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MILITIA ACTS HAD been passed by the New Brunswick Provincial Legislature in 1787 and
in 1792, but little had been done to implement them. These acts stated that each county was to have one
or more battalions. A Northumberland Battalion would include all of the present North Shore, Kent, Northumberland, Gloucester and Restigouche counties. In 1793 Capt. Taylor and the
Militia of Northumberland County donated twenty-six pounds and sixteen shillings toward the
New Brunswick Regiment. When war broke out, Governor Carleton laid before the Legislature the
necessity of taking more urgent steps to organize the militia of the province. The outcome was
the Militia Act of 1794, which proved that every man between the ages of sixteen and sixty
should be enrolled in a militia regiment or independent company. The regiments were to be
called out twice yearly and the companies four times a year, ¨ In order to introduce uniformity in
the maneuvers and discipline. ¨ Every man was to appear ¨ With a good musket, bayonet and
belt, cartridge box containing eighteen rounds of suitable ball cartridges and two spare flints. ¨
A person not appearing thus equipped was to pay a fine of twenty shillings for not having the
musket, and five shillings for lack of the other accoutrements. Every officer was obliged to
provide himself with a ¨ sword or hanger¨. There were certain groups exempt from service, such as the Quakers, in defence to their religious beliefs. However, it did not
extend to invasion, insurrection, or rebellion. The New Brunswick Act also provided for the
payment of militia men while on active service. Officers were to be paid the same as officers of
the regular army; sergeants were to receive one shilling and sixpence per day, and privates were
paid one shilling per day.
Americans were hostile to Canadians from 1793 to the Peace of Amines. French ships of war
made use of American ports and their movements were watched with apprehension from Saint
John to Halifax. Detachments of troops were stationed at Saint John, and defense work there
strengthened. During 1795 a privateer, fitted out in the United States, attempted to raid a
settlement of Passamaquoddy Bay. They expected little resistance, but the New Brunswick
authorities were armed and ready. The raiders were overpowered and taken as prisoners to St.
Andrews, and their vessel was captured.
In 1799 an important change was made in the status of the provincial unit. The men had been
recruited for service only in their own province. However, in July, the Secretary of State
informed Governor Carleton that the Duke of Kent had recommended that they be raised to the
rank of fencible regiments, i.e. for service in British North America, generally. Since the King
had signified that the Corps was to be provincial, such an extension of service had to be purely
voluntary on the part of the men. There was no hesitation. In September, Governor Carleton
reported that the proposal had met with the "unanimous consent" of the men of The King's New
Brunswick Regiment. Rumors ran rife thereafter but the regiment was not called upon to fulfill
the terms of the new engagement. In March, 1802, peace was declared, and the Corps was
disbanded in Saint John on August 14. The officers returned to half-pay and the men received
grants of land. There is no way of knowing how many men had been recruited from the North
Shore area but there is little doubt that it was represented.
Old records say that once a year musters were held, but no training. These musters were to add
new names to units and deduct for deaths and removals. Every man had to answer the muster and be enrolled, as indicated by the Militia
Act. The records in the New Brunswick Museum show a
1st Northumberland organized in 1787 with the headquarters at Chatham. Before the separation
of Kent and Gloucester Counties from Northumberland in 1826 and 1827, both areas were
represented by Companies in the Northumberland Militia. The 2nd Northumberland Militia
became the 1st Battalion Gloucester, and the 3rd Northumberland became the 1st Battalion Kent.
The 2nd Northumberland had been based at Derby in 1811.
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