The Mysterious Lieutenant Josiah Bagley

In 1871, Ensign Josiah Bagley wrote to George Washington asking him for clemency on behalf of Edmund Burk.₁ Burk was apparently convicted of being drunk , disobeying orders, and had endangered the life of Ensign Bagley. Josiah Bagley was a member of the NewYork Regiments that fought with George Washington.₂ He probably enlisted in New York City, was appointed an Ensign and was promoted to Lieutenant.₃ His military career is fairly well documented. His life before and after is something of a mystery.

Josiah Bagley, might be the son of Josiah Bagley and Martha Wenman. We know Martha and Josiah have a son Josiah christened at Trinity Episcopal Church in 1754.₄ Unfortunately, while the elder Josiah's will probated in 1769 identifies his wife, Martha and brother-in-law, Richard Wenman, it does not identify any of his children by name.₅ Freeholders in Manhattan include Josiah who is a mariner who registered in 1749 and Josiah Jr., a carpenter, and William, a laborer, who registered in 1752. The mariner is probably the father of the carpenter. The carpenter is likely the husband of Martha (Wenman) Bagley who is listed in his will as a ship joiner. William Bagley could be a younger brother, and uncle, a cousin, to the younger Josiah.₆ Josiah, the mariner is likely the son of John Bagly and Mary (Jackson) Bagly christened in 1702 in Fairfield, Connecticut.₇ John is most likely the son of Samuel Bagley of Weymouth Massachusetts.

After the war, Josiah Bagley received a land grant from the state of New York in 1790 for 1200 acres for his service in the America Revolution.₈ He was given land in the military tract township of Tully and in the township of Fabius,₉ but did not settle there.₁₀ A family history claims the grant is in Genessee County.₁₁ He was an original member of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati,₁₂ but none of his descendants have joined.₁₃ A Josiah Bagley is in the 1790 Census in Hillsdale New York.₁₄ In the 1800 census a Josiah is still living in Hillsdale.₁₅ In the 1820 census, there is a Josiah living in Hillsdale₁₆ and Pembroke.₁₇

A Josiah Bagley in Hillsdale died in 1848 and is buried in Green River Cemetery. He is generally associated with Lieutenant Josiah Bagley of the New York regiments.₁₈ Alfred Bagley of Broome County New York was the grandson of a Josiah Bagley from Massachusetts. Alfred's father, Eli, was born in Columbia County New York in 1811.₁₉ This raises the possibility that the Josiah Bagley in Hillsdale is not Lieutenant Bagley, but the father of Eli Bagley and grandfather of Alfred. It is also possible the Josiah Bagley buried in Berkshire county Massachusetts is not the Lieutenant Josiah Bagley from the New York Regiments.

In 1840₂₀ and 1850₂₁ there is a Josiah Bagley living in Genesee county New York. The one recorded in 1850 was born in 1771 in Massachusetts - too young to be Lieutenant Bagley.

¹“To George Washington from Josiah Bagley, July 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, last modified March 30, 2017, http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06558.
²Powell, William H. "List of Officers of the Army of the United States from 1779 to 1900." Hammersly and Co (New York: 1900) p. 13; Roberts, James A. "New York in the Revolution as Colony and State." Press of the Brandow Printing Company (Albany, New York: 1898) p. 40; "Calendar of Historical Manuscripts Related to the War in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, New York." Weed Parsons and Company (Albany NY: 1868) p. 48-49.
³ "Calendar of Historical Manuscripts" p. 48;  Hamersly, Thomas H. S. "Complete Regular Army Register of the United States for 100 Years." T. H. S. Hamersly (Washington, DC: 1881) p. 16; "Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati: Formed by the Officers of the ... - John Schuyler - Google Books." Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati: Formed by the Officers of the ... - John Schuyler - Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <https://books.google.com/books?id=L5YLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156&dq=josiah+bagley+cincinnati&source=bl&ots=WMcrfwOc_N&sig=SM-arRN9dQEQh7FCexaYdCNwGME&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwigl7HKyabTAhXK7yYKHWojDdUQ6AEIKjAC#v=onepage&q=josiah%20bagley%20cincinnati&f=false>.
⁴"New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V2HD-J2K : 12 December 2014), Josiah Bagley, 13 Nov 1754; citing TRINITY CHURCH PARISH,NEW YORK,NEW YORK,NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.7 B2N V. 90-93.
⁵"New York Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-28622-14051-65?cc=1920234 : 28 May 2014), New York > Wills 1767-1769 vol 26 > image 338 of 377; county courthouses, New York.
⁶"The Burghers of New Amsterdam and the Freemen of New York. 1675-1866 - New York (N.Y.) - Google Books." The Burghers of New Amsterdam and the Freemen of New York. 1675-1866 - New York (N.Y.) - Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
⁷Schenck, Elizabeth Hubbell. "The history of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the settlement of the town in 1639 to 1818. (New York: 1905) Vol. 2 p. 475.
⁸Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants. (Baltimore, MD : Genealogical Pub. Co.) 1996. p. 19.
⁹"NAMES OF SOLDIERS WHO DREW LOTS IN THE MILITARY TRACT." NAMES OF SOLDIERS WHO DREW LOTS IN THE MILITARY TRACT. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyononda/SOLDLOTS.HTM>.
¹⁰"Onondaga's Centennial: Gleanings of a Century - Google Books." Onondaga's Centennial: Gleanings of a Century - Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <https://books.google.com/books?id=iLJIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA867&lpg=PA867&dq=onondaga+military+tract+%22josiah+bagley%22&source=bl&ots=O3dxzNBMvI&sig=cBJvU4DDTWs85HIEMjZ9EqtVVwY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNzquXpKfTAhWq1IMKHahSB4cQ6AEINTAD#v=onepage&q=%22josiah%20bagley%22&f=false>.; "Index. The balloting book and other documents relating to military bounty lands in the state of New-York. Albany, 1825." . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <http://tcpl.org/local-history/documents/nys-cny/Balloting_Book/Balloting_Book_p142to214.pdf>.
¹¹Shirk, Ida M. "Descendants of Richard & Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Popular Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland." Shirk Genealogical Publishing Com 2009. p. 398. The passage is very vague:

His father, Thomas Bagley, son of Josiah, a soldier in the Revolution, was granted two sections of land, 1,280 acres, by State Government in Genesee Co., N. Y., for military service

It is not clear if the father Thomas Bagley is the soldier or the grand-father is the soldier in the revolution. Since Thomas Bagley was born around 1758 - Josiah can not be his father but is more likely a brother or cousin, and the family confused Lieutenant Bagley with his father. There is no record of Thomas Bagley serving in the revolution on either side.
¹²"Records of the Revolutionary War: Containing the Military and Financial ... - William Thomas Roberts Saffell, George Washington, Charles Lee, Nathanael Greene - Google Books." Records of the Revolutionary War: Containing the Military and Financial ... - William Thomas Roberts Saffell, George Washington, Charles Lee, Nathanael Greene - Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <https://books.google.com/books?id=mR4TAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA477&lpg=PA477&dq=josiah+bagley+cincinnati&source=bl&ots=Tx5W4lHPJu&sig=4qmZm8U6bDuHqH5XNELPlFdWsXg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwigl7HKyabTAhXK7yYKHWojDdUQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=josiah%20bagley%20cincinnati&f=false>.
^13"The New York State Society of the Cincinnati." The New York State Society of the Cincinnati. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <http://www.nycincinnati.org/Never.htm>.
¹⁴"United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKP-661 : accessed 15 April 2017), Josiah Begley, Hillsdale, Columbia, New York, United States; citing p. 231, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 6; FHL microfilm 568,146.
¹⁵"United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRC-143 : accessed 16 April 2017), Josiah Bagley, Hillsdale, Columbia, New York, United States; citing p. 1180, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 22; FHL microfilm 193,710.
¹⁶"United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch;(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGF-KBN : accessed 16 April 2017), Josiah Bagley, Hillsdale, Columbia, New York, United States; citing p. 152, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 70; FHL microfilm 193,725.
¹⁷"United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLV-8DT : accessed 16 April 2017), Josiah Bagley, Pembroke, Genesee, New York, United States; citing p. 217, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 72; FHL microfilm 193,727.
¹⁸"Revolutionary War SoldiersBuried in Columbia County, New York." Revolutionary War SoldiersBuried in Columbia County, New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/rev-ny-columbia-buried.htm>; "Lieut Josiah Bagley (1759 - 1848) - Find A Grave Memorial." Lieut Josiah Bagley (1759 - 1848) - Find A Grave Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=17703&GRid=42315000&>.; "Historic Burial Grounds in Egremont - Egremont Historical Commission." Historic Burial Grounds in Egremont - Egremont Historical Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <https://egremonthistory.org/our-historical-resources/historic-burial-grounds-in-egremont/>.
¹⁹"Biographical review : this volume contains biog...." Biographical review : this volume contains biog.... N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <https://archive.org/stream/biographicalrevi02bost#page/n487/mode/2up/search/Bagley>.
²⁰"United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT7-WM1 : 24 August 2015), Josiah Bagley, Darvin, Genesee, New York, United States; citing p. 599, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 287; FHL microfilm 17,188.
²¹"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCY6-YTB : 9 November 2014), Josiah Bagley, Darien, Genesee, New York, United States; citing family 368, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).