 In 1775 he became involved in the American invasion of Quebec early in the American Revolutionary War , and served with the Continental Army in the 1775 Battle of Quebec . He went on to lead his own regiment ( the 2nd Canadian , also known as " Congress ' Own " ) throughout the war , seeing action in the 1777 Philadelphia campaign and at Yorktown in 1781 . He was frequently involved in litigation , both military and civil , and constantly petitioned Congress for compensation of losses and expenses incurred due to the war . He supported similar efforts by men from his regiment who were unable to return to Quebec because of their support for the American war effort . 
