Biograph of Michel Trahan and Jean Baptiste Chaison - Acadians 


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TWO EXILED ACADIANS HAD LAST LAUGH AT ENGLAND

By  W.  T.  Block

Two Acadians were  exiled by the British during "The Grand Derangement" (expulsion) 
of the Acadian people from their homeland in 1755.  Jean Baptiste Chaison, who died 
in Beaumont on July 20, 1854, was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia (formerly Acadia) on 
Aug. 7, 1745, and was expelled to England with his parents.
Michel Trahan of Lake Charles was not born in Acadia, but his parents, Jean B and 
Madeline Trahan, were expelled from there to England, where they were married on 
Jan. 30, 1757. Michel Trahan was born at Morlaix, France on Aug. 21, 1764. Both 
Chaison and Trahan had an old score to settle with England, and they were glad to 
join Lafayette's forces, who assisted the colonists during the American Revolution.
Chaison was age 109 when he died in 1854; Trahan was age 100 when he died at 
Lake Charles in Nov., 1864. Chaison arrived in the colonies in 1775, and as a 
result he fought in several battles. When Lafayette returned to France to enlist 
more troops in 1780, Trahan was only age 17 when Lafayette returned in 1781, and 
as a result he participated in only the Battle of Yorktown. 
Both Chaison and Trahan served in Col. Moses Hazen's 2nd Canadian Regiment, 
composed almost entirely of former Acadian residents, but their service in that 
regiment was at different times. Chaison's first battle was under Col. Arnold at 
Quebec in Dec. 1775. In 1777 he fought at the Battles of Germantown and Brandywine 
in Gen. Sullivan's division. In 1781 Chaison fought under Gen. Greene at the 
Battles of Guilford Courthouse and Eutaw Springs. where he was also wounded. 
Chaison was in Lafayette's divison at the Siege of Yorktown. 
Both Chaison and Trahan were present throughout the 3-weeks Siege of Yorktown, 
the latter in the 2nd Canadian Regiment. Both participated in attacks which 
captured Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10 on Oct. 14, and helped defeat a British 
counterattack on Oct. 16th. On Oct. 17th both watched Lord Cornwallis' 
surrender when Gen. O'Hara presented his sword to American Gen. Lincoln. 
After the revolution, both Chaison and Trahan arrived in Louisiana while 
it was still owned by Spain, Trahan in St. Martinsville in 1785 and Chaison 
at Attakapas Post in 1787. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Chaison 
was awarded a military bounty grant of 600 acres on Bayou Plaquenine in 
St. Landry Parish. Chaison was the father of 14 children, but in 1832 he 
chose to move to Beaumont, where he resided with his youngest son McGuire. 
Chaison died at age 109 and was buried in the now extinct Jirou Cemetery.
Michel Trahan married for the third time at St. Martinsville in 1796, and 
he farmed in that vicinity for many years. About 1820 he too received a 
military bounty grant of land in Attakapas Parish. About 1730 he moved 
to Trahan's Lake, south of Lake Charles on Calcasieu River, where he 
farmed until about 1850, when he became blind. Thereafter he was cared 
for by his Ellender kinsfolk, and he died there at age 100 in 1864. 
In 1850 both Chaison and Trahan were listed among the 12 surviving 
American Revolutionary veterans. Only 3 of the veterans lived longer 
than Trahan. They included George Fruits, who died at Alamo, Indiana, 
age 114 on Aug. 6, 1875; James Langley, who died in Chambers City, AL., 
age 106 in 1868; and Daniel Bakeman, who died in Freedom, NY., age 109 in 1869.