Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21043, Joel Aldrich, R.I.
Page 1

(3 - 1776)
SERVICE [small stamp of a black star] NUMBER
R.I. [handwritten on dotted line] Aldrich, Joel [handwritten on dotted line] S.21043 [handwritten on dotted line]
[blank dotted lines]
carded [handwritten above double line]
CONTENTS
[blank except for two columns of 15 dotted lines]
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[handwritten] 27297
Rhode Island [handwritten over double line]
[handwritten] Joel Aldrich [end handwritten] 
of [handwritten] Smithfield [end handwritten] in the State of
who was a [handwritten] Pri & Sergt [end handwritten] in the [handwritten] Compy [end handwritten] commanded
by Captain [handwritten] Eddy - [end handwritten] of the [handwritten] Reg. [end handwritten] commanded
by [handwritten] Colo Brown [end handwritten] in the
[handwritten] R I [end handwritten] 
line for
[handwritten] 6 months private
1 - n Sergeant [end handwritten] 
[double line]
Inscribed on the Roll of
[handwritten] - R I. [end handwritten] 
at the rate of [handwritten] 25  - [end handwritten]  Dollars [handwritten] - [end handwritten] Cents per annum.
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
[double line]
Certificate of Pension issued [using a long s] the [handwritten] 31 [end handwritten] day of [handwritten] Mar:
1834 - [end handwritten] 
and [handwritten] Sent to Benj. Cowell Esq. Providence R.I. [end handwritten] 
Arrears to the 4th of [handwritten] Mar 1834 $75 [end handwritten] 
Semi-ant. allowance ending [handwritten] 4 Sep [illegible] $12.50 [end handwritten
[double line] 
[handwritten] $87.50 [end handwritten] 
[double line]
[bracket] Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832. [bracket]
Recorded by
[handwritten] George Taylor [end handwritten] Clerk,
Book [handwritten] E [?] [end handwritten] Vol. [handwritten] 2 [end handwritten] Page [handwritten] 101 [end handwritten]
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[all handwritten] 
30094
Joel Aldrich
Smithsfield R I

[very faint handwriting]
Adm C M private
1 - [illegible]
Cap Eddy [?] - Colo [illegible]

Benjamin Cowell Esqr
Providence R I
Page 4

[all handwritten]
Rhode Island District Le[?]
In County of Providence.
On this 11th day of March AD 1834 personally appeared
in open Court being a Special District Court of the
United States within said District now in session Joel
Aldrich ^of Smithfield in said County, aged 75 years^ who [crossed out word] being first duly sworn accor
ding [according] 
to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June June 7 1832 vir[?]
He entered the War of the Revolution and served
as follows In answer to the Interrogatives pre
scribed [prescribed] by the War Department he answers
and says
to 1st He was born in the town of Smithfield on
June 2 1758.
2.d His birth is recorded in town Clerks office &
also in family Bible-
3.d He was living in said Smithfield when he
was first called into service since the war
he has lived in said town ever since the War
4th He was[crossed out] volunteered
5 He served under General Spencer Colo
Chad Brown, Capt David Eddy & others
6 He never received any written discharge
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7. His present neighbors,
Rev Leonard
Wakefield & Gorge Aldrich
and this applicant further saith that in
December 1776 when the British took posses
ion [possession] of Newport. The company of Militia to
which he belonged commanded by Capt David
Eddy & in Col Chad Browns regiment
were ordered to march to Bristol to which
placed they marched & were there stationed a
month. - This applicant was a private & served
a month at that time -
And this applicant further saith that soon after
wards [afterwards] about the 15 of Januy [January] AD[?] 1777 he was
again
ordered to march to Providence in
the same Company & Regiment where he
served as a private another month - and
he further says that between March
then following & December of that year inclu
ding [including] Spencers expedition. he served two months
more at least as a private in said Company
& Regiment -
And this applicant further saith that in
year 1778. between Januy [January] & December he
was called out upon alarms[?] but at this
distant period he cannot tell how long he
served but this he avers he served one month
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at least during that year. During all the
time the enemy had possession of Newport &
the command of the Bay. the alarms were
frequent & required constant watching by the Militia - He cannot remember all the
times he was called by the length of ^each ["the" crossed out]
time he served yet he avers he served
another month in
1779, in manner afore
said [aforesaid] as a private in said Company - and
he further says
that in 1780, in
^August he served another month as Sergeant
Major on the Island of Rhode Island
in the same Company but during this
month was in Col George Pecks Reg
iment [Regiment] or in the Regiment commanded
by him - He served Seven Months
in all six as a private & one as a Sergeant
Major. for which he claims a pensenion [pension] he
has no documentary evidence of his services
nor does he know any man living by whom
he can prove all his services. but be pro
duces [produces] the testimony of Abiat[?] Brown also
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The Revd Leonard Wakefield & George
Aldrich ^who are his neighbors & contestify [?] in his behalf - 
He hereby relinquetes [?]
every claim whatever to a pension & details
that his name is not on
the Roll of pensions in any State or territory
G[illegible] [signature]
March 11 1834 sworn to in Court
B Lowell Clk

We Leonard Wakefield a Clergyman residing
in Smithfield & George Aldrich  ^3d also of
said Smith ^field [Smithfield] hereby certify that we are well
acquainted with Joel Aldrich who has
subscribed and sworn to the preceeding
declaration. that we believe him to be
75 years of age that he is reputed & believed
in the neighborhood when [where] he resides to
have been a soldier of the Revolution &
that we concur in that opinion
he has always sustained a good charity [?]
for truth & veracity
March 11 1834
Sworn to in open Court Leonard Wakefield
to
George Aldrich 3
B, Cowell [illegible initials]
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[all handwritten]
I Abial Brown of the City of Providence
being now 78 years of age on oath
do testify and say
that I am well
acquainted with Joel Aldrich who is
now present in Court I remember well
of his being in Spencer Expedition in
the year 1777 of his being stationed at
Tiverton on the Eastern shore of Naragn
sett [Naragansette] Bay - he then served a month. I
was the Adjutant of the Regiment - and
I further testify that altho I cannot testify
of my own knowledge yet I have no doubt
he served at
other times & places as he
has stated in his declaration
Abial [Abiel] Brown [signature]
March 11th, 1834
Sworn to in open Court
B. Cowell Clk [?]
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interagatories
prescribed by the 
War Department that the above named applicant 
Joel Aldrich was a Revolutionary Soldier
and served as he states And the Court further
certify that it appears to them
that Leonard Wakefield who has signed the 
preceeding certificate is a Clergyman resident 
in said Smithfield & that George Aldrich 3d who has also signed the same
Certificate & also Abial Brown who has also 
signed the preceeding certificate are resident 
in the towns mentioned by them & that 
they are all credible witneses [witnesses] and their 
statements entitled to full credit
I Benjamin Cowell Clerk of said
Court do hereby certify that the forgoing
contains the original proceedings of said
Court in the matter of the application
of Joel Aldrich for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereto set
my hand & affixed the seal of said Court
This 19 day of March 1834
Benja Cowell Clk
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Revolution [handwritten]
21043
INVALID.
---
File No. [handwritten]21043
Joel Aldrich
Sergt Rev War [end handwritten]
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Act:  [handwritten] June 7th 32  [end handwritten]
Index: - Vol.  [handwritten] 2 [end handwritten], Page  [handwritten] 5 [end handwritten] 
[Arrangement of 1870.]