Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):
"Joseph Oatley appeared in the Rhode Island Military Census of 1777, from the town of South Kingstown, 16-50 age group, 'able to serve.' Joseph Oatley in service for self and father, Benedict Oatley 1775-1781, under Col. Babcock and Col. Lippitt, company of Capt. Stephen Babcock, Col. Noyes, and Charles Dyer."
Your ancestor, Joseph Oatley, had a dynamic record of service that perfectly reflects the grueling reality of the Revolutionary War in Rhode Island. His service spans two different types of military structures: Rhode Island State Troops (who went on long campaigns with the Continental Army) and the local Kings County Militia (who guarded the home front).
The fact that he served "for self and father, Benedict Oatley," was a very common practice back then—families often rotated who went on active duty to fulfill their town's draft quota while allowing someone to stay behind and manage the farm.
The service of the regiments he fought with between 1775 and 1781 can be broken down into two main chapters:
1. Continental Campaigns: Col. Babcock & Col. Lippitt (1776–1777)
In January 1776, Rhode Island raised a special regiment of State Troops under Col. Henry Babcock to protect the mainland and Aquidneck Island from British naval raids. By May 1776, Col. Christopher Lippitt took command.
Shortly after, the regiment was adopted into General George Washington’s Continental Army and marched off to New York to reinforce the Americans after disastrous losses in Manhattan. Joseph's regiment saw intense action:
- The Battle of White Plains (October 1776).
- Washington's Winter Campaign: Though their one-year enlistments were about to expire, the men of Lippitt's regiment famously volunteered to stay an extra month. Because of this, they fought side-by-side with Washington at the Second Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton (January 1777), helping turn the tide of the entire war before finally marching to Morristown, New Jersey, to disband.
2. Guarding the Coastline: Col. Noyes, Col. Dyer, & Capt. Babcock (1777–1781)
After returning home, the theater of war shifted directly to Joseph's backyard. In December 1776, the British army captured Newport and occupied Aquidneck Island, staying for nearly three years.
During this timeframe, Joseph served in the local Kings County Militia under Col. Joseph Noyes (1st Regiment, covering South Kingstown) and Col. Charles Dyer (2nd Regiment). This type of militia service wasn't a continuous march; instead, men were called out on sudden "alarms" or short 1-to-3-month rotations to perform coastal guard duty, prevent British foraging parties from stealing cattle, and secure the shores of Narragansett Bay.
The Battle of Rhode Island (August 1778): The absolute peak of this militia's service occurred during this massive, combined American-French attempt to kick the British out of Newport. Col. Noyes’ and Col. Dyer's regiments were heavily called up to support the Continental troops. They participated in a hard-fought retreat under intense heat and naval bombardment, a battle later praised for the bravery of the local forces.
After the British evacuated Newport in late 1779, the militia’s primary role returned to coastal watch and defense until the war wound down in 1781.
A Quick Local Distinction: "Kings County" was renamed Washington County in 1781 to honor the General, which is why modern records of South Kingstown list it under Washington County today.
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