Josh Alder Surgns m, his signature from the Parole of Honor, 13 December 1777
Nationality: English
Born: c1741
Regimental warrant/commission dates:
Surgeon's Mate 25 December 1769
Surgeon 7 November 1792
Captured: Saratoga, New York, 17 October 1777 (Convention Army)
Died: unknown
Joseph Alder served as the 62nd Regiment's venerable surgeon's mate (or “mate”) for almost 23 years. He served the regiment during the entirety of the Northern Campaign of 1777. He no doubt received a considerable amount of experience during the course of the year, especially following the deadly Battle of Freeman's Farm (19 September 1777) and the Battle of Bemis Heights (7 October 1777). He surrendered with the rest of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne's Army at Saratoga on 17 October 1777.
Alder was able to achieve an exchange at least as early as July 1779, and soon after returned to Britain. He eventually rejoined the rest of the repatriated regiment in England by July 1781.
Alder stayed with the regiment during its period of post war reorganization, and ended up being one of the regiment's longest serving officers. He must have been a good mate; after the death of the regiment's almost equally venerable surgeon, Alexander Moodie, Alder was made regimental surgeon.
According to William Johnston's Roll of Commissioned Officers in the Medical Service of the British Army (The University Press: 1917), Alder was surgeon to the staff at Jamaica on 17 July 1793.