Pension Application

S.12009
Private in Captain Fosbury’s Company and Col. Whiting’s Regt., N.Y. Line.
Declaration. In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
State of New York
Madison County SS.
            On this eighth day of September A.D. 1832 personally appeared before me, Barak Beckwith a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Madison and State aforesaid, Joseph Atwell, a resident of the town of Cazanovia in the County & State aforesaid; aged seventy years, who being first duly sworn as the law directs doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated.
            That he was born on the 26th day of October in the year 1754, (according to a record in the family Bible now lost) in the town of Wintonbury, Hartford County, and State of Connecticut, and lived there with his father until he was fourteen years old, when he moved with his father into the town of Cannan in the ten County of Albany, New York State where he lived until he enlisted.
            That he enlisted as a volunteer in the Militia sometime during the winter of 1776, under the command of Capt. Hannon Bosburg, Lieut Bogert & Ensign Vedder (whose first name he cannot remember) for the term of nine months. On the first day of March of that year he received orders to march to Kinderhook the residence of Capt. Fosbury & place of rendezvoux for the company, which order he obeyed—The next day after Declarant met his company marched to the City of Albany and were stationed in and near that city during most of the spring & summer following.
            Declarant’s principal duty while stationed there was to act as a guard at the house of Gen. Philip Schuyler, at the Powder House post of the City at the Old City Hall then occupied as a jail, lat the House of the Mayor at the Stone fort and at the Old King’s Store (so called) where the sores of the troops were kept.
            Besides this service Declarant was occasionally employed in transporting the stores of the Army, in boats up the North River to Half Moon Point.
            About the first of September of the same year above stated, Declarant’s company were ordered to Stillwater to work on the road, and were engaged there for a time, and then went with some carpenters from Schenectady on to the North for the purpose of building bridges—that he with the company went on building bridges over different streams as far as Fort Edward where a very long one was built over a creek that emptied into the Hudson River near the fort—that the bridge was not finished until the last of the month of November, and the time of service for which Declarant and the company had enlisted had expired before the said bridge was finished. The Captain after the bridge was finished told the company their time of service was out and he would march them down to Saratoga and if Gen. Schuyler was there they would be dismissed.
            And accordingly they were marched down to the place named—where Gen. Schuyler then was and after arriving, there the Capt. called on Gen. Schuyler and although they had all served their time fully out yet Capt. informed them that he had been ordered by the General to march [?] to Fort Ann and go into winter quarters. Accordingly the company marched to Fort Miller and encamped in the Huts they had built before when at work on the road a little above that place. In the evening the Capt stated to the company he should return to Albany to draw winter clothing for the company and the money due them for their service, about nine pounds to each man being in arrears at that time, and accordingly he went the next morning and left the company in the command of Ensign Vedder—that after the Capt. left, it carry the general opinion of the company, that they were not bound to any further service—as they had more than served the time for which they had enlisted. This declarant, John Grave, The orderly Sergeant, Corporal Myer, one [?] Henry Miller, my brother Benjamin Atwell & Daniel Peus left the company and went home to Canaan without a discharge and a few days after four more of the same company who went from Canaan returned to their homes—Declarant further states that he never was called upon to return to the service and that about a year after he saw his Capt. at Kinderhook who found no fault with him for leaving the service and he further states that the commanded officer of the Militia Col. Whiting lived near this Declarant in Canaan and knew of his return—and declarant states positively that he served the time for which he enlisted fully & faithfully until it had expired.
            In July 1777—Declarant was again called into service of the United States as one of the Militia under the command of Capt. Aaron Kellogg, Lieut William Warner, Ensign Josiah Dean, in the regiment of Col. Whiting and went to Fort Edward soon after Gen. Schuyler’s retreat from Fort Independence –there was at that time a large number of troops at Fort Edward under command of Gen. Philip Schuyler. Declarant was at fort Edward about two weeks and at the harvest was then about commencing a part of the troops were dismissed by Genl. Schuyler. Declarant engaged one Josiah Dean of the same company to stay and serve in his place whilst he went home to take care of his own affairs and also those of Dean.
            At the time the settlements on Schoharrie Creek were burnt by the Indians & tories under the notorious Brant, Butler and Sir John Johnson, the exact date declarant does not recollect, this declarant was again called out into service, under the command of the same officers as the last time mentioned to wit, Col. Whiting, Lieut Col. Waterman, Capt. Aaron Kellogg and Lieut Williams Warner, Ensign Josiah Dean. The regiment marched from Canaan to Greenbush on the Hudson River—All the Regiment crossed the river except the company to which Declarant belonged and the wind was so much that they could not cross until the morning after the rest of the regiment, in the morning the Regiment of Col. VanRenselaer came up and Declarant’s Company crossed the river and went on with them—Gov. George Clinton was with Col. VanRensselaer’s Regiment and went on to Herkimer with the troops and commanded them—Declarant went on to Herkimer but his company did not overtake the Regiment and as the Indians had dispersed the company was dismissed by Governor Clinton and the declarant went home after having been absent about three weeks.
            Declarant further states that he had no written discharge from service at any time, but that on the first occasion when he enlisted he served his time fully and faithfully, and at the other times he served until the object for which he was called into service were fully accomplished and until he was regularly permitted to return.
            He further states that he has never made any application for a pension and is not on the pension roll or agency of any state, and he hereby relinquishes all claims but this to a pension—He has no documentary evidence of his service, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who was knowing to his service.
            Since the Revolutionary war he has resided continually in the state, and for the greater part of the time in the town of Cazenovia where he now lives.
            Declarant is known to Jacob TenEyck, Jonathan D. Ledyard, John Williams, Samuel Thomas, and the Hon. Justtin Durnell, a former member of Congress, who can testify to his character for truth & veracity and their belief o his service as a soldier of the revolution. (Signed) Joseph Atwell
            Sworn and Subscribed before me the day & year aforesaid. Barak Beckwith a Judge of Madison County court of com. pleas.

Letter dated January 26, 1933, written in reply to a request for information.
            Reference is made to your letter of January 18, in which you request the record of Joseph Atwell, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.
            The data which follow were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, S.12009, based upon military service of Joseph Atwell, the only soldier of that name found in the Revolutionary War records of this office.
            He was born October 26, 1754, in Wintonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, where he lived with his father until fourteen years old, then moved with his father to Canaan, Albany County, New York. The names of his parents are not stated.
            While residing in Canaan, New York, he volunteered sometime during the winter of 1776, and served nine months as a private in captain Harmon Fosburg’s Company (possibly meant for Harmon Vosburgh). He enlisted in July 1777, and served about two weeks as private in Captain Aaron Kellogg’s company, Colonel Whiting’s New York Regiment. He was again called out under the same officers and served about three weeks about the time the settlements on Schoharie Creek were burned by the Indians and Tories.
            Joseph Atwell was allowed pension on his application executed September 7, 1832, while a resident of Cazenovia, Madison County, New York.
            No reference was made in the claim to wife or children.
            In 1832, the soldier referred to his brother, Benjamin Atwell, with whom he served a part of the time. There are no other family data in the claim.

Copyright © 1998, -- 2008. James F. Morrison and Berry Enterprises. All rights reserved. All items on the site are copyrighted. While we welcome you to use the information provided on this web site by copying it, or downloading it; this information is copyrighted and not to be reproduced for distribution, sale, or profit.