Middlesex County MA Archives Military Records.....Bemis, Josiah April 4, 1818
Revwar - Pension 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com November 10, 2009, 1:38 pm

Pension Application Of Josiah Bemis, Nat’l Archives Microseries M804, Roll __, Application #W18581
	I, Josiah Bemis, of Charleston in the County of Middlesex and the 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do on oath testify and declare that on or about 
the 1st of May, 1775, I enlisted as a private soldier into Captain Child’s 
company of Foot, which was attached to Colonel Gardner’s Regiment, and that I 
served in said company for the term of eight months in defending the rights and 
supporting the liberties of the country against the common enemy…And I further 
testify that at the expiration of said eight months, I enlisted for another 
term of one year, into the company of Foot commanded by said Childs, which 
company was then attached to Colonel Bond’s Regiment, Colonel Gardner having 
been killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. That soon after enlisting, I marched 
with said regiment to Canada, and continued in said company during the whole of 
the year with an additional term of about six weeks, all of which time I served 
my country faithfully according to the best of my ability, upon the continental 
establishment, a part of the time as a private soldier and part of the time as 
an orderly sergeant,and at the end of said year and six weeks, my term of 
enlistment having expired, Iwas regularly discharged. I am a ___ in which I 
live, and I have very little property _____. I am in the 64th year of my age 
and am in an infirm state of health and not able to labor. Josiah Bemis, 
Massachusetts District Court, Boston, 4 April, 1818.”

"Commonwealth of Massachusetts, County of Middlesex}
On This 21st day of August in the year 1838, personally appeared before the 
Court of Probate of the said County of Middlesex, , this day holden, Joanna 
Bemis, Bemis, a resident of Charleston, in the County of Middlesex, aged 77 
years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the 
following declaration..."

"That she is the widow of Josiah Bemis who was a private soldier in the Army of 
the Revolution and was in the service as she always understood and verily 
believes, for the term or terms of two years and upwards, part of which time he 
was a sergeant; he served in companies in the regiments of Col. Grdner and Col. 
Bond, who commanded the companies (to which he belonged, she does not 
remember). He was a pensioner under the Act of Congress of 1818 on acount of 
the services aforesaid, which commenced on 4th of April, 1818. He was stricken 
from the roll subsequently on account of his property, and he never made 
application to be restored, altough he became very poor; for the particular 
length of his said services in the Revolutionary War, and the companies in 
which he served, if any, she refers to the declaration of  said Josiah Bemis 
made under the aforesaid Act of Congress of 1818, made by him to obtain the 
benefits of said act, and to the testimony and documents accompanying said 
declaration."

"She further declares that she was married to the said Josiah Bemis on the 14th 
[?] day of June in the year 1781; That her said husband, the aforesaid Josiah 
Bemis, died on the 13th of February, in the year 1821; that she was not married 
to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous 
to the 1t of January, 1794, at the time above stated. Joanna Bemis, her mark."

"I, Jesse G. Sanger [or Langer] of the town of Waltham, in the county of 
Middlesexand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, hereby certify that the following, 
viz, 'Marriages,' June 14th, in the year seventeen hundred and eighty one, 
Josiah Bemis, Jr, of Waltham, and JOanna Fish of Plymouth, were joined in 
marriage by the Rev. Jacob Cushing, pastor of 'the Church in Waltham,' is a 
true copy of the record, with the exception of the date, which is expressed on 
the record in fair legible figures, as follows, 'June 14, 1781.' Jesse G. 
Sanger [or Langer], Town Clerk..." etc 

	“I, Abijah Childs of Waltham in the state of Massachusetts, do…declare 
that at the commencement of the Revolutionary War, I commanded a company of 
troops which were attached to the late Colonel Gardner’s Regiment, which was 
under the command of Brig. Gen. Greene. And I further testify that Josiah 
Bemis, then of Waltham, now of Charleston…enlisted in the company then 
commanded by me, for the term of eight months, and actually served under me 
during that time in defending the country against the common enemy.”

	“After the Battle of Bunker Hill at which Colonel Gardner was mortally 
wounded, Colonel Bond took command of the regiment to which I was attached, and 
immediately after the expiration of said eight months, said Bemis again 
enlisted into the company commanded by me for another term of one year and 
remained under my command in this neighborhood until a short time after the 
evacuation of Boston by the British troops, when we marched to New York, when 
said Bemis assisted for about three weeks in fortifying Governour’s Island.”

“After this, Colonel Bond’s regiment was ordered to Canada by General 
Washington, and my company of which said Bemis was one, joined the regiment. We 
remained in Canada till we were ordered to retreat under the command of General 
Sullivan. On our retreat from Canada, my company assisted in fortifying Mount 
Independence near Ticonderoga. After this, said Bemis, with the company under 
my command, marched to Morristown and joined the forces under General 
Washington, while the year for which said Bemis had expired, and he again 
enlisted for a further term of six weeks…And I further testify, that early in 
the year 1776, in consideration of the faithful service rendered by said Bemis, 
he was appointed by me, orderly sergeant of the company under my command…etc.”

	“I, John George, of Watertown in the state of Massachusetts, do…declare 
that in the year 1776, I served as lieutenant in the company commanded by 
Captain Nathaniel Fuller in the Revolutionary War. That during a part of said 
year, I served in Canada as will appear by Gordon’s History of the American 
Revolution, ?2nd Volume, page 261? 251? And I further testify that Captain 
Abijah Childs of Waltham commanded a company of troops which was attached to 
Colonel Bond’s regiment, and that Josiah Bemis…was a soldier in said Child’s 
company…etc.”

Additional Comments:
I am not a descendant of this soldier, just a volunteer transcriber, so I do 
not have any further information about him, sorry!

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