Transcription by Susan G. Elliott, 26 Aug 2022
To read the original manuscript, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54040531
“State of Vermont, District of Windsor SS. On this fourth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight Hundred and thirty four [1834], personally appeared in open Court, before the Probate Court within and for the District of Windsor in the state of Vermont, now sitting, Dick Brattle, a resident of Weathersfield in the County of Windsor and State of Vermont, aged seventy one years last September, who being first duly Sworn according to Law, 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 named Officers and served herein stated.
“That in the winter of 1777 [“14 years old” penciled in] and as the Declarant thinks in February, the British were expected into Providence, and men were called for to go and defend Providence and a draught for Six men, according to Declarant best recollection was made upon the town of Bellingham in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in which town the Declarant was then living, and a Meeting was called by the town, in order to make the draught but the whole number that was required from the town, volunteered. The Declarant was then living with one David Jones in said Town of Bellingham, and was advised by said Jones to volunteer, which he did, and was the first to volunteer; Joseph Lee, Arnold Newhall, Abner Aldrick, (Ceshar?) Rocket, and Aaron Earle also volunteered at the same time, and within four days the Declarant and the five others are marched to Providence, under the command of a Sergeant from Holliston, whose name, as the Declarant thinks, was Harding. When we arrived at Providence, We joined a Company, which belonged to Connecticut, and all served in the same Company til the fore part of May 1777, when we were all dismissed, and returned home. Our business, while at Providence, was to keep guard and stand sentry. The Declarant does not recollect the names of any of the officers of the Company or Regiment, in which he served during said term. He is confident that his said term of service was as much, as three months.
“In May 1777, and about a fortnight after the Declarant had returned home, another Draught was made upon said Town of Bellingham for thirteen men according to Declarant’s best recollection, to march to Rhode Island, and Captain Amos Ellis was the first to volunteer, and next after him was one David Cook, and the Declarant was the next who volunteered David Darling, Sylvanus Darling, Daniel Cook, Jonathan (Draper?), Levi Rocket, (?) Holbrook, Elijah Holdbrook, Amariah Holbrook and Noah Alden also volunteered at the same time, and within four days we all marched to Rhode Island. The said Capt. Amos Ellis commanded the Company to which we belonged, and one Richard (illegible word) Holliston – We were stationed at Little Cummington [Little Compton], till we went on to the Island, before We succeeded – the first that went on to the Island was a Black Regiment of Continental Soldiers, the next a White Regiment of Continental Soldiers, and the Regimente of Militia, to which the Declarant belonged, was the third Regiment, that went on to the Island and engaged in the Battle – The Declarant in the Battle – Soon after the Battle there was a violent Storm on Rhode Island, of Hail, Rain, and Wind – After the Battle We were employed in making Entrechments – About a fortnight according to the Declarant’s best recollection, before we were dismissed, We returned to Little Cummington, and were there employed in keeping guard. The Declarant served at this Term of Service according to his best recollection, a little more than four months, when he was dismissed with the rest of his Company, and returned to Bellingham. He never received any written Discharge. He has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his Service – He was born in Cambridge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in September in the year 1762 – When he was a fortnight old, his mother, as he has been informed, died and her Master Colonel Brattle of said Cambridge gave him to the said David Jone’s wife in sd Bellingham, where he was brought up till he was twenty one years of age – He continued to live in said Bellingham, till he was twenty six or twenty seven years of age when he removed to Westmoreland in the County of (?) and State of New Hampshire, where he lived about five years and then removed to Chester in the County of Windsor and State of Vermont, where he lived about twenty years, and then removed to Weathersfield in the County of Windsor and State of Vermont, where he has continued to live ever since, excepting an absence of about two years at Shrewsbury and Mendon in the County of Rutland and State of Vermont from March 1831 to March 1833 – He has no record of his age. He states the names of the Reverend James Converse and Nathan B. Dean of Said Weathersfield as persons, to whom he is known in his present neighborhook, and who can testify to his Character for veracity, and their belief of his Services as a Soldier of the Revolution.
“(He?) hereby relinguishes every Claims whatever to a Pension or Annuity except the present and declares, that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any State –
“Sworn to, and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. [Dick Brattle’s signature]
“Jabez Proctor Judge”
