Series

This series focusses on Charles Ambroise Leclère (Leclerc). It is composed primarily of a short story written between February 12 and April 24, 1845, by Charles Ambroise when he was a student at Collège de Saint-Hyacinthe. This composition, probably produced for his Rhetoric class, is entitled "Un héros canadien" ("A Canadian Hero"). The handwritten document contains 14 folios (28 pages) held together with ribbon. It is neatly printed and contains few deletions and corrections. He begins his text by expressing his admiration for the courage of soldiers, who are ready at all times to sacrifice their lives for an "often dark, unknown" mission, and the different type of courage of priests, who choose a life of austerity, full of hardship and self-sacrifice. This long passage, some of which later appeared in a text entitled "Le curé de campagne" ("The Country Priest") published in 1868 in volume five of the Revue canadienne, was used to introduce the primary theme of his story, which revolves around the tragic death of young Étienne Micelette, injured during the 1837-1838 Rebellion when he was only 18 years old. It is perhaps a personal account. Written in the first person, the story takes the form of a dialogue with a character named Charles, the nephew of a priest that the narrator spends time with while on holiday, far from the noise of the city. The elegant prose, vivid descriptions and learned references are evidence of the writer's literary skill and classical education. Through the words of Charles, the author offers a romantic account of the events of 1837, as experienced by his protagonists.

The series also contains a photocopy of a handwritten document that seems to be a list of bequests. Among the beneficiaries are Jos Leclère, Germaine Leclère, Gabrielle Leclère, Georges Leclère, Marguerite Nantais, Isaïe Nantais, Rachel Roy, and various members of the Lepoutre, Vallerand and Royal families. Charles Ambroise Leclère's nephew, Charles Leclère "of New York," is the first name on the list. This information is most likely part of a family member's will because whoever wrote the document refers to "a set of blue china from our grandfather Leclère" and portraits of the Castonguay and Leclère family (Charles Ambroise is one of the 17 children born to Pierre-Édouard Leclère, père, and Marie Josephte (or Josette) Castonguay).