JOSEPH CHADWICK
and sons Bowman and Thomas

Mr L. Hamilton Hurd in HISTORY OF WORCHESTER COUNTY, MA, Philadelphia, 1889 shows the enlisted men for Brookfield and includes Joseph Chadwick (Chaddock)amoung those who "enlisted in 1775 for eight months and joined various companies and regiments". He is also named as part of the Committee of Correspondence in 1776. The committee was formed to keep the public informed of English infringements, to protest such actions, and to organize their resistence.

In HISTORY OF EAST BROOKFIELD, MA 1686-1970, by Louis E. Roy MD, pg 124 is stated "Another incident which appears to have gone unrecorded in the local history, occured in the summer of 1775. The members of the Continental Congress passing through Brookfield on their way to Philadelphia were provided an escort for their safety from Brookfield to the Springfield Ferry. This military detatchment consisted of 14 men including Captain Joseph Chadock and Lieutenant David Hitchcock. Among the men of the "Troop of Horse" were Corp. Joseph Bush Jr. and private Thomas Moor of the Eastern Village.

Henry Parks Wright in his SOLDIERS OF OAKHAM MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR ... 1914, gives many details about the Soldiers of Oakham. Mr Wright commented on the early clerks who kept full and clear records of Oakham during the most important periods in its early history. Fortunately none of the records have been lost or destroyed.

During the revolution in response to an alarm at Providence, RI, Capt Crawford marched on July 23, 1777, with 45 men, including officers. Joseph and Thomas Chaddock were among the men on the muster roll. On arriving at Worcester, the company received orders to return to Oakham. Capt Crawford in responding to an alarm at Bennington, Aug 20, 1777 had with him 31 men including Thomas Chaddock and Asa Briggs. On arriving at Hadley, news was received of the retreat of the British from Bennington and the company was ordered to return home.

"Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution" (17 Vols.) Volume 3, page 232,

Chaddock, Joseph. Private, Capt. John Crawford's co., Col. James Convers's regt.; enlisted July 23, 1777; discharged July 26, 1777; service, 4 days, on an alarm at Rhode Island. In 1778 Joseph was a selectman of Oakham. He was on the committee of correspondence, inspections and saftey 1789, 82 and 83. He and Jesse Allen, and James Brown continued the committee during 1784, 85 and 86 following the close of the war.

Josephs son Bowman Chaddock served in the Continental Army for 9 months, from July 10, 1779 to April 7, 1780. He was in Capt Wadsworth's company of Col Gamaliel Bradford's regiment. He applied for and his wife Mercy received a pension based on this service. Thomas and Joseph did not apply for pensions.

Material gleaned from the Revolutionary Pension record of Thomas' brother Bowmans' file, # 11705 VT, issued 8 June 1833, and his widow Mercys' file, #23801 shows that Thomas was also a soldier in the Rev. as was their father Capt. Joseph Chaddock. A letter from Mrs Albert L. Stroh (Ruth) is included in Bowmans' file that states that Capt Joseph Chaddock was included in a court martial record of Aug 4, 1775 which she stated read; "Resolved that Capt Joseph Chaddock with his troop of horse escort the members of the Continental Congress until they be met by escort ......" (this statement has not been found).

Joseph is called Capt after 1779 in the Oakham town records. Thomas and Bowman are called Revolutionary soldiers on pg 286 Vol 1, in THE SETTLEMENT AND STORY OF OAKHAM, MASSACHUSETTS by Henry B. Wright and E.D. Harvey, New Haven, CT, 1947, and in SOLDIERS OF OAKHAM MASSACHUSETTS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR..., by Henry Parks Wright, 1914. From MASSACHUSETTS SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - A COMPILATION FROM THE ARCHIVES, prepared by Secretary of the commonwealth, Boston, Wright & Potter Co. State Printers vol 3. pg 232. From it is copied the following:

"Chaddock, Thomas. Private, Capt. John Crawford's Co., Col James Conver's regt.; enlisted July 23, 1777; discharged July 26, 1777; service 4 days, on an alarm at RI; also, same co. and regt.; enlisted Aug. 20, 1777; discharged Aug. 23, 1777; service, 5 days; marched to Bennington on the alarm of Aug. 20,1777."

Much of this same information is found in "RI Service" vol 1, pg 173 and in vol 10, pg 15 "Soldiers Orders" where it is also listed that Thomas was a private on a return of Capt Moses Ashley's Company, Col Joseph Voce's regiment in service before Aug 16,1777, and marched to Peekskill. This information (obtained by Ethel Hegeman and sent in Sep 1999) was printed in PAST AND PRESENT SAUNDERS COUNTY NEBRASKA; a record of settlement .... Vol 2, S.J.Clark Pub Co.,1915. It was listed under the biography of Marion E. Sanderson, pg 237. Another source for Thomas's participation in the Rev. was listed on Ancestry.com:

Name-Cemetery-Location-Reference
CHADDOCK, Thomas, Stafford NY, Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Vol.1, p.163 —Serial: 6924; Volume: 14 Brother Bowman, of Oakham, was on the list of men mustered in Worcester Co. by Thomas Newhall, Muster Master; Capt. Crawford's co., Col. Rice's regt.; residence, Oakham; mustered July 7, 1779; enlistment, 9 months. (Joseph also listed)

Submitted by: Elizabeth Burdick

Submitted by Elizabeth on July 30, 2006:

Recently Ethyl Hegeman and I were fortunate enough to find the tombstone of Joseph Chaddock. He is buried in the Hanover Center Cemetery, Hanover, MA. The inscription, still quite readable states: Capt Joseph Chaddock, Died June AD 1812, aged 88 years.