SOLDIER’S STORY: JOSEPH HEDGES

National Archives, Compiled Military Service Record for Joseph Hedges

Joseph Hedges was born around 1749. Not much is known of his family, though he was probably related in some way to other local Revolutionary soldiers of Morris County, Elias Hedges, Jeremiah Hedges, and Sylvanus Hedges. He served as a Private in the Eastern Battalion of the Morris County Militia (according to Compiled Military Service Records), and in Colonel Oliver Spencer’s Regiment of the Continental Army (according to his pension record).

What we know of Joseph Hedges is gleaned from his unusual pension testimony, which was discovered and transcribed by Eric Olsen, Historian at Morristown National Historical Park. Hedges fell very ill with a “fever” during the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge, leaving him unable to speak for the rest of his life. He continued to serve in the army despite this disability, serving as a waiter, caring for horses, and performing other odd jobs. He remained unable to speak at the time of his pension testimony many years later in 1818, and he also was unable to read and write. Judge Gabriel Ford, who heard Hedges’ pension case, provided interesting details about how he obtained Hedges’ statement under these challenging circumstances. It sheds light on the difficult (and probably lonely) life that Hedges led while being unable to communicate due to his war-related disability.

Cultural insensitivities of the time are also demonstrated in the pension record. Dr. Jabez Campfield, the doctor who cared for Hedges at Valley Forge and testified on his behalf during the pension hearing, reported that everyone referred to Hedges as “Dumb Jo.”

National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application File S34394

TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH HEDGES

“State of New Jersey, Morris County so: Be it known that on the tenth day of April in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & eighteen before me Gabriel H. Ford, Esq., one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Morris in the State of New Jersey and resident of said County, personally appeared Joseph Hedges, of the township of Hanover in said County, who hath lost the power of speech, but is of sound mind and memory, who being duly sworn doth depose, declare & signify – That he this Deponent served as a private soldier in the war of revolution on the continental establishment against the common enemy for the term of two years and more – that he enlisted at Morristown in the County of Morris in the spring of the year seventeen hundred and seventy seven in Capt. Jonas Ward’s company in Col. Oliver Spencer’s regiment which was one of the additional sixteen regiments and served as a private soldier in said company during the time aforesaid – That while the army cantoned at Valley Forge in the winter of seventeen hundred and seventy seven-eight, he was sick there, and lay under the care of Jabez Campfield, Surgeon of said regiment by which sickness he this Deponent lost the power of speech and never since recovered it – that from the hospital he returned to the regiment and remained attached to it, drawing provisions and serving sometimes as a waiter, sometimes taking care of horses, and performing such services as his impaired health and want of speech allowed, until the end of the war, but was sick in the hospital when the army was disbanded, so that he does not remember to have obtained a discharge – that he this Deponent can neither read or write – that he is a resident citizen of the United States, so reduced in circumstances as to have received from charity, and is in need of assistance from his country for support, and that no pension has ever been allowed him by the United States, and further signifieth not –
Sworn before me the day and year first above written
Gab H Ford his
Joseph + Hedges
Mark

TESTIMONY OF DR. JABEZ CAMPFIELD

And be it further known that on the day & year first above written, before me Gabriel H Ford above named personally appeared Jabez Campfield Esquire of Morristown aforesaid, who being duly sworn deposeth and saith – that he this Deponent is in the eighty first year of his age – that in the time of the revolutionary war he this Deponent was Surgeon to Col. Spencer’s regiment which was one of the sixteen additional regiments in the army of the United States – this Deponent recollects that about the tenth day of January seventeen hundred and seventy eight, the foregoing deponent Joseph Hedges, who has since been called dumb Jo, was sick with a fever, in one of the huts belonging to Spencer’s regiment at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, that he could not speak a word, nor has this deponent ever heard him speak – this deponent verily believes he was a private soldier in that regiment and attended him as such – that he remained desperately sick for a long time in his hut, and had not recovered when this deponent left the huts, which was about the first day of May seventeen hundred & seventy-eight – that sometime about July following, this Deponent, being with the regiment at King’s Ferry, saw the said dumb Jo there, and have often seen him since, always dumb, and verily believes the loss of his speech is in consequence of the sickness before mentioned at the Valley Forge; and this Deponent saith he has not the least doubt that the deponent Joseph Hedges served as a private soldier in Col. Spencer’s regiment; and further saith not –
Sworn before me the day & year first above written
Gab H Ford Jabez Campfield

STATEMENT BY JUDGE GABRIEL FORD

I Gabriel H Ford above named do certify that Joseph Hedges did not relate to me any of the facts set forth in his deposition; that they were gathered from relations given to me by Capt. Baker and Doct. Jabez Campfield, and from intelligible signs made by Joseph Hedges himself – that before the said Joseph Hedges was sworn I read over the deposition to him deliberately, and received his plain and manifest assent to each fact separately – I believe his apprehension of every fact therein stated is as clear as mine, & that he would be as responsible for any untruth therein contained as any man could be for corrupt & willful perjury – And I am satisfied that he served in the revolutionary war against the common enemy for the time and in the manner set forth in his foregoing deposition – all which proceedings and testimony I transmit to the Secretary of the Department of War agreeably to the Act of Congress in such case made & provided – Given under my hand at Morristown the tenth day of April Eighteen hundred and eighteen –
Gabriel H Ford

A SAD ENDING

Joseph Hedges was granted a pension of $38.66 effective 28 Jul 1818. But it was suspended in 1820 when the Pension Office passed a law that purged all pension rolls completely, requiring every former recipient to prove their eligibility all over again. Hedges never regained his pension. His name appears in the Pension Roll of 1835 with his pension status classified as “suspended.” There’s no record of his death or burial. But his story needs to be remembered.

National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application File S34394

SOURCES

National Archives, Compiled Military Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War, RG 93, Series M881, Roll 643

National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, M804, RG15, file S34394

Teipe, Emily J., America’s First Veterans and the Revolutionary War Pensions, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2002

United States Senate, The Pension Roll of 1835, 1968 reprint with index, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992