruits and were thereby attached to Sir John Johnston’s King’s Royal Regiment of New York 1^st Batt’n.  It was with this group that they participated in one of the leading campaigns in the Revolution.

The plan was to defeat American forces using a three pronged attack.  Lt. Gen. Burgoyne was to drive south from Canada along the Richelieu and Lake Champlain.  He was supported by Brig. Gen. St. Leger who would leave Oswego and push east through the Mohawk Valley capturing Ft. Stanwix.  General Howe’s was to advance north up the Hudson.  When they met at Albany, the rebelling colonies would be cut in half and easier to defeat.

Burgoyne’s army included several Loyalist Forces.  Lt. Col. Ebenezer Jessup led 270 men in his newly formed King’s Loyal Rangers.  He "fought with spirit" alongside Capt. Peter’s Queen’s Loyal Rangers, The Loyal Volunteers led by Lt. Col. Francis Van Pfister, the American Volunteers led by Capt. Daniel McAlpin and several Independent Companies, one captained by Dr. Samuel Adams.  It was a bitter campaign with heavy casualties.  Peter’s Corps was all but wiped out at Bennington and Jessup lost more than half his men in various campaigns.  Apart from St. Leger’s success at Oriskany, Burgoyne suffered heavy casualties as he struggled towards Albany.  St Leger failed to take Ft. Stanwix and his advance was stopped.  Burgoyne lost valuable men at the Battle of Bennington.  Without reinforcement from Howe he was unable to recover from further losses at Freeman’s Farm and he suffered final defeat at Saratoga 17 Oct 1777.  In the aftermath of this battle, the three Jessup brothers were among those who were paroled - that is released upon their word that they would not take up arms again against the Americans.  The Loyalist companies returned to Canada greatly reduced in numbers.

They returned to Canada until Gen. Haldimand released them from their parole and they again did essential duty along the frontier south of Montreal for the next 3 years.  Edward Jessup led some of The King’s Loyal Americans on a successful raid into upper NY in 1780 with Maj. Christopher Carleton.  Gen. Haldimand, who would later oversee the relocation and resettlement of Loyalist refugees in Canada, favoured Edward Jessup and felt he was the more competent leader.  When the Loyalist Units were re-formed on 12 Nov 1781, creating The Loyal Rangers (Jessup’s Rangers) it was Edward who commanded.  Unfortunately The Loyal Rangers saw no active service as a unit but at war’s end Maj. Edward Jessup was given charge of settlement in Royal Townships 6, 7 & 8 and in Ernestown near Cataraque.

In summary Watt said that the role played by Jessup’s Corps was often overlooked as they saw action and suffered great casualties as part of KRRNY and not as a unit of their own.  The men of his Corps founded Edwardsburgh, Augusta and Elizabethtown. The family names of those who served in Jessup’s Loyal Rangers have survived in this area over the centuries.

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