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QENEALOQIOAL MATTES KOT INOLUDKD.

PREFACE. <

IN compiling the present volume, the author feels a deep sense
of appreciation and gratitude to the late Rev. J. H. H.
DeMille for the extensive researches made and the data col-
lected by him concerning the Mead family, not only in this
country, but also abroad, from which he has secured much
valuable information, especially the genealogy, in the compila-
tion of which the Rev. Mr. DeMille spent upwards of twenty
years of his life, and this volume is published to perpetuate
his memory among the different members of the family.

The author has also made reference to the History of tJie
Norman People, published by King & Co., London, England ;
History of Essex County, England, by Thomas Wright, Esq.,
of Trinity College, Cambridge, England ; Old Colonial Records
at Fairfield, Connecticut ; History of Dorchester, Massachusetts ;
Huntington s History of Stamford, Connecticut ; Mead' s History
of Greenwich, Connecticut ; Colonial Records of the Neiv Haven
Colony ; Trumbull 's Colonial Records of Connecticut ; Hoadleys
Colonial Records of Connecticut ; Hurd's History of Fairfield
County, Connecticut ; Beer s History of Fairfield County, Con-
necticut; Military and Naval Service of Connecticut Men, by
Johnson; Scharf's History of Westchester County, New York ;
Bolton s History of Westchester County, New York ; Lamed' s
History for Ready Reference ; History of Crawford County,
Pennsylvania ; Colonial and Revolutionary articles published

iii

iv Preface.

in the Gr^enwtc/iGraJ>/iti:, Greenwich, Connecticut (i 897-1898),
and the Tribiuie-Reptiblican, Meadville, Pennsylvania (in 1888);
publications of t\\e New York Historical Society ; publications
authorized by the General Assemblies of the States of Connect-
icut, New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania ; Nezv York in the
Revolutionary War, by the Board of Regents of the State of
New York, and by the Hon. Jas. A. Roberts, Comptroller ; His-
tory of the Tenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infa?itry, by
Brevet Brigadier-General John L. Otis ; Old Churches, Ministers,
and Families of Virginia, by Bishop Meade ; Hugh's American
Ajicestry, and Burke's Armory; and has made extensive re-
searches himself at the State Library at Hartford, Connecticut ;
Greenwich Library, Greenwich, Connecticut ; the Astor and
Lenox Libraries, and the Historical Society, New York City.
He is especially indebted to the secretaries of the Society of
Colonial Wars, and the Sons of the Revolution, for the many
courtesies extended and valuable data furnished by them.

In collecting data for the present volume the author has in
every instance selected the most reliable authorities and the
best authenticated records and has endeavored to set forth a
true statement of the facts as they existed in early days ; but as
there exists among the different branches of the family various
traditions as to the progenitor of the family in this country and
his immediate descendants, and as those traditions are at vari-
ance with historical facts, it is to be hoped that the family will
not be too severe in their criticisms on learning that many of
those traditions are mere fiction.

New York, November 12, 1961.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

Preface

I. — The Family in England .
II. — The Family in New England
III. — The Family in Greenwich
IV. — The Family in New York State — Dutchess, Sara-
toga, Westchester, Chenango, Warren, and St

Lawrence Counties

V. — The Family in Vermont and St. Lawrence County

New York

VI. — The Family in Pennsylvania ....
VII. — The Family in Military and Civil Affairs during

the Colonial Period
VIII. — The Revolutionary War .
IX.— The War of 1812
X. — The War with Mexico, 1846-1848
XL— The Civil War, 1861-1865
XII. — The Spanish-American War, 1898
XIII. — In Memoriam , . ^
Genealogy .
Index to History
Index to Intermarriages

PAGE

iii
I

7
14

57
87

94
96

114
116
123

456
466

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Coat OF Arms . -^^^ . j J-i- 1. • '. . . Frontispiece

Old House at Indian Field ....

Old Tavern, Ebenezer Mead Landlord in 1696

The First Brick House in Greenwich

The House in which Captain Sylvanus Mead was Shot

BY Cowboys

Old Homestead of Benjamin Mead (2)
Residence of the Late Colonel Thomas A. Mead
General Putnam's Ride

Tracy House

Put's Hill in 1895
xJajor-General Ebenezer Mead
Residence of Milo Mead
Major Daniel M. Mead
Captain Thomas R. Mead
Dr. Darius Mead ....

PAGE

14
18

58
60
69

73
84

91
94

100

1x6

a.'

^ Ck^u^h^C*^ ^€ J ^'

ERRATA

Edward A., page 97, should be Edward N.

John B. T., Lieutenant, page 98, should be Adjutant.

General Plaister, page 105, should be Plaisted.

Colonel Shafter, page 107, should be Shaffer.

Insert March, third line, page 123.

Northfield, page 128, should be North Fairfield.

"Jared, page 267, should be ^Jared.

Grace Cornell, page 394, should be Cornwall.

HISTORY OF THE MEAD FAMILY.

CHAPTER I.

THE FAMILY IN ENGLAND.

THE very earliest traces of the Mead family are to be found
in a history of The Norman People, and their Existing Des-
cendants in the British Dominions and the United States of
America published by King & Co., London, England, in 1874,
in which its author has carefully traced the pedigrees of many
of the English people, whose ancestry has heretofore been
unauthenticated, and in many cases may have been founded on
mere invention, but which now seems to be established beyond
question. From that volume it appears that the name Mead is
the English form of the Norman " de Prato," and to say that a
family is Norman is nearly equivalent to saying that it is
amongst the oldest of the old, and noblest of the noble.

In 1180-1195 there is to be found in the ancient Norman re-
cords the names of William, Robert, Matilda, Roger, and Reg-
inald de Prato, and in 1198 the names of Richard and Robert
de Prato. In 1199, Essex, England, occurs the name of Roger
de Prato, and the same year also that of Walter de Prato in
Hertford, England, and in 1272 those of Stephen and Peter de
Prato, England.

Hervey de Prato, in 1200, in Normandy, was King John's

2 The Mead Family.

" faithful knight," and the custody of Rouen Castle was given
to his brother.

The Norman " de Prato " was translated into the English,
Mead, Meade, Mede, Meads.

The first of the Meade family who came originally from
Somersetshire, into County Essex, in the reign of King Henry
VI., and settled at Elmdon, according to the history of County
Essex, was Thomas Meade, Esq. His son, Thomas Meade,
Sergeant-at-Law in 1567, and constituted one of the Judges of
the King's Bench, February 3, 1578, purchased Wendon Lofts, in
whose family it continued for several generations, until it was
sold by the coheiresses of John Meade, Esq., to Richard Cham-
berlain, Esq., of London, Sheriff of Sussex, in 1722. He also
owned the Manors of Elmdonbury Hall, Dagworths, and Moun-
teneys, from whom it passed into the family of Bendish.
Thomas Meade, of Elmdon, also had Reginald, who settled at
Elmdon, and a second Thomas seated at Crishall, and two
daughters.

Thomas Meade, of Wendon Lofts, married Joan Clamp,
of Huntingdon, a widow, by whom he had Thomas, Robert,
and Matthew, of whom the last two were never married. The
father died in 1585, but this estate does not appear in the in-
quisition taken on that occasion. It, however, was in the
possession of Sir Thomas Meade, the first son, at the time of
his decease in 1617, who had holden it under Robert, Earl of
Sussex. He had also large estates in Arkesden and Elmdon.
He married Bridget, daughter of Sir John Brograve, Knight,
of Hertfordshire, by whom he had Thomas, who died before
him, John, Charles, George, Robert, and five daughters. He was
succeeded, on his decease, by his eldest surviving son. Sir John
Meade, Knight, who by Katharine, his lady, had Thomas, his
successor, and two daughters. Thomas Meade, Esq., married
Margaret, only daughter and heiress of Debney of Norfolk, by

The Family in England. 3

whom he had nine children. His successor was John, his eldest
son, who, by his wife Jane, daughter of William Wardour, Esq.,
had John, who died an infant, Jane, who married John Whaley,
merchant, of London, and Margaret, the wife of William
Pytches, of Crishall.

In the chancel of the parish church at Elmdon, there is an
ancient and magnificent monument erected to the memory of
Thomas Meade, Esq., Justice of the King's Bench, by his most
faithful wife, Joan, which informs us that he died in May, 1585.

In 1546, Edward Elrington and Humphrey, conveyed the
Manor of Cristhall Grange to Edward Meade, Esq., and on his
decease in 1577, he was succeeded by his son and heir, John
Meade. The estate afterwards belonged to John Smith, Esq.,
of Upton.

The Manor of Great Easton was conveyed to John Meade,
of Henham (family first mentioned in 1422), by William Fitch,
and in his family it continued until the failure of heirs male, on
the decease of John Meade of London, merchant, who died in
1689, and of his daughters Anne, in 1758, aged 87, and Eliza-
beth in 1761, aged 85. They had previously sold to Henry,
the youngest brother of their father, the estate of Button Hill.
Of the three sons of John Meade, of Henham, John, Robert,
and George, the last had Nortofts, in Finchingfield, who kept
his first court there in April, 1593. John succeeded his father
on his decease in 1602, having married Ellen, daughter of Nich-
olas Colin, of Broxted, by whom he had Thomas of Henham,
whose son John was of Matching, John, to whom he gave But-
ton Hill, also Robert and William; he died in 1614. John of
Button Hill, his second son, married Jane, daughter of John
Glascock of Rowell, by whom he had his son and heir, John
Mead, Gent, (final " e " omitted), who married Elizabeth, daugh-
ter and coheiress of Robert Samford of Chapel, by whom he
had fourteen children of whom there survived him, on his

4 The Mead Family.

death, John, Robert, Philip, William, Elizabeth, Anne, and
Esther.

George Meade of Nortofts, married Dorothy, daughter of Sir
Thomas Wendy, Knight, of Haslingfield, in Cambridgeshire,
by whom he had John, and Elizabeth, wife of Sir Samuel
Brown, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas. Besides the
Manor of Nortofts, and one messuage, called Sculpius, a parcel
of the said Manor, he had other estates in the parish, of which,
by his will dated the 24th day of March, 1629, he devised to his
wife Dorothy, a part during her life in recompense of her
dower or jointure, and the remainder to his son and his wife.
He died April 3, 1629, and was buried in the chancel of the
church.

On the north wall of Marlborough church, County Leicester,
on a monument of black marble, with the coat of arms, a chev-
ron between three pelicans, appears the following inscription :

*' Near this place is interred the body of James
Mead with his forefathers. Esquires.
Also the body of Henry, son of James Mead.
He married Ann, daughter of William Croft,
of Peckleton, Esq.

Also the body of William, son of Henry Mead,
who married Elizabeth, daughter of Charnell
Petty of Tetsworth, in Oxfordshire, Esquire.
Also the body of Charnell, son of William
Mead, who married Elizabeth, daughter of
William Hewitt, of Stretton, Esquire.
Also the body of William, son of Charnell
Mead, who married Susannah, daughter of
Matthew Floyer, of Heints, in Staffordshire,
Esquire.

Also the body of William, son of William
Mead, who married Elizabeth, daughter of
Edward Wilson, Rector of Milston, with an
infant."

Many distinguished individuals have been in the Mead
family of England, among them the Rev. Matthew Mead and

The Family in England. 5

his son, Dr. Richard Mead. The former was a celebrated
non-conformist divine in the reign of Charles I. He was
descended from a reputable family of Buckinghamshire, where
he was born in 1629. Of his early life no account is preserved.
He was a most sterling and eminent man, of strong concen-
trative powers of mind, and an independent thinker. He
went in 1658 to Holland, returned in 1674, built a church in
Stepney, and died there October 16, 1699.

His son. Dr. Richard Mead, was born at Stepney, August
1 1, 1673. He received his early education in Rome, under his
father, and a private tutor, Mr. John Nesbit. In 1688 he was
placed under the care of Mr. Thomas Singleton, and in the
following year under the celebrated Graevius, at Utrecht. He
took up the study of the classics and philosophy, and in 1692
removed to Leyden, where he remained three years, devoting
himself to the study of medicine, and where he was cotemporary
with Boerhave, then a student. In the year 1695, having com-
pleted the usual course of study at Leyden, he, in company
with his brother Samuel and others, travelled in Italy, and
while at Florence, had the good fortune to discover the
mcnsa isiaca which for many years had been given up as
lost. He took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and
Physics at Padua, August 16, 1695, and then visited Naples and
Rome, and returned to England about midsummer, 1696.
He settled at Stepney, in the house where he was born.

In 1702 Dr. Mead came before the public as an author,
by the publication of his Mechanical Account of Poisons.
This work was received with great interest, and at once
established his reputation. He was elected Fellow of the
Royal Society in 1704, one of the Council in 1706, and Vice-
President in 1707. On May 5, 1703, he was elected Physician
to St. Thomas's Hospital, and removed from Stepney to
Crutched Friars, and afterwards to Austin Friars.

6 The Mead Family.

On December 7, 1707, the University of Oxford conferred
on him the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and he thereafter
presented himself for examination before the Censors' Board
of the College of Physicians, underwent the usual examina-
tions, and was admitted a Candidate, June 25, 1708, and a Fel-
low, April 9, 1710. He was Censor 1716, 1719, and 1724, and
Harweian Orator in 1723.

After the accession of George II. Dr. Mead was appointed
Physician in ordinary to the King, an office he continued to
hold until his death, February 16, 1754. He was buried in the
Temple Church, and a monument has been erected to his
memory in Westminster Abbey.

Dr. Mead was married twice. By his first wife, Ruth
Marshe, he had eight children. One of his daughters was
married to Sir Edward Wilmot, Bart., an eminent physician.
His second wife was Anne, daughter of Sir Rowland Alston,
Bart.

COAT OF ARMS.

The coat of arms is thus described : Sa. a chev. betw. three
pelicans or. vuln. gu.

Explanation :

Sa., the color is sable, /. e., black.

Chev., a chevron represented as two rafters of a house
joined together and descending in the form of a pair of
compasses to the extremities of the shield.

Or., signifies gold, and in engraving is represented by small
dots.

Three pelicans vuln. gu., /. c, wounding themselves, ac-
cording to the old tradition that the pelican picked its
own breast to nourish its young.

Crest, an eagle displayed.

Motto : Semper Paratus — Always Ready.

CHAPTER II.

THE FAMILY IN NEW ENGLAND.

IN 1635 there arrived in Massachusetts many ships with
passengers from England, and among those arrivals is found
the name of Goodman Mead (called Gabriel Mead), who was
born in 15S7, and died March 12, 1666, aged 79 years. He was
probably married twice, his second wife being Johanna, the
daughter of James Bates. The latter was born in 1582, and
died in 1655. He sailed from Lydd, County Kent, England,
in the ship ElizabetJi Captain Stagg, in April 1635, and it is
supposed his son-in-law, Goodman Mead, was in the same ves-
sel. Richard Bates (son) lived at Lydd, in County Kent,
England, from whence the family is supposed to have come.

Gabriel (or Goodman) Mead left surviving him his widow,
Johanna, and the following children: Israel, born in 1637,
David, Lydia, Experience, Sarah, and Patience.

Recent researches seem to indicate that William Mead,
the ancestor of the Fairfield County and the Greenwich,
Connecticut, Meads, was a brother of Gabriel (or Goodman)
Mead, and that they both came from England on the same
ship, ElizabetJi, April, 1635 ; furthermore, the coats of arms
of the two are identical.

Goodman Mead remained in Massachusetts and is the ances-
tor of the Massachusetts Meads. William, however, followed
the tide of emigration, which at that time was toward the

8 The Mead Family.

Connecticut Valley. The first English settlement of Connect-
icut was made at Windsor in October, 1633, and another
settlement was made at Wethersfield soon after where
William probably first settled, and in 1 641, he removed to Stam-
ford with several others from Wethersfield.

On the 1 8th day of July, 1640, Captain Daniel Patrick and
Robert Peaks, as agents for the New Haven Colony, landed on
Greenwich Point which the Indians called " Monakewego," and
purchased from them that part of Petuquapaen lying between
the Asamuck and the Patomuck Rivers, as described by the
following deed :

Wee Amogerone, Sachem of Asamuck, and Rammatthone,
Nawhorone, Sachems of Patomuck, have sould unto Robert
Feaks and Daniell Patricke all theire rights and interests in all
ye severall lands betwene Asamuck River and Patomuck, which
Patomuck is a littel river which divideth ye bounds betwene
Capt. Turner's Perchase and this, except ye neck by ye Indians
called Monakewego, by us Elizabeth Neck, which neck is ye
peticaler perchace of Elizabeth Feaks, ye sd Robt F'eaks his
wife, to be hers and her heaires or assigns, forever, or else to
be at ye disposal of ye aforementioned purchasers forever, to
them and theire heaires, executors or assigns, and theye to en-
joy all rivers, Islands, and ye severall naturall adjuncts of all
ye forementioned places, neigther shall ye indians fish within
a mille of aney english ware, nor invite nor permit aney other
indians to sett down in ye forementioned lands; in considera-
tion of which lands ye forementioned purchasers are to give
unto ye above named sachems twentie five coates, whereof
theye have reserved eleven in part payment ; to witness all
which, theye have hereunto sett theire hands this 18 July 1640.

Amogerone

Nawhorone Z^^'Z-— I their

I marks

Amsetthehone
KeofTeram

The Family in New England. 9

Witness:

Robert A. Heusted,

his
Andrew /"*"** Messenger,

mark

Rasobibitt
Saponas

Whonehorn

Akeroque t— y^^, (their marks)

Pauonohas

Powiatoh

Keofferam hath sould all his right in ye above sd to Jeffere
Ferris.
Witness :

Richard Williams

Angell Heusted.

They immediately located on a portion of the property and
proceeded to form a settlement.

The Captain Turner referred to in the above deed is the
party who, as agent for the New Haven Colony, first purchased
from the Indians on the first day of July, 1640, lands now lying
in the Town of Stamford. This tract was afterwards sold, No-
vember fourth of the same year, to Andrew Ward and Robert
Coe, representatives of about twenty-two families of Wethers-
field, but the first settlement of Stamford was not commenced
by them until the spring of 1641, or nearly a year after Captain
Patrick and Robert Peaks had settled at Old Greenwich (now
Sound Beach), and among the first forty-two land proprietors

lo The Mead Family.

of Stamford, Connecticut, we find the name of William Mead.

The following is a copy of the entry in the Stamford Town

Records :

Dec. 7, 1641, William Mayd (Mead) received from the
Town of Stamford, a homelot and five acres of land.

This William was the ancestor of the 3Iead family of
Fairfield County, Connecticut, although family tradition de-
clares that John was, also of eastern New York, western Ver-
mont, and Meadville, Pennsylvania. There is record of three
children, but there probably were four, including a son who
died in 1658. They were as follows:

JOSEPH, b. in 1630, married Dec. 4, 1654, Mary Brown of
Stamford, d. May 3, 1690. He was the ancestor of
the Ridgefield and North Fairfield County Meads,
and had Zachariah, Joseph, Daniel, Elisha, Richard,
and Mary.

MARTHA, b. about 1632, who married John Richardson
of Stamford. No further traces have been found.

JOHN (i), b. about 1634, who married Hannah Potter of
Stamford, probably in 1657, d. February 5, 1699. He
was the ancestor of the Greenwich Meads, and had
John (2), Joseph, Hannah, Ebenezer, Jonathan, David,
Benjamin, Nathaniel, Samuel, Abigail, and Mary.

Tradition in the family also declares that Joseph died young,
or if he lived, went South, and became the progenitor of the
Virginia " Meade Family." Researches, however, prove the
facts to be different. The Virginia Meades are in no wise
connected with the Connecticut Meads, but are descended
from Andrew Meade (anciently written Meagh), born in County
Kerry, Ireland, in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
He came to this country about 1728 and settled in Nansemond
County, Virginia, where he died in 1745.' Colonel Richard
Kidder Meade, Revolutionary soldier, served on General

^ Old Churches, Ministers, and Families of Virginia, by Bishop Meade, of the
Protestant Episcopal Church of Virginia.

The Family in New England. ii

Washington's staff ; Rt. Rev. William Meade, D.D., late Bishop
of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Virginia, and Richard
Kidder Meade (2), of Petersburg, Virginia, Member of Con-
gress, 1847 to 1853, are of this line.

The following record of some of the proceedings of the Court
of Magistrates held at New Haven, shows that both Williani
and his two sons, Joseph and John, settled here long before
1660, which is declared by family tradition to be the date of
their settlement.

1654, October 18. Joseph Mead of Stamford, testifies
on behalf of his sister Martha, the wife of John
Richardson.

1656, May 26. John Mead, of Stamford, enters an action
of ye case against Richard Law, of Stamford.

1656, May 26. Richard Law, of Stamford, complained of
John Mead, of Stamford.

1656, May 26. Jno. Waterbury complained of John
Mead.

1657, March 25. Joseph Mead, of Stamford, again a
witness.

1657, March 27. A Petition from John Mead was pre-
sented desiring the Court to remitt the fine of ten
pounds laide upon him last year.

1657, March 27. A Petition from William Mead, on
behalf of John Richardson (his son-in-law), was pre-
sented, desiring the Court that the fine of ten pounds
laide upon him be abated.

The two sons, Joseph and John, in the spring of 1657 removed
to Hempstead, Long Island (several families from Stamford
having formed the first settlement there in 1644), where the
following records further show that Joseph did not die young.

1658. Joseph Mead, 3 milch cows, taxes 41 proportion.
1658. John Mead, 2 milch cows, taxes 19^ proportion.

1658. Joseph Mead, was Assistant Justice of Hemp-
stead.

1659, February 3. The Town of Hempstead paid Joseph
Mead nine shillings for a voyage from Stamford to

12 The Mead Family.

Fairfield to see about procuring a minister, with
letters from Hempstead to the Rev. Mr. Wakeman.

From the last entry taken from the Records of the Toivn of
Hempstead, it will be seen that Joseph returned to Stamford
during the latter part of the year 1658, or the early part of
1659, otherwise his expenses would probably have been paid
from Hempstead to Fairfield, instead of Stamford to Fairfield ;
moreover we find in the court records of the New Haven
Colony :

1659, May 25. Joseph Mead, of Stamford, a witness.

1660, October 15. Joseph Mead, of Stamford, a witness,
and from testimony given by him in Court, it appears
that he was born in 1630.

1660, October 17. Joseph Mead, of Stamford, appeared
as Attorney for Abraham Frost.

1662. Joseph Mead, Richard Hardey, who was the
father-in-law of John Mead (2), and others, declared
to be freemen of the Colony of Connecticut by the
Assembly, and Mr. Gould was authorized " to guie
them ye oath of freedom, at ye next Court in Fairfield."

Joseph, however, finally located permanently in Greenwich
soon after his brother John bought land there in 1660.
He was representative from Greenwich in the Colonial
Assembly, 1669-1671. In the year 1672, we find among the list
{Greenwich Town Records) of the first twenty-seven pro-
prietors of Horseneck (Greenwich) the name of Joseph Mead.
He died in Greenwich on the third day of May, 1690, sixty years
of age, as appears from " Petition of ye widow and children of
Joseph Mead, of Greenwich, who died without will May 3,
1690. Said petition is made by ye advise of our louving
Unckle, John Mead, Sr." The petition was signed by Joseph
Mead, Daniel Mead, Elisha Mead, and Mary Mead (her mark).
He left children as follows: Zachariah, Joseph, Daniel, Elisha,
Richard, and Mary.

Family tradition also declares that John, a son of Dr.

The Family in New England. 13

Richard Mead, settled in Greenwich in 1642, and was the
progenitor of the Greenwich Meads, but reference to preced-
ing pages of this volume shows how absurd this assertion is,
and from which it will be seen that Dr. Richard Mead was not
born until 1673, long after the traditional John is alleged to
have settled in Greenwich, Connecticut.

CHAPTER III.

THE FAMILY IN GREENWICH.

OF William, the ancestor of all the Fairfield County-
Meads, very little concerning him, except that already-
mentioned, has been found. His wife died in Stamford,
September i6, 1657. No record of his death has as yet been
found.

John (i) removed from Hempstead, Long Island, to Old
Greenwich (now Sound Beach) in 1660, and purchased land
from Richerd Crab, October 26th, as will appear from the fol-
lowing deed as given on the town records :

These presents witnesseth an agreement made betwene
Richerd Crab, of Grenwich, on ye one side, and John Mead, of
Heamstead, on Long Island, on ye other side, viz. : Ye said
Richerd Crab hath sould unto ye sd John Mead all his houses
and Lands, yt sd Richerd Crab hath in Grenwich with all ye
Apurtenances, Rights, & Privileges, & Conveniences, yt Doth
belong unto ye sd houses & Lands, or shall here after belong
unto them, viz.: ye house yt Richerd Crab liveth in, ye house
yt Thomas Studwell liveth in, with ye Barne yt is on ye side
of ye hye waye ; also ye home lott yt ye house stands on,
being bounded with a fence lying about them on ye north-
west, against ye house lott ; also Eightene Acres of Land in
Elizabeth neck, more or less, being bounded by ye sea on ye
east and southeast, and a fence on ye west, northwest, and ye
north.

Also ye Rig, with 5 acres of Meadow lying in it, more or
less ; ye rig being bounded by ye Sea on ye southeast, william
low on ye east, and ye fence on ye northwest, & north ye hye
waye & hethcut's & angell Heusteds on ye west ; also 3 acres
of meadow in ye long meadow, & i acre of meadow by Ferris,
bounded by Jeffere Ferris land on ye southeast, and ye cove

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The Family in Greenwich. 15

on ye west and northwest ; also 5 acres of meadow in
myanos neck, all ye above spesiffied I do hereby acknoledge
to have sould unto ye above sd John Mead, his heaires and
asignes, fully and freely to be possest forever, and for ye quiet
and full performance hereof, I have hereunto subscribed my
hand, anno 1660, October 26 Daye.

RiCHERD Crab.

AdamMott, [witnesses.

Robt. Williams,

John Mead (i) married Hannah, daughter of William Potter
of Stamford. Her father afterwards owned Shippan Point, and
through her he received a considerable amount of property.

The following anecdote, which has been preserved by tra-
dition, shows his character: One day when he was quite an
old man, as he was going for his grist on horseback to the mill
at Dumpling Pond, before he reached the Mianus River he
overtook an old Quaker jogging slowly along, loaded with a
heavy budget. In a real spirit of kindness he offered to take
the Quaker's load upon his horse, and thus give him a lift on
his journey. " No," replied the Quaker, " thee don't get my
bundle, for I can read men's thoughts. Thee wants to get my
bundle, and then thee '11 run off. Thee don't get my bundle."
"Very well," was the simple reply, and so they went slowly on
together. At last they came to the brink of the Mianus River.
Here the Quaker was really in trouble. How to cross a river,
two or three feet deep, dry shod, was quite a puzzle. But he
gladly accepted a second offer of assistance from the horseman.
The bundle was mounted in front, John in the middle, and the
Quaker behind. Arriving at the centre of the river, in pretend-
ing to adjust his stirrup John caught the Quaker by the heel
and -gave him a gratuitous bath. Such treatment was too much,
even for Quaker forbearance, and the victim, with his hands
full of pebbles, would have taken summary vengeance, had not
the other party threatened to put the bundle under a similar

i6 The Mead Family.

course of treatment. This threat, and the lecture following it,
gradually cooled off the Quaker's anger. John informed him
that all had been done for his good, to teach him a lesson.
And the lecturer said he hoped the stranger would never again
profess to read men's thoughts. "For," said he, *' I asked you
to ride, kindly in the first place, when you refused ; but at the
second time of asking, I really intended to do as I have just
done." So saying, and tossing the bundle back, he rode on,
leaving his companion to apply the moral as he thought best.

In 1670 John Mead (i) was propounded for a freeman of
Greenwich by the Assembly, and was a member of the As-
sembly in 1679, 1680, and 1686.

The first settlement of the Town of Greenwich, as has been
previously stated, was made at Elizabeth Neck (now Sound
Beach), but about the year 1672 a number of persons, mostly
living in the town, though some were from other colonies than
Connecticut, purchased from the few Indians then living about
the western part of the town, Miosehasseky (Horseneck), now
Greenwich Borough. These purchasers were twenty-seven, and
were styled the "27 proprietors of 1672." On the list as it
appears in the Greenwich Toivn Records are found among the
twenty-seven the names of

Joseph Mead, and John Mead (i).

In 1 68 1 took place the earliest marriage that is recorded, al-
though others must have preceded it, by the Rev. Jeremiah
Peck, John Mead (2) to Miss Ruth Hardey, daughter of Rich-
ard Hardey.

In 1687 John Mead (2) was elected constable, then the most
remunerative as well as the most important office in the gift of
the townsmen. ./

On the list of legal voters at Horseneck for the year 1688,
are found the following names :

The Family in Greenwich. 17

Joseph Mead John Mead (i)

Ebenezer Mead John Mead (2)

Jonathan Mead Joseph Mead, John Mead's son

Joseph Mead, Joseph Mead's son.

A Httle previous to this time, however, about 1686, the In-
dians sold almost their last acre of land in the town to Ebene-
zer Mead (i). These lands were at the mouth of the Mianus
River, on its western bank, and the original deed is now in the
possession of the Hon. Whitman S. Mead, who resides on a part
of the property, it having remained in the family ever since its
purchase from the Indians. In 1691 it was voted to have a
new meeting-house, and John Mead (i), John Mead (2), and
others, were appointed a committee to procure materials and
build the house. It was finally built upon a small rise of
ground, northwest of the old burying-ground at Old Greenwich
(Sound Beach), near where the present First Congregational
Church now stands.

In 1693, May 12, occurred the death of John Mead (2), the
acting constable, which was deeply lamented by the people.
They called an extra town meeting, and passed resolutions de-
ploring the loss of so estimable an officer and citizen. He was
the grandson of the first settler, only about thirty-five years of
age, and left surviving him, his widow and four children, as
follows: John (3), Jonathan, Nathan, and Elizabeth. John (3)
remained in Horseneck ; Jonatlian died in 171 2, without issue,
and Nathan settled at Amenia, Dutchess County, New York.

The tax list for the Town of Greenwich for the years 1694
and 1695 contains the following names, besides many others :

1. s. d.

Benjamin Mead 87 o o

Ruth Mead, widow of John Mead (2). 22 10 o

Daniel Mead 42 o o

Zachariah Mead 30 o o

Ebenezer Mead 103 10 o

Joseph Mead, the tanner 45 10 o

1 8 The Mead Family.

Jonathan Mead 45 o o

Nathaniel Mead 30 o o

Elisha Mead 38 o o

Samuel Mead 87 10 o

Joseph Mead, not the tanner 25 o o

In 1696 Ebenezer Mead was appointed by the town to keep
" a place of publik entertainment for man and beast." The old
tavern stood on the same site for nearly two hundred years, and
has a history linked with Colonial and Revolutionary Wars.
Many a thrilling episode occurred around its doors and with-
in its quaint rooms. One night during colonial days, when
some of the frivolous young people of the colony were hold-
ing a dance in the house, a besieging party of Puritans broke
open the front door and drove them out like cattle, and the
merry-makers retired in confusion. Jumping out of windows
helter-skelter, they scattered in every direction before the clubs
and invectives of the sad faced Puritans. It was here also dur-
ing the early days of the French and Indian War that a com-
pany of young men were surprised by a press-gang, and
several of them forced into the service.

The old tavern was built as were dwellings of those days. The
laths were split with an axe from oak, and the nails were made
by the village blacksmith. There was an immense wine closet
in the cellar, where the choicest wines and liquors were kept
that gladdened the hearts of ye travellers as well as ye soldiers.

General Putnam quaffed many a glass of Medford rum 't is
said here, and frequently held conferences within its rooms with
his fellow officers of the Revolution. It was a common thing
for the soldiers, tories, and cowboys, to ride up to the east
window — there was no fence about the lot — and gracefully
stoop while on their horses and catch the welcome cup hastily
handed by ye genial landlord, who gave them ye latest news
of ye doings of ye British hereabouts, in answer to their hur-
ried questions.

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The Family in Greenwich. 19

When Governor Tryon made his raid, February 26, 1779, he
made his quarters at this old tavern, then kept by Henry Mead,
and while he was waiting for his dinner a patriot crept slyly
into an adjoining orchard and fired a ball through the clap-
boards, which whistled close by Governor Tryon's head and
struck the mantel-piece, from which it rebounded upon the
floor. This startled Tryon so much that he, without waiting
for his dinner, gave immediate orders for a retreat.

An old Hessian sabre was found in the house about fifty
years ago, and when it was torn down in July, 1886, to make
room for the present Presbyterian Church, a number of relics
were found. A board was disclosed near the big chimney,
on which the name of Reuben Mead and the figures 1741
were printed in charcoal, and under the fireplace was uncov-
ered another board, on which was a score, drawn with char-
coal, of apples, potatoes, and whiskey. No doubt it was the
account of ye jolly landlord with some of his neighbors. An
English penny, dated 1701, a piece of blue cloth with brass
buttons, a pair of Indian moccasins, a long old-fashioned fire
shovel, a big brass strainer, and some other things were also
found. Relic hunters watched the old tavern as it fell, piece
by piece, and took away shingles and nails.

In 1699, February 5, occurred the death of John Mead (i)
probably in his sixty-sixth year. He had been a prominent
citizen, respected by all not only for his even temperament,
but also for his energy and decision of character. The follow-
ing are his children :

John (2), Joseph, Hannah, Ebenezer, Jonathan, David, Ben-
jamin, Nathaniel, Samuel, Abigail, and Mary. He left two
wills, both dated the sixteenth day of March, 1696. One de-
vising his real property to his sons is recorded in the office of
the Town Clerk of Greenwich, Connecticut, and the other
making bequests of personal property to all his children is

20 The Mead Family.

recorded in the Fairfield Probate Records. Both of these are
curiosities of antiquity and are well worthy of being preserved.
The following is a copy of his will relating to real property
recorded at Greenwich, Connecticut :

Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John Mead,
Senir, of grenwich in ye Collonie of Conecticut for ye Love
goodwill & afection which I haue & beare towards my naturall
Sonn John Mead of ye Towne of grenwich & Collonie aforesd,
have giuen & granted & do by these presents fully Clearely
and absolutely giue & grant unto my sd Sonn John Mead now
deseased for his Sonn John Mead my grandsonn a sertaine Per-
sale of Land and meadow Lying & being in grenwich bounded
by ye Land yt I John Mead Senir. bought of John Bowers
north & a line drawn from ye north east corner of ye Land I
bought of Angell Heusted Jur. to a grate rock Lying in ye
frunt fence, all ye Lands lying within this Compas with ye
house as it is bounded :

Ye frunt of sd Land being Bounded upon thee hyewaye west,
the Reare upon ye sea South East. Upon these considera-
tions following I giue & grant fully Clearely & absolutely ye
above mentioned lands to him, his heaires & asignes : Imprimis,
yt hee fully Confirme yt contract yt was betwene his father &
his Unckle Ebinezer Mead ; 2lly yt hee pay to his Brothers
Jonathan & Nathan Mead when they com to bee of cage five
pounds to Each of them & to his Sister Elizabeth Mead fortie
Shilings ; Item, I giue & fully grant unto ye aforesd John
two acres in ye home lott insted of yt which ye sd John his
father, now deseased, had of me in ye Southfeild disposing of
yt in ye Southfeild, as I see Convenient.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Joseph Mead of ye
Towne of grenwich haue giuen & granted & by these
presents do fully Clearely & absolutely giue & grant unto my
sd Sonn Joseph Mead his heaires & asignes a sertaine Persale of
Land & meadow. Lying in Myanos neck estemed seven acres
be it more or Les, as it is Bounded ; Item, I giue unto my
sd Sonn Joseph Mead, his heaires & asignes, three acres of
Land in Stanfford Southfeild neare ye uper gate be it more or
Les, as it is Bounded.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue and beare towards my Naturall Sonn Ebinezer Mead of

The Family in Greenwich. 21

ye Towne of grenwich aforesd haue giuen & granted & by
these presents do fully, Clearely & absolutely giue & grant
unto my sd Sonn Ebinezer his heaires & asignes a Persale of
meadow in ye Hosack meadow, estemed two acres & an halfe
be it more or Les, ye Bounds being known to ye sd Ebinezer.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir, aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Jonathan Mead of ye
Towne of grenwich aforesd haue giuen & granted & by these
presents do fully Clearely and absolutely giue & grant unto
my sd Sonn Jonathan his heaires & asignes an home lott Layd
out to mee at horseneck and all my Lands lying within horse
neck feild & a Persale of Land Containing three acres more or
Les, Lying at ye South East End of ye Widow Hows Lott.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Dauid Mead of ye
Towne of Bedfford now in ye government of New Yorke, haue
giuen & granted & by these presents do fully Clearely &
absolutely giue & grant unto my sd Sonn Dauid Mead his
heaires & asignes my whole acomidation Lying & being at
Bedfford both Lands & meadows as it was granted to me.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Benjamen Mead of ye
Towne of grenwich aforesd, haue giuen & granted & by these
presents do fully Clearely and absolutely giue & grant unto
my sd Sonn Benjamen those Persales of Land & meadows
hereafter exprest, viz.: five acres of Land at Stickling brock as
it is Layd out to mee, and all my Lands & meadow Lying &
being at that place Commonly Cauled Coscob, as it is Layd
out to mee & ten acres of upland above ye Road aded now to
ye five.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I
haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Nathaniell Mead of ye
Towne of grenwich aforesd haue giuen & granted & by these
presents do fully Clearely & absolutely giue & grant unto my
sd Sonn Nathaniell, his heaires & asignes an acre & Twentie
rods of meadow in ye Southfeild, as it is Bounded: Likewise
seven acres of Land Lying at a place cauled Croch ; also two
Thirds of ny Lands, as it shall bee Layd out of that Estate in
Patrigs List.

Further Know All Men by these Presents, yt I John
Mead Senir. aforesd for ye Love goodwill & afection which I

22 The Mead Family.

haue & beare towards my Naturall Sonn Samll Mead of ye
Towne of grenwich haue giuen & granted & by these presents
do fully Clearely & absolutely giue & grant unto ye sd Samll
Mead, his heaires & asignes all my Houseing with ye Orched :
Item, all my Lands on ye East Side of ye Hyewaye by my
House both meadow & Land & Plowing Land, Bounded by ye
grate Rock yt lyeth in ye fence of ye Land of my Grand Sonn
John Mead & upon a Streight line to ye North East Corner of
ye meadow Land I John Mead aforesd Bought of Angell
Heusted Jur. : Item, all my Land upon Elizabeth neck, as it
is bounded : Item, all my alotment in ye Long meadow & all
my meadow Lying by James Ferris, as it is Bounded, & ye
peace of Land I Bought of Clement Buxton Lying in
Stanfford Southfeild as it is Bounded & my alotment in
Stanfford Eastfeild in Shipan, which was my father Potters, as
it is Bounded ; also yt Persale of Land I had of ye ouerseers
of my father Potters Estate Lying within Stanfford bounds,
frunting by ye Hye waye, by ye South feild, as it is Bounded.

Further Know yt ye aforesd housing, Land & meadows I
do frely giue to him sd Samll my Sonn, his heaires &
asignes as aforesd, also a Persale of Land Lying by Gershom
Lockwood, Bounded by ye Hye waye, next west upon ye
Land of my Grand Sonn John Mead South East, which Per-
sale of Land was not mentioned before. Provided yt ye sd
Samll his heaires and asignes do well & honarably maintaine
his mother with a Conv^enient roome in ye house such a roome
as shee shall cheuse, & with such other Things as may be Sut-
able for her Comfortable Subsistence during her widdowhood
& that hee pay out to his brother Nathaniell aforesd Twentie
pounds in Provesion paye as it paseth from man to man
amoungst us. Beginning ye Payment of it after my Desease
& Paying five Pounds pr annum till tis Payde.

In Witness Whereof, I haue hereunto sett my hand
& Seale this i6 of March 1695-6.

his
John -f Mead
mark.
Signed & Sealed in Presence of us :
Sallomon Treat,
Zackariah Mead.

These aboue Writen Deads & seuerall Grants of Lands on
both sides of this Paper was acnowlidged by ye granter John
Mead Senir to bee his act & deed this 24 of March, 1697, in
Stanfford before mee. Jonathan Bell,

Commissioner.

The Family in Greenwich. 23

On first thought it seems odd that two wills, the one
devising real property, and the other bequeathing personal
property, both executed the same day, should be valid ; but
this is explained by the fact that at that time wills devising
real property had to be recorded in the town where the land
was located, while those bequeathing personal property were
only recorded in the Probate Court having jurisdiction, which
in those early days was Fairfield.

The will making bequests of personal property to all his
children, both sons and daughters, is therefore recorded in the
Fairfield Probate Records. It is a very curious document, and
is as follows :

Whereas, I, John Mead SENIRof grenwich in ye Collonie
conecticut though at present in reasonable helth, yet being
sencable of my bodyly weakness and Infirmities of ould eage
and not Knowing the daye of my departure out of this world
do make this my Last will & Testament in manner and form
following :

First : I Comit my Soul into ye hands of Allmity God
hopeing for Saluation from the Riches of His Grace through
the allone merrits of Jesus. Also I Comit my body to ye
Earth decently to be buried and there to rest unto the Resu-
rection of the Just. And for my wuldly Est. boath Reall and
personall, I dispose of it as followeth :

Imprimis : All my just debts and funerall Charges being
paid by my wife whom I make my Sole Executrix of my will
and I do will and bequeath unto my Eldest Sonn John Mead
the Just Sum of five Shilings, besides what I haue alredy
Giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

2lly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Joseph Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I haue
alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

3lly: My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Ebinezer Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I
haue alredy giuen him to be paid by my executrix.

4lly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Jonathan Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I
haue alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

5lly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn

24 The Mead Family.

Dauid Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I haue
alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

611y: My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Benjamen Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I
haue alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

7lly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Nathaniell Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I
haue alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

Slly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my Sonn
Sam'll Mead ye Just sum of five Shilings besides what I haue
alredy giuen him to be paid by my Executrix.

glly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my daughter
Hannah Scoful ye full & Just sum of five Shilings to be paid by
my Executrix.

lolly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my
daughter Abagaile ye Just sum of five Shilings to be paid by
my Executrix.

I illy: My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my
daughter Mary ye Just sum of five Shilings to be paid by my
Executrix.

I2lly : My will is and I do will and bequeath unto my dear
and loueing Hannah Mead all my Estate Reall and Personall
which I haue not disposed of to my Children Either by Will
or gifts. She paying the seuerall Legacies as before Exprest
for her Comfortable Subsistanc in this world and to be wholly
at her disposal to distribute.

Lastly : My will is that my Sonns Joseph, Ebinezer, and
Benjamen be ouerseers to se yt this my Last Will & Testament
be fully & Carefully performed to see yt their mother be
Carefully prouided for.

In Confermatiox yt this is my Last will & Testament,! haue
hereunto Sett my hand and Scale this i6 of March, 1695-6.

his
John + Mead
mark
Signed & Sealed in Presence of us :

Sallomon Treat
Zackariah Mead.

The aboue writen Will was acnolidged by
John Mead Senir. to bee his own free act
& deed this 24th INIarch, 1697 in Stanfford
before me.

Jonathan Bell.

Commissioner,

The Family in Greenwich. 25

John Mead (i), it is supposed, was buried in an old burying-
ground a little southwest from the old one yet in existence on
Greenwich Point. All traces of this burial place are now re-
moved, the tombstones having been taken to build fences, and
the ground often ploughed over without any respect for those
who lie sleeping there.

Up to 1703 all town meetings had been held in Greenwich
" Old Town," but in that year it was voted that they should be
held one half of the time at Horseneck. Also about this time
there was quite an emigration from the old settlement to the
western and northwestern parts of the town, so that in 1704 the
settlement had become so large that it was found impossible
for one minister to attend to the wants of the inhabitants at
both Horseneck and Old Greenwich; therefore, in 1705 an
agreement " betwene ye Inhabitants on ye East sid of Myanos
River and ye Inhabitants of sd Grenwich on ye West sid of sd
Myanos River " was entered into, whereby the town was
divided into two societies. The First Society being on " ye
East sid of sd Myanos River," and the Second being on " ye
West sid of sd Myanos River."

At a town meeting held in Greenwich at Horseneck, June
15, 1716, "Mr, Ebinezer Mead and others were chozen to lay
out the landing and highway on the Northside of horseneck
brook."

CHAPTER IV.

THE FAMILY IN NEW YORK STATE— DUTCHESS, SAR-
ATOGA, WESTCHESTER, CHENANGO, WARREN, AND
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTIES.

NATHAN MEAD, the third son of John (2), removed to
Dutchess County, New York, and settled at Amenia. He
died February 14, 1777, leaving two children, Nathan and Job
(i) ; the latter was born in 1735, and married Mercy King. Job
(i) located at Nine Partners, and contributed toward the build-
ing of the " Red Meeting-House," which was built in 1758 ; he
served as captain in the Revolutionary War, and died April
23, 1819. His family was as follows: Rebecca, Job (2), who
served in the War of 1812, Nathan, Mercy, and Joshua.

Jonathan Mead (2), born in Horseneck, the eldest son of Jon-
athan (i), who was the fourth son of John (i), removed to
Dutchess County, New York, and settled at Nine Partners.
His children settled in Chenango County, New York, and in
Wyoming, Northumberland, and Crawford Counties, Pennsyl-
vania.

^Zachariah, born about 1735, of the Joseph line, son of * Nehe-
miah, who was the sixth son of the second ^ Joseph, settled
at Ballston, Saratoga County, New York, before the Revo-
lutionary War, and probably had ' Israel and " Isaiah ; ° Isaiah
had ' Ebenezer who had * Hosea.

In the early part of 1752 the First Presbyterian Society of

The Family in New York State. 27

South Salem decided to call a minister ; accordingly a con-
vention was held at Salem on the nineteenth day of May, 1752,
and the Rev. Solomon Mead of Greenwich was ordained.

The upper part of Westchester County was almost a wilder-
ness when " Parson Solomon," as he was frequently called, un-
dertook the task of planting an independent church at that
place and for some time he was in the habit of riding up
weekly from Greenwich on horseback. His first residence
stood on the property of Mr. William Hoyt, near the home of
his grandson, the late Richard Mead ; but a few years before
his death he removed to the residence of his son, Martin.

The Rev. Solomon Mead was the fifth son of Ebenezer
Mead (2) born in Horseneck, December 25, 1725, graduate of
Yale College, class of 1748. He married January i, 1755, for
his first wife Hannah, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Benjamin
Strong, minister at Stanwich, Connecticut, and had by her two
children, Theodosia and Andrew, His first wife died October
20, 1761. He married second, Hannah, daughter of Thomas C.
Clark of Waterbury, Connecticut. This marriage took place
in the depth of winter. He rode the fifty miles from South
Salem on horseback, but arrived so late that all the guests had
departed. Some, however, were recalled and the pair were
married at midnight. After the ceremony their wedding tour
consisted of a horseback ride, she on a pillion behind, as was
the custom in those days, from Waterbury to South Salem, in
a terrible snowstorm, in order not to disappoint those who had
been invited to a reception at South Salem. His children by
his second wife were: Clark, of Lewisboro, and Martin, of
Lewisboro. He died on the fifth day of September, 18 12, in
the eighty-seventh year of his age, having been pastor of the
South Salem Presbyterian Church for over forty-eight years,
having resigned in 1800 on account of ill-health caused by
paralysis.

28 The Mead Family.

His tombstone is to be seen in the burying-ground in South
Salem, where many others of the Mead family lie buried. The
inscription on the stone is as follows :

" Memory of the
Rev, Solomon Mead
First Pastor of the Presbyterian
Church in this place, JE 86.
He had the charge of this people
48 years,
Ob. September, 1812.
While marble monuments decay,
The Righteous live in endless day,
And earthly temples turn to dust.
Blest is the memory of the just."

Enoch Mead, second son of Ebenezer Mead (3) and brother
of Major Ebenezer Mead (4) of the War of 18 12, was born in
Horseneck, April 9, 1756, and married in his twentieth year,
February i, 1776, Jemima, daughter of Caleb Mead, also in
her twentieth year, born August 12, 1756. He and his bride,
as a wedding tour, took a trip through Massachusetts on horse-
back, and on their return settled about half a mile south of
Lake Waccabuc on the New York and Albany post road. Here
he built a log house in which was born his eldest son, Solomon,
but from this he soon moved to the house still standing (built
during the Revolutionary War), which is now owned and oc-
cupied by his descendants, and known as " Elmdon."

Enoch Mead at one time during the Revolutionary War
was colonel's clerk in Lieutenant-Colonel John Mead's Regi-
ment. His family consisted of nine children. He died Sep-
tember 10, 1807, and his widow April 4, 1837.

Scharf in his History of Westchester County, N. V., states
that " Colonel Enoch Mead at one time during the Revolu-
tionary War served on the staff of his brother, General Ebenezer
Mead." This is a gross misrepresentation, as ofificial records
show that if this Ebenezer Mead served in the Revolu-

The Family in New York State. 29

tionary War at all, he served as a private only. After the war,
however, he gained distinction as a training master in the
militia, and rose to the rank of Major-General, but served as
Major in the War of 1812.

" Elias S. Mead, born March 21, 1801, of the Joseph line as
follows: 'William, 'Joseph (i), 'Joseph (2), 'Israel, 'John.
Elias at the time of his mother's death was but eleven years old,
when a neighbor evinced great partiality for him, and desired
his father to give or bind the boy to him, promising to make
him his heir, as he had no children of his own. His father did
so, believing it to be for the best interest of the child, as the
man was reputed wealthy. Unfortunately, however, the man
soon formed intemperate habits, and moved from place to
place, wasting his wealth rapidly. In his travels he stopped a
short time at South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New
York, where he formed some very pleasant acquaintances
and sincere friends, so that when his guardian began to pre-
pare for another move, he resolved to leave the man who had
failed to fulfil his part of the contract by neglecting entirely to
send him to school. The advice of his friends strengthened
this resolution, and when his adopted parents took their leave
of South Bainbridge, he remained. He gained in time many
warm friends, and by industry and application obtained what
was then considered a good common school education.

When twenty-two years of age he married Sophia F. Wil-
liams, who was in her eighteenth year. She died July 18, 1842,
leaving a family of six children. Three years later he married
Beulah Applington, and had by her two children. One died at
three years of age, and the other, Ella J., acquired considera-
ble reputation as an elocutionist and dramatic reader. He
died in South Bainbridge, November 13, 1859.

Jonathan Mead (3), born in Horseneck about 1727, the eldest
son of Jonathan (2), who was the eldest son of Jonathan (i),

30 The Mead Family.

the fourth son of John (i), was married in 1758 to Sarah Guern-
sey, born in 1736. He went with his father to Nine Partners,
Dutchess County, New York, and afterwards removed to
Chenango County, New York. He died February 10, 1804,
leaving him surviving the following children : Amos, Jonathan
(4), Ruth, Sarah, Samuel, Thompson (Colonel), who served in
the War of 18 12, and Rachel.

James Mead, born in Horseneck, January 8, 1769, the fifth
son of Jeremiah, who was the third son of Caleb, who was the
eldest son of Ebenezer, the third son of John (i), removed to
the Town of Chester, Warren County, New York, about the
year 1795. He married, the following year, Anna Potter, of
the same county, born June 26, i j'jj, and settled in the northern
part of the Town of Chester upon wild land, where he remained
until his death, which occurred September 16, 1837. His wife
survived him thirty-three years and attained the ripe age of
ninety-three. They left a large family consisting of ten chil-
dren, eight of whom were still living in 1873 ; the oldest was
seventy-six, the youngest fifty-three, and their combined ages
were five hundred and thirty-nine years. Three years previous,
while the mother and brother James were living, their united
ages were six hundred and sixty-six years.

Jasper Mead, born in Horseneck, June 16, 1760, the eldest
son of Nathaniel, who was the second son of John (3), who
was the eldest son of John (2), the eldest son of John (i), re-
moved to the Town of Chester, Warren County, New York,
about the year 1799. He married Sarah, daughter of Titus
Mead, born March 27, 1762, by whom he had Rachel, Bush,
Titus, Sally, Shadrach, Andrew, Nathaniel, and Charity.

The St. Lawrence County family is descended from the Ver-
mont branch. (See Vermont family.)

There are a great many Meads living in and around Lake
Waccabuc, Westchester County, New York, and elsewhere in

The Family in New York State. 31

the eastern part of the State, who claim that they are descended
from the Horseneck (Greenwich) family, but for the lack of
complete family records are unable to trace their genealogy
back to that place. The author after years of research has
also been unable to find the connecting link, or identify them
with any branch of this family, but believes they are undoubt-
edly descended from Daniel and Richard, who were children of
the first Joseph.

CHAPTER V.

THE FAMILY IN VERMONT AND ST. LAWRENCE
COUNTY, NEW YORK.

TIMOTHY MEAD (i), the fourth son of Jonathan (i), who
was the fourth son of John (i), was born in Horseneck,
but moved from there with his family before 1754 to a place
called Nine Partners, from the first settlers who were nine
in number, in Dutchess County, New York, and located a few
miles from his cousin, Nathan.

During the year 1769, Timothy (i) with five sons, Timothy
(2), Zebulon, James (Colonel), Stephen, Ezra, and one daughter,
emigrated from Nine Partners to Rutland County, Vermont.
Three of the sons, Zebulon, James (Colonel), and Ezra, settled
on Otter Creek, West Rutland, between what is now known as
Mead's Mills, or Centre Rutland, and Sutherland Falls. These
were the first white people that ever settled in Vermont.
Colonel James on the thirtieth of September, 1769, made his
first purchase of land in Rutland. There were seventy rights
in the whole town, one right containing three hundred and
fifty acres. He bought twenty rights for i^ioo and sold ten
the same day for ;^40, retaining ten rights, or thirty-five hun-
dred acres. The first night Colonel James spent in Rutland,
he, with his wife, occupied an Indian wigwam on the banks of
Otter Creek, a short distance below Centre Rutland, the In-
dians kindly vacating it and giving them possession. That

The Family in V^ermont. 33

same fall he built a log house half a mile west of Centre Rut-
land near the banks of West Creek. The following year, 1770,
he was forty years old, with a wife and ten children. The first
white child born in Rutland, Vermont, is said to have been
William, born September 24, 1770, the eleventh child of Colonel
James. The twelfth and youngest child James, was born
December 12, 1773. William, the eleventh child, moved from
Vermont to Ohio. He often used to say that he remembered
riding behind his mother, on horseback, to a place of safety at
the time of the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777, and that
his brother James was carried by his mother in front, while he
held on behind. He died at Granville, Ohio, November 24,
1854, and on his tombstone is the following inscription:

" Capt.
William Mead

died

Nov. 24, 1854,

aged 84 years.

He was the first white child born

in Rutland."

His family consisted of three children.

Mrs. Mead died May 1 1, 1823, aged ninety-two. The follow-
ing is on her tombstone in the old cemetery at West Rutland :

" Mercy Mead relict of Col. James Mead."

Stephen, the fourth child of Timothy (i), settled on Otter
Creek three miles below Sutherland Falls, in the Town of
Pittsford. He had a family of thirteen children.

The daughter of Timothy (i) married one of the Stark
family.

Zebulon and Ezra, who also settled on Otter Creek, had
families consisting of eleven and fourteen children respective-
ly. Cary, the third son of Zebulon, married Judith Sampson.
They moved to Ohio in 1808, and first settled in a cabin about

34 The Mead Family.

five miles west of Granville, Licking County, near where the
town of Alexandria now stands. They afterwards moved on to
a farm about half a mile south of Granville. The next removal
of this family was to what was then known as Cook's settle-
ment, now the village of Appleton, where the parents died.

Timothy (2) settled in Manchester, Bennington County, Ver-
mont and had a family of thirteen children. Henry Mead, the
son of Jacob, who was the son of Timothy (2), was born in
Manchester, Vermont, December 25, 1784, where he lived until
1805, when he went to Canton, St. Lawrence County, New
York, which was nearly all wilderness at that time, there being
only six families in that town. He began clearing a piece of
land, but the mosquitoes and black flies were so thick that it was
almost impossible to work. The only way he could work was
to keep a bush in his hand, and each time he struck a blow with
the axe, the leaves would brush the insects from his face. He
stayed in Canton until 1806, when he returned to Vermont,
remaining there until 18 12. He served three months in the
War of 1 8 12 when he received his discharge and went back to
Canton through fifty miles of woods on foot. He married in
1 8 16, and settled on a farm in the southern part of the Town
of Canton, where he spent the remainder of his life. His
family consisted of ten children.

CHAPTER VI.

THE FAMILY IN PENNSYLVANIA.

AMONG others of note descended from the Greenwich fam-
ily, there is the Hon. David Mead, the pioneer to the
waters of French Creek, and one of the first settlers of the
pleasant village which bears his name, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
He was born at Hudson, New York, January 17, 1752. His
father, Darius, the son of Jonathan (2), who was the eldest son
of Jonathan (i), the fourth son of John (i), was a native of
Connecticut, as was also his mother, whose maiden name was
Ruth Curtis, who had, besides David, Asahel, John, Ruth,
Darius, Betsy, and Joseph. Darius Mead purchased a farm in
Hudson to which he removed before the birth of any of his
children, and there resided until his eldest son, this David, had
arrived at his twenty-first year. He then sold his estate and
left New York for Pennsylvania, and in connection with his son
became proprietor, under a Pennsylvania title, to some valuable
lands in WyomingCounty; but in consequence of adverse claims
under Connecticut titles, they with the rest of the family took
up their residence on the western bank of the North Branch
of the Susquehanna River, about six miles above the Town of
Northumberland, a few years before the commencement of the
Indian depredations in that region in 1778.

About the year 1774, David Mead married Agnes, daughter
of John and Janet Wilson of Northumberland County, by
whom he had nine children.

36 The Mead Family.

At an early period in the Revolutionary struggle, the incur-
sions of the Indians were becoming so frequent and bloodthirsty
on the frontiers of Pennsylvania, as to put the inhabitants to
flight. For a long time during the war, numerous were the
scenes of savage bloodshed and cruelty, and great was the dis-
tress of the people in that vicinity. Asahel, second son of
Darius, fell a victim to his bravery and Indian barbarity. He
was found killed and mutilated in the most shocking manner.

David Mead removed his family to Sunbury, where he com-
menced business as an innkeeper, and where he also erected a
distillery. Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary War,
he returned to his property in Wyoming County, thinking the
disputes as to his title had ended. In this, however, he was
greatly mistaken, and for three years more he contested the
claim, but was finally compelled to vacate the property and
go back to Sunbury. He was, on the tenth day of September,
1783, commissioned Justice of the Peace for the County of
Northumberland.

Eli Mead, a brother of Darius, also settled in Northumber-
land County, and was appointed and commissioned a Justice
of the Peace and also a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas
for the District of Wyoming and County of Northumberland
on the fourteenth day of July, 1786.

On the evening of May 12, 1788, a party of ten men built
their camp-fire beneath a wild cherry tree on the banks of
French Creek, near the present site of the Mercer Street
Bridge, Meadville, Pennsylvania. They were the first settlers
in Crawford County, and the party consisted of David Mead,
his brothers, Darius, John, and Joseph, and others from North-
umberland County, Pennsylvania. On the next day these
pioneers built a cabin on the deserted corn fields of the Indians
on the bottom, between the Cussewago and French Creeks, and
commenced their first planting. David Mead first located west

The Family in Pennsylvania. 37

of the creek, designating his tract " Cussewago Island," and
afterwards built a double log house on a bluff on French
Creek, where is now the residence of Mr. James E. McFarland.
This house was built with a view of defence against Indian
attacks and was surrounded with a stockade fifteen feet high
and protected by a small square log block-house on the north-
west corner.

John Mead settled on the west side of the creek, north of
the Cussewago Island survey, and Darius and Joseph settled in
Warren County.

In the fall of 1788, the Mead settlers brought their wives
and families from Northumberland County. In the David
Mead house was the first white child born in Crawford County,
his daughter Sarah, afterwards the wife of the Rev. Mr. Satter-
field of Mercer County. Within two years David Mead built
a sawmill on the north side of a deep precipitous ravine,
then extending from the present property of Mr. James E.
McFarland to the north side of the red mill. The power for
this mill was supplied by a small stream long since gone.

During the year 1789 the little colony known as " Mead's
Settlement" was reinforced by the arrival of other families.
On April i, 1791, the settlers were warned by Flying Cloud, a
friendly Indian, of threatened danger from the hostile western
tribes, and on the same day eleven strange Indians were seen
a few miles northwest of the settlement. The women and
children of the colony were gathered within the Mead house
and on the next day sent in canoes to Fort Franklin. A
friendly Indian chief. Half Town, was encamped here at the
time with twenty-seven of his braves. Twelve of these he
sent to guard the canoes, six on each side of the creek, and
with his remaining warriors he joined the settlers in a fruitless
search for the hostile tribes. On the following day all the men
departed for Fort Franklin with their horses, cattle, and mov-

38 The Mead Family.

able effects. On May third, a party consisting of Gregg, Ray,
and Van Home, returned to plant the spring crops. Stopping
for the night at Gregg's cabin, they shelled a bag of corn, part of
which they ground the next morning at the Mead house. Ar-
riving at the corn field, Van Home laid his gun on the bag of
seed corn and ploughed, while Gregg and Ray planted. At
noon Gregg and Ray returned to the Mead house for dinner
and fresh horses. While ploughing. Van Home saw two In-
dians emerge from the woods. The one dropping his bow and
the other his gun, they rushed to the attack with their toma-
hawks. Van Home grasped the uplifted arm of the first
savage and entered on a struggle for his life. By his superior
strength he shielded himself from the attack of his formidable
foe with the body of his weaker antagonist, and called loudly
for help. After a time the Indians promised his life on condi-
tion of surrender, which he did. Mounting the horses. Van
Home between them, they crossed the Cussewago Creek and
entering a ravine on the hillside they met two other Indians.
They then tied the hands of their prisoner and three of them
returned to the corn field. Van Home and the remaining In-
dian rode the horses to Conneaut Lake and crossed the outlet.
Here they dismounted and Van Home was tied by the ends of
the rope, which secured his arms, to a tree, while his captor
left in search of game. With a knife he had secreted he suc-
ceeded in cutting the rope and made his escape to the settle-
ment, where by good fortune he found thirty soldiers under
Ensign Jeffers on their return from Erie to Fort Franklin.

Gregg and Ray returning with the horses discovered the
three Indians and fled, crossing the Cussewago Creek near its
mouth. Gregg, after reaching the opposite bank, was wounded
and while seated on a log he was shot by his pursuers
through the head with his own gun. Ray was captured and
carried to Detroit, then occupied by a British garrison. Here

The Family in Pennsylvania. 39

he was recognized by an old schoolmate of his boyhood in
Scotland, Captain White, who purchased him from the Indians
for two gallons of whiskey, furnished him with money and
sent him on a vessel to Buffalo, from whence he was piloted to
Fort Franklin by Stripe Neck, a friendly Indian, and soon
afterwards he permanently settled in the northwest corner of
Mead Township, Pennsylvania.

In the summer of the same year Darius Mead, the father,
was captured near Fort Franklin by Captain Bull, a Delaware
chief, in a field where he was at work, and carried to the
vicinity of Conneaut Lake. Some days afterwards he was
found with one of the Indians; both were dead, and bore
marks of violence that showed that there had been a terrible
struggle. It was thought probable that the other Indian
had been severely wounded in the encounter, from the fact
that he had left his companion unburied. They were buried
side by side where found, near Shenango Creek, Mercer County.

The exposure of the frontier by the defeats of General Har-
mer, October, 1790, and General St. Clair, November, 1791,
necessitated the abandonment of the settlement on French
Creek during the greater part of 1791 and 1792. During the
winter of those years the Mead house was garrisoned by a de-
tachment of fifteen men from Fort Franklin. The command
of the army in 1793 by General Wayne encouraged the return
of settlers, who were for a time protected by a garrison of
twenty-four soldiers under Ensign Lewis Bond ; but the garri-
son was soon withdrawn, and the greater part of the settlers
were compelled to return to Fort Franklin, and David Mead
immediately wrote to Colonel Nevill, who had command of
the forces on the frontier in that vicinity, as follows :

, CussEWAUGO, July II, 1793.

Sir: — We are just informed that the Federal troops at this
station have been ordered to march in a few days down the

40 The Mead Family.

Ohio. Of course the post will be evacuated, and the settle-
ment of the country much discouraged. Therefore, we request
that you will be pleased to order a surjeant's command of
State troops to support the Post. But should it not be in
your power to grant us any relief, we wish you to let us know
by the first opportunity what prospects we can have, and also
that you forward the enclosed letter without delay.

I am, in behalf of the inhabitants, your most obedient and
very humble servant,

David Mead.

Restored confidence, however, in 1794, added many new
colonists, and substantial improvements were commenced.
Law was in some degree enforced and a small company of
militia was organized under the command of Ensign Van
Home. Indian alarms were not infrequent, and many times
the Mead house gave refuge to the women and children from
apprehended danger. The crushing defeat of the western
Indians by General Wayne, August 20, 1794, restored safety
to the frontier and many settlements were made on the navi-
gable streams of Crawford County.

Previous to this David Mead had laid out the nucleus of the
present city of Meadville, and had sold a few lots as early as
February, 1793. In 1795 the town was resurveyed by David
Mead and others, who had become interested with him. On
June 3rd of this year occurred the last demonstration of Indian
hostility in that County.

The first school was opened by Janet, daughter of Robert Fin-
ney, afterwards the second wife of David Mead, in 1795 in a log
house on North Market Street. The following incident, which
has been preserved by tradition, shows her strong character.
In 1793 or 1794, William Gill took possession of and settled
on the tract of land directly north of the Lord tract on French
Creek. He built a cabin and raised corn and potatoes during
the summer. In the fall he went to Pittsburgh, where his
family were, intending to la}^ in supplies and return with his

The Family in Pennsylvania. 41

family. But, owing to the winter setting in early, he deferred
his return until the following spring. When he arrived, he
found the cabin occupied by Jenny Finney, who claimed pos-
session of the land and stood in the door with rifle in hand
and warned him to leave the premises ; or, if he attempted to
dispossess her, she would put a ball through him. Mr. Gill,
believing discretion the better part of valor, abandoned the
claim and went farther up the stream. Jenny Finney re-
mained in possession long enough to perfect her claim, and in
1797 married David Mead, by whom she had six children. Per-
haps the general could not have selected a more suitable com-
panion. She was well educated, possessed a strong mind, an
indomitable will and great energy of character. The tract
of land settled by her finally became the property of her
daughter, Maria, who married William Gill, the son of her
mother's adversary in the land claim, and in the end, singularly
enough, the descendants of the contending parties became
joint owners of the property.

In 1796, David Mead received his patent from the common-
wealth of Pennsylvania to his tract of land at Meadville, which
is given as follows in the Tribune-Republican, Meadville, Penn-
sylvania, May II, 1888:

The Commonwealth of Penn'a. •

To All To Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greet-
ing:

Know Ye, That in consideration of the sum of forty-two
pounds, seventeen and nine pence lawful money now paid by
Daniel Meade into the Receiver General's Office of this Com-
monwealth there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto
the said David Meade a certain tract of land called Meade
Ville situate, including an improvement, on the West side of
the River Ohio, Allegany and Connewango Creek, in Alle-
gany County, Beginning at a black oak near French Creek,
thence by land of Capt'n Jeffers, North seventy-five degrees,
East four hundred and eight perches to a white oak, thence by

42 The Mead Family.

land of Hugh Dupry, North one hundred and forty-four
perches to a Post, thence by land of William Mead, South
seventy-five degrees. West eighty-one perches to a Post, North
forty-one perches to a Post, South seventy-five degrees, West
two hundred and seventy-one perches to a Post at an Island,
and thence down French Creek, by the several Courses thereof
three hundred and twelve perches to the Beginning, containing
four hundred and thirty-nine Acres, one hundred fifty-six
perches and allowances of six per Cent for roads &c. Which said
tract was surveyed in pursuance of an Act of the General As-
sembly passed the 3rd April, 1792, for William Mead, Who
by Deed dated i January, 1796, conveyed the same to the
said David Meade, to whom a warrant of acceptance issued the
12 January instant with the appurtenances. To Have and
To Hold the said tract or parcel of land, with the appurte-
nances, unto the said David Meade and his Heirs to the use
of him the said David Meade his Heirs and Assigns for-
ever, free and clear of all restrictions and reservations as to
Mines, Royalties, Quit-rents, or otherwise, excepting and re-
serving only the fifth part of all the Gold and Silver Ore for
the use of this commonwealth to be delivered at the pitt's
month clear of all charges.

In Witness Whereof, Thomas Miiifiin, Governor of the
said commonwealth hath hereto set his hand, and caused the
State Seal to be hereunto afifixed the fifteenth day of January
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-
six, and of the commonwealth the twentieth.

Attest :
James Trimble,
Deputy Sec.

At the close of the century the village consisted in great
part of log houses scattered on Dock, Water, Chestnut, Centre,
and Walnut Streets. A few frame buildings had been erected,
some of which remain to this day. The residence owned by
Mrs. Byllsby on North Water and Market Streets was built
for General David Mead in 1796.

Upon the organization of Crawford County, March 12, 1800,
General David Mead was appointed one of the Associate
Judges, but resigned the following December. In September,
1803, he was again appointed, and served continuously on the
bench until the time of his death. During the Revolutionary

The Family in Pennsylvania. 43

War he was 2nd Ensign, Colonel Hunter's Battalion, Captain
John Simpson's Company, Associated Battalions and Militia
of Pennsylvania. He was appointed Major-General of the
Fourteenth, and afterwards of the Sixteenth Division Penn-
sylvania Militia, and during the War of 1812, rendered import-
ant services to Commodore Perry. In the summer of 1812,
Captain Daniel Dobbins, of Erie, was sent by General David
Mead to Washington as a bearer of dispatches, and was the
first person who gave the Government reliable information
of the loss of Mackinaw and Detroit. At his solicitation a
naval station was established on the Lake and the construc-
tion of a fleet was immediately commenced. The command
on the Lake was assigned to Lieutenant Oliver Hazard Perry,
who arrived at Erie on the twenty-seventh day of March, 1813.
His first step was to provide for the defence of the position.
To that end he sent immediately for General David Mead,
and their consultation resulted in a thousand militia being
ordered to rendezvous at Erie on or before the twentieth day
of April.

During the earlier stages of the construction of the fleet in
the Bay of Presque Isle, considerable uneasiness was felt for
fear the enemy would attack Erie and destroy the vessels be-
fore they were capable of making a defence. Commodore
Perry urgently solicited General Mead to send a re-enforce-
ment of militia to assist in defending the town, as he was ex-
pecting an attack. The general at once issued the following
stirring appeal :

Citizens to Arms.

Your State is invaded. The enemy has arrived at Erie,
threatening to destroy our navy and the town. His course,
hitherto marked with rapine and fire wherever he touched our
shore, must be arrested. The cries of infants and women, of
the aged and infirm, the devoted victims of the enemy and his

44 The Mead Family.

savage allies, call on you for defense and protection. Your
honor, your property, your all, require you to march immedi-
ately to the scene of action. Arms and ammunition will be
furnished to those who have none, at the place of rendezvous
near to Erie, and every exertion will be made for your subsist-
ence and accommodation. Your service to be useful must be
rendered immediately. The delay of an hour may be fatal to
your country, in securing the enemy in his plunder and favoring
his escape.

David Mead, Maj. Gen., i6th D. P. M.

On the seventh day of August, 1813, the entire fleet was
successfully launched. General Mead and staff visited Com-
modore Perry in the afternoon of the same day, and the latter
took occasion to thank the commander of the land forces in
the following letter, for the valuable assistance rendered him :

U. S. Sloop of War Lawrence,
Off Erie, August 7, 1813.
Sir: —

I beg leave to express to you the great obligation I consider
myself under for the ready, prompt and efficient service ren-
dered by the militia under your command, in assisting us in
getting the squadron over the bar at the mouth of the harbor,
and request you will accept, Sir, the assurance that I shall
always recollect with pleasure the alacrity with which you re-
paired, with your division, to the defense of the public property
at this place, on the prospect of an invasion.
With great respect I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

O. H. Perry.

Maj. Gen. David Mead,

Pennsylvania Militia, Erie.

On the twenty-second day of October, 1813, Commodore
Perry wrote General Mead, as follows:

Erie, October 22, 1813.
Dear Sir : —

It may be some satisfaction to you and your deserving corps,
to be informed that you did not leave your harvest fields, in
August last, for the defense of this place, without cause. Since
the capture of Gen'l Proctor's baggage by Gen'l Harrison, it is

The Family in Pennsylvania. 45

ascertained beyond doubt that an attack was at that time medi-
tated on Erie ; and the design was frustrated by the failure of
Gen'l Vincent to furnish the number of troops promised and
deemed necessary. I have the honor to be, dear sir,

Your obedient Servant,

O. H. Perry.

Maj. Gen. David Mead,

Meadville.

In heig^ht General David Mead was head and shoulders above
the average, being six feet three and a half inches, exceedingly
well proportioned, of striking appearance and of great bodily
strength. He died after a short illness, August 23, 18 16.

CHAPTER VII.

THE FAMILY IN MILITARY AND CIVIL AFFAIRS
DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD.

WHILE Connecticut furnished more than her actual quota
of men for active service in the different Colonial
Wars, King William's War, 1689-1697, Queen Anne's War
1702-1713, and King George's War 1744-1748, still the author
has been unable to find any record of any company, detach-
ment, or squad of men having enlisted from Greenwich, nor any
individual members of the Mead family, except as follows :

King George's War i 744-1 748.

James Mead, Ensign. The Assembly of June 19, 1746,
resolved to raise one thousand men (including offi-
cers) for an expedition against Canada, and James
Mead was appointed and commissioned to be Ensign
of Captain Joseph Wooster's Company of Foot to be
raised in Connecticut. This is the first record of any
of the family in Connecticut or New York having
served in the Army.

It is probable, however, that other members of the family
were in active service during one or more of these wars, but as
the original muster and pay rolls are still missing it is im-
possible to secure any authentic data with reference to their
Connecticut war record during that time. It is hoped that the
researches of future generations wull bring to light all the
original rolls.

Durino- the Colonial Period. 47

;::>

The French and Indian War, i 754-1 764.

The first muster and pay rolls that have been turned in and
are now on file in the State Library at Hartford, Connecticut,
are those of the French and Indian War, but as so many of them
are missing it is impossible to obtain a complete list of those
members of the family who were in active service during this
war from the Colony of Connecticut. Connecticut was largely
drawn upon for troops. Young men were pressed into the ser-
vice, and as Greenwich, during the early part of the war, had
no volunteer company, several of the inhabitants were pressed.
James Green, now long since dead, used to relate that while a
company of young people, himself among the number, were
quietly enjoying themselves at the tavern, then kept by Henry
Mead, they were surprised by a press-gang, and several of them
forced into the service, while he with a few others escaped
through a window. Soon after this a volunteer company was
raised. This company under the command of Captain Thomas
Hobby afterwards performed active service in the campaign of
1759 against Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point in the 3rd
Connecticut Regiment, Colonel David Wooster. The author
has secured such names as he could find from the original
muster and pay rolls, also from Hoadley's Colonial Records of
Connecticiit, and Collections of the Historical Society of N'eiv
York for 1891, which are as follows:

CONNECTICUT FORCES.

1755-

Expedition against Crown Point.
French and Indians repulsed at Battle of Lake George,

September 9.

Thaddeus Mead, of Norwalk, 2nd Lieutenant, 4th Company,
1st Regiment.

48 The Mead Family.

Joseph Mead, of Greenwich, Corporal, Captain Thomas
Hobby's Company. Enlisted September ii, discharged
December 4.

Gershom Mead, of Greenwich, Private, Captain Thomas
Hobby's Company. Enlisted September 8, discharged
December 24.

Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, Private, Captain Samuel Han-
ford's Company. Enlisted September 8, discharged
January i, 1755.

1756.

Expedition against Canada, campaign ended without any

engagement.

Thaddeus Mead, of Norwalk, Commissary of the 3rd Regi-
ment.

James Mead, of Greenwich, Private, Captain David Water-
bury 's Company. Enlisted April 21, discharged Novem-
ber 24.

1757-
Connecticut troops at Fort Edward.

Caleb Mead, of Greenwich, Lieutenant, Captain White's
Company, Colonel Jonathan Hart's Regiment.

James Mead, of Greenwich, Private, Captain David Water-
bury's Company. Enlisted February 28. In the same
Company last year.

1758.

Expedition against Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga.
Colonial forces repulsed at storming of the Fort.

Thaddeus Mead, of Norwalk, ist Lieutenant, 8th Company,
4th Regiment, Colonel David Wooster. Enlisted
March 27, discharged November 13.

James Mead, of Greenwich, Ensign, 5th Company, 4th Regi-
ment, Colonel David Wooster.

Joseph Mead, of Greenwich, Ensign, 6th Company, 4th
Regiment, Colonel David Wooster.

Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, Quartermaster, 4th Regiment,
Colonel David Wooster.

Joshua Mead, of Norwalk, Private, Captain Archibald Mc-
Neil's Company, 4th Regiment. Enlisted April 19,
discharged November 12.

During the Colonial Period. 49

GerSHOM Mead, of Greenwich, Private, Captain Isaac Isaac's
Company, 4th Regiment. Enlisted May 12, discharged
October 30.

1759-

Expedition against Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga.

Fort Ticonderoga evacuated July 27.

Amos Mead, of Greenwich, Surgeon, 3rd Regiment.
Thaddeus Mead, of Norwalk, Captain, 9th Company, 3rd
Regiment. Enlisted March 22, discharged December 3.

CAPTAIN hobby's COMPANY OF GREENWICH.

James Mead, 2nd Lieutenant, 4th Company, 3rd Regiment.
Enlisted March 22, discharged December 4.

Joseph Mead, Ensign, 4th Company, 3rd Regiment. En-
listed March 22, discharged December 4.

Sylvanus Mead, Corporal, 4th Company, 3rd Regiment.
Enlisted April 2, discharged December 5.

Eliphalet Mead, Private, 4th Company, 3rd Regiment.
Enlisted April 2, discharged December 7.

Jesse Mead, Private, 4th Company, 3rd Regiment. Enlisted
April 16, discharged December 5.

captain SAMUEL HUBBELL'S COMPANY.

Joseph Mead, of Norwalk, Private, 3rd Regiment. Enlisted
May 20, discharged December 3.

captain ARCHIBALD McNEIL'S COMPANY.

Joseph Mead, of Norwalk, Private, 3rd Regiment. Enlisted
April 15, discharged October 21.

1760.
Expedition against Montreal.

Thaddeus Mead, of Norwalk, Captain, loth Company, 3rd
Regiment. Said to have been killed during this cam-
paign, probably at the storming of Oswegatchie in
August.

James Mead, of Greenwich, 2nd Lieutenant, 5th Company,
3rd Regiment, Colonel David Wooster. Killed.

Joseph Mead, of Greenwich, Ensign, 5th Company, 3rd
Regiment, Colonel David Wooster.
4

so The Mead Family.

1761.

Expedition against the Indians.

Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, Ensign, 12th Company, 2nd

Regiment.
JOSIAH Mead, of Greenwich, Private, Captain Thomas

Hobby's Company. EnHsted April 6, discharged

December 20.

Joshua Mead, of Norwalk, Private, Captain Amos Hitch-
cock's Company. Enlisted April 7, served four weeks.

1762.

Expedition against Havana.

Note — Eleven Companies of the 1st Regiment, March,
1762, joined the expedition against Havana. The loth Com-
pany of the 1st Regiment did not go, but served with the 2nd
Regiment at Crown Point.

Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, Ensign, 5th Company, 2nd
Regiment. Enlisted July 15, discharged December 7.

Jesse Mead, of Greenwich, Private, 5th Company, 2nd Regi-
ment. Enlisted March 19, discharged December 7.

NEW YORK FORCES.

1755-

Zebulon Mead, 2nd Lieutenant, Captain Peter VanDen-
bergh's Company of Dutchess County.

1756.

Zebulon Mead, 2nd Lieutenant, Captain Peter VanDen-
bergh's Company of Dutchess County.

Stephen Mead, Private, Captain VanDenbergh's Company
of Dutchess County.

1758.

John Mead, Private, Captain Jonathan Ogden's Company of
Westchester County.

1759-

Gershom Mead, Private, Captain Jas. Holmes' Company of
Westchester County. With the Connecticut forces in
1755 and 1758.

During the Colonial Period. 51

1760.

Gershom Mead, Private, Captain Wm. Gillchrist's Com-
pany of Westchester County. Killed.

Daniel Mead, Private, Captain Jacobus Swartout's Company
of Dutchess County.

Lewis Mead, Private, Captain Jacobus Swartout's Company
of Dutchess County.

One of the descendants of Surgeon Amos Mead, the Hon.
Seaman Mead, of Greenwich, Connecticut, has in his possession
an old flintlock-pistol and powder horn, which were carried by
him through the campaign of 1759, and upon the powder horn
is almost perfectly delineated, the relative positions and forts
of the hostile armies of Ticonderoga. This work was done by
Dr. Mead while in active service as Surgeon of the 3rd Con-
necticut Regiment. The horn, besides, has engraved upon it
the followine :

"Amos Mead,

" Surgn of ye 3d Conn Reg

" Ticonderoga October 1759."

While there is no official record of the services rendered by
Dr. Amos Mead, as Surgeon of ye 3rd Connecticut Regiment
during the campaign of 1759, still the author has seen his
original commission, which was duly issued under the Seal of
the Colony of Connecticut and signed by the Governor. This
document is also in the possession of the Hon. Seaman Mead.
There is, also, no official record of the services rendered by
Lieutenant Caleb Mead, of Greenwich, who served in Captain
White's Company, Colonel Jonathan Hart's Regiment, in the
campaign of 1757; but Mr. Walter C. Mead, of Denver, Colo-
rado, son of the Hon. Cornelius Mead, of Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, one of the descendants of Lieutenant Caleb Mead, has
in his possession the original order of Colonel Jonathan Hart
of the 9th Regiment to Lieutenant Caleb Mead, of which the
following is a copy :

The Mead Family.

To Lieut. Caleb Mead, Lieut, of the Eaftern Company in
Horfeneck,
Greeting you are hereby ordered & commanded to march
in perfon af Lieut, under Captain Stephen White at the
head of the fourth part of the Company to which you belong
which I have thif day ordered to march to the Relief & affift-
ance of hif Majefty'f forcef & garrifonf at fort Edward &c.
Given under my hand at Stamford
thif 7th day of Auguft, A.D., 1757.

(Signed) JONTH Hart,

Colonel of ye 9 Regiment.

The following is a copy of the Commiffion iffued to Lieu-
tenant Caleb Mead, May 29, 1745.

Jonathan Law, Esq. :
Governour and Commander in Chief of Hif

Majefty'f Colony of Connecticut in New

England.
To Caleb Mead, Gent., Greeting :

You being by the General Affembly of thif
Colony Accepted to be Lieutenant of the Eaft
Company or Train-band in the Town of Green-
wich Repofing fpecial Truft and Confidence in
your Loyalty, Courage and good Conduct, I do
by Virtue of the Letterf Patentf from the
Crown of England to thif Corporation, me
thereunto Enabling, Appoint and Impower
you to take the faid Train-band into your Care
and Charge af their Lieutenant carefully and
diligently to difcharge that Truft; Exercifing
your Inferior Officerf and Soldierf in the ufe
of their Armf according to the Difcipline of
War ; Keeping them in good Order and Gov-
ernment, and Commanding them to Obey you
af their Lieutenant for hif Majefty'f Service.
And you are to obferve all fuch Orderf & Direc-
tionf af from time to time you fhall receive either
from Me or from other your Superiour Ofificer,
purfuant to the Truft hereby repofed in you.

Given under my Hand and the Seal of thif
Colony in Hartford the 29th day of May In
the 1 8th Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign
Lord George the Second, King of Great-
Britain, &c. Annoque Domini 1745.

(Signed) J. Law.
By Hif Honour'f Command.
George Wyllvs, Seer.

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During the Colonial Period. 53

On March 2, 1756, it was voted "that Mr. Nehemiah Mead
should have Hberty to sell the Town stock of Powder as soon
as he can conveniently to ye Towns best advantage and lay
out all the money that he shall sell said powder for, in powder
that is good and put the same into Town stock as soon as he
conveniently can."

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS IN THE MILITIA FOR GREENWICH.

Ebenezer Mead (2), 1728, May 9, was commissioned Lieu-
tenant of the East Company, or train-band at Horse-
neck.

1738, May II, was commissioned Captain of the same
company.

Samuel Mead, 1728, May 9, was commissioned Lieutenant of
the West Company, or trainband at Horseneck.

John Mead (3), 1735, October 8, was commissioned Captain
of the West Company, or trainband at Horseneck.

Caleb Mead, 1745, May 29, was commissioned Lieutenant of
the East Company, or trainband in the Town of Green-
wich.

Benjamin Mead, 1758, May 11, was commissioned Ensign of
the West Company, or trainband in the Town of Green-
wich.

Benjamin Mead, Jr., 1767, October 2, was commissioned
Lieutenant of the new company, or trainband in the
Town of Greenwich.

John Mead (4), General, 1757, October 13, was commissioned
Lieutenant of the West Company of Greenwich.
1767, October 10, was commissioned Captain of the same
company.

1774, October 13, was commissioned Major in the 9th
Regiment.

Matthew Mead, 1773, May 13, was commissioned Captain of
the new company, or trainband of Greenwich.

Abraham Mead, Jr., 1774, May 12, was commissioned Cap-
tain of the Middle Company, or trainband of Green-
wich, 9th Regiment.

Ebenezer Mead (4), 1774, October 13, was commissioned En-
sign of the Middle Company, or trainband of Greenwich.

54 The Mead Family.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS IN THE MILITIA FOR
OTHER TOWNS.

Nehemiah Mead, 1746, was commissioned Ensign of the
2nd Company, or trainband in the town of Nonvalk.
1749, May 1 1, was commissioned Lieutenant of the same
company.

Stephen Mead, 1759, October 11, was commissioned Lieu-
tenant of the MiHtary Company in the Parish of Red-
ding, 4th Regiment.

1767, May II, was commissioned Captain of the com-
pany, or trainband in the west division of Redding
Parish.

Matthew Mead, 1773, May 13, was commissioned Captain of
the company, or trainband in Wilton Parish in the Town
of Norwalk.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FOR FAIRFIELD COUNTY.

Ebenezer Mead (i), 1703, 1705 to 1709, 17 14 to 1728 inclusive.

Ebenezer Mead (2), 1733 to 1758 inclusive.

Jabez Mead, 1761.

John Mead (3), 1753 and 1754.

Peter Mead, 1760 to 1774 inclusive.

Stephen Mead, 1768 to 1770 inclusive.

John Mead (4), General, 1769 to 1774 inclusive.

Amos Mead, M.D., 1774.

SURVEYOR FOR FAIRFIELD COUNTY.
Peter Mead, 1770, May 10, appointed by the Assembly.
DEPUTIES TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR GREENWICH.

Joseph Mead, 1669 and 1671.
John Mead (i), 1679, 1680 and 1686.
John Mead (2), 1691.

Ebenezer Mead (i), 1694, 1699, 1702 to 1704, 1709, 1711 to

1714, and 1716.
Ebenezer Mead (2), 1733, 1734, 1737 and ^73^'
Benjamin Mead (i), 1725 and 1727.
Jabez Mead, 1738 to 1744, inclusive.
John Mead (3), 1741 to 1754, inclusive.
Ebenezer Mead (3), 1744, 1745, 1747 and 175 1.

During the Colonial Period. 55

Jabez Mead (Jr.), 1751, 1753, and 1765.

Benjamin Mead (2), 1752, 1754, and 1755.

Eliphalet Mead, 1761.

Peter Mead, 1774 and 1775.

John Mead (4), General, 1767 to 1775, inclusive.

Amos Mead M.D., 1770 to 1774, inclusive.

DEPUTIES TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR OTHER TOWNS.

Samuel Mead, 1727, for Stamford.

Nehemiah Mead, 1749, for Norvvalk.

Stephen Mead, 1768 to 1770, inclusive, for Redding.

some probate matters.

1703, October 14, the Assembly upon the request of Rachel
Mead, widow and relict of Nathaniel Mead, late of the
Town of Greenwich, deceased, granted " full power to
Capt. Jonath. Sellick and Deacon Sam'll Hoyt to give
legall conveyances of severall parcells of land, which
the said Nathaniel Mead sold and alienated in his life-
time, but did not give deeds thereof, viz.: a small parcell
of woodland of about eight acres and a halfe lying in
the bounds of Greenwich and five roods of meadow
lying in the bounds of Stamford ; also his right in Cos-
cob Neck : also ten acres of land exchanged by the said
Nathaniel Mead for ten acres of land, which is inven-
toried to the estate of said Mead." The trustees re-
fused to accept the trust reposed in them and the
Assembly of October 13, 1709, appointed James Ferris,
Jr., of Greenwich, "who hath marryed the said Rachel
Mead, widow, to give legall and sufficient conveyances
to the severall pieces of land aforementioned."

1727, October 12, Josiah Mead, as Administrator of James
Ferris, petitioned the Assembly for permission to sell
decedent's real property.

1734, October lo, Susannah Mead, as Administratrix of James
Mead, late of Greenwich, petitioned the Assembly for
permission to sell decedent's real property.

1757, October 13, Nehemiah Mead, of Norwalk, appointed to
sell land of Amos Munrow, deceased, late of Ridgefield.

1760, May 10, Nathaniel Mead, petitioned the Assembly to
sell land of Jonathan Fiske, deceased, late of Greenwich.

56 The Mead Family.

1761, May 12, Matthew Mead and Jeremiah Mead, of Norwalk,
as Administrators of the Estate of Thaddeus Mead,
petitioned the Assembly for permission to seh decedent's
real property. This is said to be Captain Thaddeus
Mead, of the loth Company, 3rd Connecticut Regiment,
who was killed during the campaign of 1760.

1763, May 12, Jemima Mead, as Administratrix of James Mead,
deceased, late of Greenwich, petitioned the Assembly
for permission to sell decedent's real property.

177 1, May 9, Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, as Administrator of

Betty Whelpley, deceased, petitioned the Assembly for
permission to sell decedent's real property.

1772, May 14, Petition of Titus Mead and Sarah Mead, Ex-

ecutors of the will of Jabez Mead, who was Executor
of the will of David Mead, to sell land of David Mead,
deceased.

1772, May 14, Petition of Benjamin Mead, Jr., as Administra-
tor of Gideon Mead, deceased, for permission to sell
decedent's real property.

SOME LAW SUITS TAKEN ON APPEAL TO THE ASSEMBLY.

175 1, October 9, Justus Bush vs. Nathaniel Mead, costs allowed
respondent by the Assembly, ^17 os od. Old tenour.

1756, October 14, Nathaniel Barnum, of Danbury vs. Stephen

Mead, of Fairfield. Action to partition land. Decision
reserved by the Assembly and a new tryal ordered. Costs
to abide the event.

1757, May 12, on petition of Stephen Mead and Samuel Close

of Greenwich vs. Thomas Close. New tryal denied.
Costs allowed respondent ^4 15s 7d. Lawful money.

1763, May 12, on the petition of Gideon Reynolds vs. John

Mead. Prayer denied. Costs allowed respondent £2
9s 8d.

1764, October 11, on the same as above vs. Jonas Mead. Pe-

tition denied. Costs allowed respondent £2 17s 9d.
Lawful money.

1764, October 1 1, on petition of Josiah Mead, Executor of John
Marshall, et al. vs. John Marshall, Jr. Costs allowed re-
spondent £2 15s 4d. Lawful money.

1766, October 8, on petition of Josiah Mead of Greenwich vs.
John Marshall and William Bush, Amos Mead and
Ruth his wife, children and heirs of Justus Bush, de-
ceased, late of Greenwich, praying for the recovery of
certain real property.

CHAPTER YIII.

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

THE Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775, marks the be-
ginning of that long and bloody struggle for American
independence known as the Revolutionary War, during which,
half of the hardships, privations and sufferings undergone by
our ancestors, in defence and maintenance of their rights, has
never been told.

At the outbreak of the war, some, from their loyal and re-
ligious zeal immediately sided with the enemy. However,
they did not at that time openly avow their design. So little
spirit was shown on the part of the tories within the limits of
the town up to 1777, that a vote sustaining the Declaration of
Independence, and the Continental Congress was passed in
town meeting without a dissenting voice. Yet there were dis-
affected ones, as the event proved ; and before the war was
finished, ninety-two men, but none of the Mead family, had
gone over to and openly joined the ranks of the enemy from
the Second Society alone.

After the British had occupied New York, there arose
another class of men, called cowboys, who were much worse
than the tories. This body was composed of certain lawless
characters, who seized upon every opportunity for plunder with
avidity. They committed their depredations both upon the
Americans and the enemy. Old grudges contracted before

58 The Mead Family.

the war were now satisfied with relentless vigor, and the
Americans suffered the most from these wretches. And inas-
much as they did by far the greater injury to the Americans, they
were often assisted by British troops to carry out their nefarious
designs. Skulking about at night in the woods and by-places,
they would shoot down the inhabitants when they least sus-
pected that an enemy was near. Their mode of warfare can
only be compared with that of the Indians in the early history
of the country. A few instances will show the bloodthirsti-
ness which they had attained to about the close of the
war.

Shubal Merritt, whose family is now extinct, was one of these.
With one of his boon companions, he was lurking about the
village of Rye, New York, for the accomplishment of some
hidden purpose. An aged man was ploughing in a field near-by
their hiding place, and as he diligently pursued his labors back-
ward and forward across the lot, they were whiling away the
time by playing cards. Finally, Shubal proposed a game to
decide which should shoot the man. The result was against
Shubal, who, as the old man approached them slowly with his
team, deliberately raised his musket, and shot him through the
heart. After the war was over, the murderer suffered his just
deserts. A son of his victim met him and shot him dead upon
the spot. And so great was the feeling of hatred to him on
the part of the citizens, no notice was taken of the act.

Captain Sylvanus Mead, of Greenwich, Connecticut, a veteran
of the French and Indian War, one of the Committee of
Safety, and captain of a company of Rangers, was constantly
watched and hounded by these wretches. They finally, during
the early part of the year of 1780, traced him to the old Ralph
Peck place at Mianus, Connecticut, and one of them knocked
at the door. He called out from within " Who's there," when
one of them answered by firing through the door. The ball

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The Revolutionary War. 59

struck Captain Mead wounding him fatally, and he died the
following day.

He was born January 19, 1739, and served in the French
and Indian War as Corporal in Captain Hobby's Company,
3rd Connecticut Regiment, in the campaign of 1759 against
Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga. The enemy was compelled
to vacate the fort on the 27th day of July. At the commence-
ment of the Revolutionary War, he received a commission as
Ensign in Captain Ebenezer Hill's Company, 7th Connecticut
Regiment, Continental Line ; was at the siege of Boston, and
promoted to ist Lieutenant, Captain Samuel Keeler's Com-
pany, Colonel Phillip B. Bradley's Battalion, Wadsworth Bri-
gade, Connecticut State Troops, May, 1776. He was stationed
during the greater part of the summer and early fall of 1776 at
Bergen Heights (now Jersey City), and in October of that year
was ordered up the river to the vicinity of Fort Lee, then
under General Greene's command. In November most of the
regiment, including Lieutenant Mead's Company, was sent
across the river to assist in the defence of Fort Washington,
which on the i6th day of November, 1776, was captured with
its entire garrison, among whom was Lieutenant Mead. He
was afterwards exchanged and promoted to captain of a com-
pany of Rangers raised by order of the Assembly of Connecti-
cut, May 8, 1777.

He married, June 2, 1763, Sybil, daughter of Jonah Wood,
of Huntington, Nassau Island, by whom he had Whitman,
Piatt, Gideon, and Asel.

Dr. Amos Mead, of Greenwich, Connecticut, who was ye
Surgeon of ye 3rd Connecticut Regiment in the expedi-
tion against Crown Point and Ticonderoga in 1759, and also
one of the Committee of Safety, was so chased and hunted
by these men as to be obliged to travel about back in the
country for a whole winter. He retraced by night the tracks

6o The Mead Family.

he had made by day, and then moving off a short distance in
another direction, spent the night in the first sheltered place
that could be found. In the early spring following the winter of
1780, he came down to look at a field of wheat growing some dis-
tance back of his house, but, on arriving at a certain point in
the road, he turned back, for he was impressed with the idea
that he must not go any farther, but how to account for the
impression he knew not. A few days after a neighbor met
him and told him that five men bent on taking his life were
in that very wheat-field with their loaded muskets aimed at a
certain point in the road where he must have passed had he
proceeded. Dr. Mead, wisely acting on this timely warning,
retired again into the country.

Benjamin Mead (2), the father of Captain Sylvanus, moved
to Quaker Ridge (North Greenwich). He also had a son
Benjamin (3), who kept the old homestead formerly occupied
by Mr. Solomon S. Mead, but now by Dr. Fred Hyde, a
descendant of Benjamin Mead. During the Revolutionary
War the old place was raided by a party of British and tories.
Obadiah, son of Benjamin (3), was then quite a lad. His sisters
Anna and Phebe, who were younger, hid with their mother in
the cellar of the old house as the redcoats marched up the
road and their father and the older girls, Mary and Theodosia,
barricaded the doors and windows, while Obadiah, the only
son, solicitous for the cattle without, drove them into the barn-
yard and then beat a hasty retreat to a neighbor's barn. An
unfriendly tory, knowing the fact, informed the British soldiers
who surrounded the barn, threatening to set fire to it unless he
came out. He, too brave to surrender, jumped from the barn
and ran across the orchard towards the rocks above Dyspepsia
Lane, but the British followed. Seeing that escape was impos-
sible, Obadiah surrendered, only to be immediately fired at and
instantly killed. The ball passed through his left arm and

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The Revolutionary War. 6i

entered his side. For several generations the place of his burial
was a sacred spot to the members of the family, and now,
though unknown, it is not forgotten in memory. The coat he
wore, showing the bullet holes and blood stains, has been pre-
served all these years, and is now in the possession of Mr.
Solomon S. Mead. After killing the son, the redcoats forced
their way into the house, but unable to i^nd the father, they
departed, taking with them the horse and all the geese.

General John Mead's house was repeatedly plundered and
his cattle driven off by the tories and cowboys, his buildings
torn to pieces, fences burned, and the lives of his family en-
dangered. So great were their nefarious designs against his
family that he was eventually compelled to remove them to
New Canaan, Connecticut. For his losses the State of Connec-
ticut afterwards gave him a large tract of land in Ohio, then
considered of little value, and at his death it was divided among
his children.

There are two instances of those marauding expeditions
which have been preserved by the family, as well as many
other accounts of those dark days.

One morning while they were at breakfast with some of the
general's friends, the house was surrounded by a party of the
Tory Light Horse, and they barely had time to escape through
the back door, but not unperceived by the enemy. One of the
horsemen rode up and demanded of Anna, one of the general's
daughters, then a girl of eighteen, who came to the door, where
they were hid. She refused to give a satisfactory answer, when
he declared with an oath that he would kill her, and aimed a
blow at her head with his sword. She, however, dodged the
blow, and his sword struck the door-casing, cutting it quite
in two. This door-casing was visible as long as the house re-
mained standing, and was a memento of the harshness of war.
Finding that he could not intimidate her, he remounted his

; ^aA^itfei^.

62 The Mead Family.

horse, rode into the house, placed his foot under the edge of
the table and tipped it over, breaking the dishes. Confront-
ing a large mirror, he dashed his sword against the glass and
broke it into a thousand pieces, at the same time exclaiming,
" there 's Congress for you." General Mead's son, Alan, was at
that time a very small boy, and he hid behind some evergreens
in the fireplace. Being very much frightened by their wanton
and boisterous conduct, he began to cry, when the same tory
said to him, " stop your noise, or I will cut your head off."
Anna always declared that she would remember that man, no
matter where she should see him ; and singular to relate, she
did often see him in after years in churches and other places.
At another time, when the oldest son, John, who was Drum-
Major in the army, was at home on parole, it being a very dry
time and the well at the house having given out, Mary, another
daughter, Anna's twin sister, went to a spring some distance
from the house to rinse some clothes. While there she saw
her brother John run from the back door in his shirt sleeves,
through the orchard, to a thicket that had sprung up from the
roots of a tree that had been cut down, and there conceal him-
self only a short distance from her. In a few moments she
was surrounded by the British and Tory Light Horse, who de-
manded of her where her brother had fled to. When she re-
refused to give the information, a horseman rode up to her, drew
his sword and placing it at her breast, swore he would take her
life in an instant if she did not reveal her brother's hiding-place.
Her presence of mind did not forsake her, and she explained
that she came out there early in the morning, had not been from
there, and therefore under the circumstances could not know
what had taken place at the house. She was finally successful
in convincing him that she did not know, and thus saved her
brother's life, although the place of his concealment was within
sight, and almost within sound of their voices.

The Revolutionary War. 63

After the family removed to Xew Canaan, Connecticut, Anna
became acquainted with and married John Eells of that place.
He also had been a soldier, and was at Ridgefield when that
place was burned. They had eight children, and removed to
Walton, Delaw^are County, New York, where they both died
at an advanced age.

Mary married Levi Hanford, also a resident of New Canaan,
Connecticut. In the month of October, 1776, Levi enlisted in
a troop of horse, under Captain Seth Seymour, whose duty it
was to guard and protect the seacoast. On the night of March
13, 1777, he, together with twelve others of the troop, was de-
tailed as a guard and stationed at South Norwalk, Connecticut,
then called Old Well. It was very dark, the weather was in-
clement, and in consequence, the officers were negligent in
their duties. During the night they were surrounded by the
British and tories from Long Island, who came over in whale-
boats, and the whole guard were taken prisoners, Levi among
the rest, he being at that time but a mere boy, a little over
seventeen years of age. The prisoners were conveyed across
the Sound to Huntington, from there to Flushing, and thence
to New York. Upon their arrival in that city they were placed
in the old Sugar House prison in Crown, now Liberty Street,
near the Old Dutch Church, which at that time was used as a
riding school for the British Light Horse, but afterwards con-
verted into, and until recently used as, the General City Post
Oflfice. Of those who were taken prisoners then, all died in
prison, of smallpox, or other diseases, except two, Ebenezer
Hoyt, and Levi Hanford, who lived to be exchanged. The old
prison, which is now torn down, was a brown stone building,
six stories high, but the stories were low, the windows small
and deeply set, making it very dark and confined. It was
originally built for a sugar refinery, and for a long time was
used as such. A Mrs. Spicer, who resided in the city, took a

64 The Mead Family.

deep and lively interest in the condition of the prisoners, and
went ahnost daily to visit them in the prisons and hospitals.

It was in the year 1782, that Levi Hanford married Mary,
General John Mead's daughter, and they remained in New
Canaan, Connecticut, about twenty-five years. In 1808, they
removed to Walton, Delaware County, New York, with their
five sons and four daughters, taking possession of a large farm
and a log house of ample accommodations and settled near
Anna, Mary's twin sister. On the fifteenth day of September,
1847, Mrs. Hanford was laid at rest in the burying-ground at
Walton. Her death was the first in her family.

In January, 1852, an advertisement appeared in the Journal
of Conuncrce, a New York paper, stating that the advertiser,
David Barker, Esq., had in his possession a cane made from
one of the beams of the old Sugar House in Liberty Street,
and calling upon any surviving sufferer from that old prison to
send in his name, so that he might have the pleasure of pre-
senting the relic to him as a support in his declining years.
To this call only five responded, disclosing the melancholy
fact that of those prisoners, only five remained alive. Each of
these applicants sent in with his name a brief account of his
imprisonment and sufferings. From these statements, it ap-
peared that Levi Hanford was the youngest of the five when
imprisoned, and had been confined the longest time. There
being so many applicants for the cane, it was decided to leave
the choice to be determined by lot, and the cane fell to Mr.
Hanford. He was in his ninety-fourth year when he received it.
So delighted was he with this souvenir of his early years, that
he always kept it near him, occasionally exhibiting it to those
who visited him, and cherished and preserved it until the day
of his death. This cane is now in the possession of his son,
Mr. William B. Hanford, of Franklin, Delaware County, New
York. The cane itself is three feet, two inches long, about

The Revolutionary War. 65

one inch in diameter, gold mounted, and bears the following
inscription :

" Old Sugar House Cane.

D B

to
L H ."

Among the most inveterate tories was a family by the name
of Knapp, who lived on what is now known as the Tracy place,
but none of that family is now living in Greenwich. One o,
them, Timothy, had been paying his attentions with a view to
marrying a daughter of Mr. Titus Mead, then living in an old
house near the corner of Mead Avenue and North Street,
and on her refusing his hand, he proudly told her, that she
should yet speak to him, and he would in turn take no notice
of her. This threat was verified in a more terrible way than he
intended. Horses were the most valuable booty that the
refugees could lay their hands on, and knowing that Mr. Mead
kept a fine horse, which he every night led up the oaken stairs
to his garret, Knapp with two of his brothers went to the
house to take it. Mr. Mead had knowledge of their approach
and stationed a man who was with him at a back window up-
stairs. It was at dusk, and when the three men had come to
the door-step, after some words, Mr. Mead fired, the ball pass-
ing through the door and entering the heart of Timothy Knapp.
Without waiting to see the result of the shot, his brothers ran
off in an easterly direction ; and at the same time the man
stationed at the back window sprang out and ran with all his
might. The remaining refugees, seeing him, and supposing it
to be their brother, called out, " run, Tim, run," which made
him run the faster. At last, the daughter, opening the door
and seeing Timothy lying there, asked him if he were badly
hurt, but he made no answer and it was found that he was dead.

She had spoken to him, and he had taken no notice of her. On
5

66 The Mead Family.

finding that he was dead, word was sent to his family that his
body was lying as it fell on the door-step. They paid no atten-
tion to the messenger, and after the body had lain there for a con-
siderable length of time, Mr. Mead buried it in a lot belonging
to the Knapps, in a pair of bars, where they must have driven
over it in going in and out. Afterwards the family took up
the body and buried it close by the house where he was shot,
and his bones still rest there. A line of willow trees now mark
the spot, a little way south of the house.

Another class, not so violent in their individual conduct, but
equally inimical in other respects, was composed of those who
under guise of permits from the English, resided here without
molestation from the enemy, and in return for this privilege, gave
them sufificient and well-timed information of the doings of the
Americans. There was quite a large number of this class scat-
tered in different parts of the country ; and we cannot but
deplore the situation of our forefathers, thus situated with
spies and tories in their midst and the enemy close at hand.

During the war a paper was published in the City of New
York by one Rivington, called the Rivington Press. This paper
was professedly and to all outward appearances devoted to the
British cause. It was, however, afterwards known to have
aided the Americans much, and it is said that it was under the
control of General Washington himself. The hostile appear-
ance of the sheet deceived the Americans as well as their
enemies. About half a dozen Greenwich men resolved that
the publication of the Press should be stopped, and they stole
into the city, destroyed the printing-press, and bagged the
type, which they brought off with them from the very midst
of a watchful enemy. Messrs. Andrew and Peter Mead were
the principal men of the expedition. It is said that they only
of the company were able to carry the bags of type from the
printing oflfice to the street, and throw them across the backs

The Revolutionary War. 67

of their horses. After the type was brought to Greenwich it
was totally destroyed, except enough to print the names of the
members of the company, which the veterans kept for a long
time in memory of their exploit.

During the period that New York was occupied by the
British, their vessels had almost complete command of the
waters of Long Island Sound. There were, however, many
daring men engaged in a sort of privateering against them, and
among these were Captain Andrew Mead and Elnathan Close,
of Greenwich, with quite a large company of men. They
went upon their expeditions in whale-boats, which might easily
be hidden in the smaller bays along the coast and glide through
shallow water in escaping or attacking the enemy.

In one of their expeditions, they proceeded by night to
Ferry Point and seized upon a small store vessel and brought
her off with them. She was anchored in a small inlet known
as Chimney Corner. The prize was so valuable a one, that
the enemy pursued them with one of their sloops of war and
anchored off Chimney Corner a short distance from the shore ;
but the people of Greenwich collected for the defence of the
prize, and fired upon the sloop from behind a knoll with a six-
pounder, which was the only large gun in the town. The first
shot struck upon the vessel's deck and wounded a dog, as was
supposed from his sudden yelping. Other shots were fired and
replied to by the enemy's guns, but finding it impossible to
retake the vessel or harm the people upon the shore, the
British relinquished their efforts and sailed away. Captain
Andrew Mead was wounded on this occasion in both arms.
As they were boarding the vessel at Ferry Point, he being the
first to leap on her deck, received two shots, one in each arm,
from the marines on guard, who, as the approach had been so
still, then perceived the attack for the first time. Although
Captain Mead was wounded, Elnathan Close and his crew, who

68 The Mead Family.

boarded the vessel from the opposite side, quickly over-
powered the marines on the deck and the force below sur-
rendered with but little resistance.

The winter of 1 779-1780 was one of the severest on record
during the war. The Sound was completely frozen over and
a great amount of snow fell. During the month of January
1780, some dozen or twenty head of cattle, the most of which
belonged to Jared Mead, of Greenwich, were driven off in haste
by the cowboys towards New York. After much solicitation
on the part of the owners, Messrs. Andrew Mead, Richard
Mead, and Humphrey Denton, of Greenwich, Connecticut,
consented to make the daring attempt to cross the enemy's
lines and retake the cattle. There had been recently a rain-
storm, which had frozen as it fell, rendering the roads extremely
slippery and making a hard, sharp crust upon the snow. The
pursuers, however, went upon the Sound with their horses and
kept the ice as far as Mamaroneck, New York, and then taking
the road could track the cattle by the blood which had trickled
from the prods of the bayonets given them to force them along.
At Mount Vernon, New York, they retook the cattle and were
returning when they found that they were being pursued by a
body of troops under the command of a lieutenant. Their
horses were tired by their long and swift ride, and they soon
knew that their only safety was in separation ; and in that case
even, one must be inevitably taken. Accordingly they left the
cattle and fled separately in different directions. The enemy
selected Richard Mead, pursued and took him prisoner. He was
taken to New York and thrown into the famous Sugar House,
where he remained for a period of six weeks until exchanged.
Richard Mead was the son of Dr. Amos Mead, of Green-
wich, Connecticut, and when he was about to take to himself
a Colonial dame, in 1798, to share his lot, his father built a
house and gave it to him as a \vedding gift. It was called

THE

NEW YORK

PUBLIC LIBRARY^

/stor, Lenox and Tilden

Foundations.
1202

The Revolutionar}- War. 69

Dearfield. the "dear" being spelled with an "a," and its fame
spread far and wide as being a delightful and magnificent
home, which it really was, and one of the sights of those times,
as well as it is of these. The immense button-ball tree, which
stands directly in front of the house, is a landmark. There
were three standing during the Revolutionary War, the other
two nearer to where the Presbyterian Church now stands, but
this is the only one now remaining as a relic of those stirring
times. The old homestead, the residence of the late Thomas
A. ]\Iead, Colonel, 9th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, is on
Putnam Avenue. It was visited by General Lafayette in 1824,
and is now occupied by a granddaughter and a great-grand-
daughter of Richard Mead, and a great-great-granddaughter of
Captain Sylvanus Mead.

There is another ver}' important Revolutionary incident,
which while it does not directly concern the family, it might
be well to relate, and that is General Putnam's perilous
ride. The author being familiar with the topography of the
hill as it now is, and having heard traditional accounts of that
famous ride, which have been transmitted from sire to son, has
selected the one that seems to him to be the most accurate
and reliable. It appeared in the Greenwich Graphic, of July
21, 1897, and by courtesy of the Graphic, is reprinted here.

The Connecticut Historical Collections, published by J. \\\
Barber in 1838, is perhaps the most complete and valuable
history of Connecticut extant. In this work we find the fol-
lowing description of Putnam's Hill and the daring exploit of
General Putnam, also General Putnam's oflficial account of the
skirmish at Horseneck :

Putnam's Hill is situated in West Greenwich, about five
miles west from Stamford, on the main road to New York.
This place is celebrated for the daring exploit of General Put-
nam, who descended this precipice when pursued by the British

/o The Mead Family.

dragoons. The place is considerably altered in its appearance
since the Revolutionary War, by a road being blasted through
the rocks at the summit of the hill, and continued by a cause-
way to the valley below. A small Episcopal Church formerly
stood on the brow of the hill, a few feet south of where the
road is now cut through, and the road passed north, and after
proceeding to a considerable distance, bent again with a sharp
angle to the south. The members of the congregation who
lived below the hill, in order to save the tedious circuit of
going round in the road, when walking to the church, placed
stepping stones, in number about seventy, at suitable dis-
tances, so that foot passengers could ascend the precipice,
directly up to the church. On the left extends a range of trees
from the bottom to the top of the hill. These trees now occupy
the place where the steps or stairs were situated, few or no
traces of which now remain.

On the approach of Governor Tryon to this place, with a
force of about fifteen hundred men, General Putnam planted
two iron field pieces by the meeting-house, without horses or
drag ropes. Having fired his cannon several times, Putnam,
perceiving the dragoons (supported by the infantry) about to
charge, ordered his men, about one hundred and fifty in num-
ber, to provide for their safety, and secured his own by plung-
ing down the precipice at full trot. The dragoons, who were
but a sword's length from him, stopped short, for the declivity
was so abrupt that they dared not follow, and before they could
gain the valley, by going round the brow of the hill in the
ordinary way, he was far beyond their reach. One shot, how-
ever, of the many fired at him, went through his hat as he
was passing down the hill. It has been generally stated that
Putnam rode directly down the steps, but those who saw him
pass down the hill say that he took a zig-zag course, commenc-
ing at the barn north of the house and continuing south until

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The Revolutionary War. 71

he reached the steps, the lower ones of which he might have
descended. This course would be sufficiently hazardous, and
it is believed but very few men could be found who would
dare make the attempt.

The following is General Putnam's official account of the
skirmish at Horseneck :

Camp at Reading,

March 2, 1779.

A detachment from the enemj^ at King's bridge, consisting
of the 17th, 44th, and 57th British Regiments, one of the Hes-
sians, and two of new levies, marched from their lines for
Horseneck on the evening of the 25th ult., with an intention
of surprising the troops at that place and destroying the salt
works.

A captain and thirty men were sent from our advanced lines
from Horseneck, who discovered the enemy at New Rochcllc,
in advance. They retired before them undiscovered, as far as
Rye Neck, where, it growing light, the enemy observed and
attacked them. They defended themselves as well as possible,
and made their way good to Sawpits, where they took advan-
tage of a commanding piece of ground and made some little
stand, but the superior force of the enemy obliged them to re-
tire over Byram bridge, which they took up, and by that means
had an opportunity of reaching Horseneck in safety.

As I was there myself to see the situation of the guards, I
had the troops formed on a hill by the meeting-house, ready
to receive the enemy as they advanced. They came on briskly,
and I soon discovered that their design was to lurn our flanks
and possess themselves of a defile in our rear, which would
effectually prevent our retreat. I therefore ordered parties out
on both flanks, with directions to give me information of their
approach, that we might retire in season. In the meantime a
column advanced up the main road, where the remainder of
the troops (amounting to about sixty) were posted. We dis-
charged some old field pieces which were there, a few times,
and gave them a small fire of musketry, but without any con-
siderable effect. The superior force of the enemy soon obliged
our small detachment to abandon the place.

I therefore directed the troops to retire and form on a hill a
little distance from Horseneck, while I proceeded to Stam-
ford and collected a body of militia and a few Continental troops,
which were there, with which I returned immediately, and

72 The Mead Family.

found that the enemy (after plundering the inhabitants of the
principal part of their effects, and destroying a few salt works,
a small sloop and store), were on their return. The officer com-
manding the Continental troops stationed at Horseneck, mis-
took my orders and went much farther than I intended, so
that he could not come up to them with any advantage. I,
however, ordered the few troops that came from Stamford to
pursue them, thinking they might have an opportunity to
pick up some stragglers. In this I was not mistaken, as your
Excellency will see by the enclosed list of prisoners. Besides
these, eight or nine more were taken and sent off, so I cannot tell
to which particular regiments they belonged ; one ammunition
and one baggage wagon were taken. In the former there were
about two hundred rounds of canister, grape and round shot,
suited to three pounders, some slow matches and about two
hundred tubes ; the latter was filled with plunder, which I had
the satisfaction of restoring to the inhabitants from whom it
was taken. As I have not yet got a return, I cannot tell ex-
actly the number we lost, though I don't think more than ten
soldiers, and about that number of inhabitants, but a few of
which were in arms.

List of prisoners taken at Horseneck, the 26th ult. — 17th
Regiment, 1 5 privates ; 44th do., 5 privates ; 57th do., 3 privates ;
Loyal American Regiment, 5 ; Emmerick Corps, 8 ; First Bat-
talion of Artillery, i ; Pioneers, i. — Total 38.

N. B. — Seven deserters from Emmerick's Corps.

The following is an account of General Putnam's ride by Mr.
I. L. Mead, the story having been related to him by his grand-
father. Rev. Mark Mead, who received his information from
Colonel Ebenezer Mead, who was standing in the dooryard of
the house where John Maher now resides, and saw General
Putnam as he rode down.

In those days there was no cut through the rocks, but the
road ran north some distance, then turned in a southeasterly
direction, using the old road as it now is half-way down the hill
and crossing the present road going down on the south side.
The road in some places was steep. On the top of the hill
south of Putnam Avenue was the Episcopal Church. Pedes-
trians, instead of going around the road to the church, took

,"' NEW YORK
! rUELlC LIBRARY]

\ ■ -i.uf , Lenox and Tilden

\\ ■>.i)hH'!tions.
1S02

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The Revolutionary \Var. 73

the short cut up the hill. There were flat stones laid to give
the people a better footing. When I was a boy there was a
line of bushes where my grandfather told me the steps were.
As near as I can remember, one corner of the building south
of the present road stood on the line of steps. Anyone going
on to the hill will see the impossibility of a horse going where
these steps were, even at a walk and without a rider.

The story told in history with the picture of a man riding at
full gallop down the steps, cut from immense stones brought
from Voorhis' quarry, is on a par with many yarns that get into
print. They are only fancy sketches of the writer.

There are various accounts given as to Putnam's movements
before the enemy were discovered. Some say that he was at
a ball the night previous, taking a lady on his horse behind
him. The ball was near Peck's Land at the house standing
where the William A. Husted house is. The lady was the
daughter of David Bush, who lived in the house now occupied
by Mr. E. P. Holly, of Cos Cob.

The Tracy house opposite the present Episcopal Church is
claimed by some to have been the general's headquarters.
Others say that his headquarters were at a house standing
about opposite Mechanic Street, or Sherwood Place, as now
called.

There was probably but a small force of men on duty here,
and they were attacked by a much larger enemy. As soon as
they caught sight of General Putnam they gave him full chase.
He stopped to order his men to scatter. They did so, hiding
behind trees and fences. Putnam started for the hill, and in-
stead of going around the loop they were so close to him that
he turned down a cow-path. This was too dangerous for the
horsemen to follow. Anyone can locate this cow-path where
General Putnam rode down if they will go where the old road
joins the present road. By looking up towards Mrs. Button's

74 The Mead Family.

house on the north side of the cut, you will see a natural path-
way. It is very plain to be seen. This was at that time a
cow-path. General Putnam could ride down there, but anyone
would know it was dangerous. Anyone going on to the hill
south of the present road must see that it would be impossible
to get down there on a horse.

These conditions and the testimony of reliable witnesses
(others saw it besides Colonel Ebenezer Mead and give the same
account) convince me that this account of General Putnam's
ride is the true one.

The above account given by Mr. I. L. Mead, practically
agrees with the story about the ride told to the writer by Mr.
Jabez Mead. His father related the facts to him, and said
that that was what General Ebenezer Mead, who stood in his
doorway, just beyond the foot of the hill told him about the
ride. General Mead saw General Putnam come tearing down
the cow-path ; saw him turn in his saddle just as he reached the
bottom of the stone steps and come into the turnpike, and
holler " damn ye " to the redcoats who stood around the little
church at the top of the steps, firing at him. — Editor Graphic.

CONTINENTAL LINE AND CONNECTICUT FORCES.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

John Mead, of Greenwich, Brigadier-General
Matthew Mead, of Norwalk, Lieutenant-Colonel
Jasper Mead, Regimental Quartermaster
Abraham Mead, Captain Matthew Mead, of Greenwich, Capt.
Caleb Mead, Captain Sylvanus Mead, Captain

Jasper Mead, Lieutenant Jehiel Mead, Lieutenant

Andrew Mead, Ensign Jesse Mead, Ensign

Jeremiah Mead, Jr., Ensign

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Abraham Mead, Sergeant-Major Nathaniel Mead, Sergeant
Azor Mead, Sergeant Nemiah Mead, Sergeant

Caleb Mead, Sergeant Peter Mead, Sergeant

Uriah Mead, Sergeant

The Revolutionary War.

Edmund Mead, Corporal Halsey Mead, Corporal

Libbeus Mead, Corporal

Uriah Mead, Fife Major, ae 80 John Mead, 3d Drum Major

Daniel Mead, Fifer son of General John Mead

Oliver Mead, Fifer David Mead, Drummer.
Samuel Mead, Fifer
Thespt. Mead, Fifer

PRIVATES.

Abel Mead
Abijah Mead
Abraham Mead, 3d
Benjamin Mead
Calvin Mead
Charles Mead
David Mead
Ebenezer Mead
Ebenezer Mead
Elias Mead
Elijah Mead
Elkanah Mead
Ely Mead
Eneck Mead
Enoch Mead
Epenetus Mead
Esben Mead
Henary Mead
Henry Mead, Jr.'

Isaac Mead
Israel Mead
Jacob Mead
James Mead
Jared Mead
Jeremiah Mead, ae 85
Jespor Mead
Jesse Mead
John Mead
Jonathan Mead
Jonah Mead
Joseph Mead
Josiah Mead
Jothem Mead
Levi Mead
Lockwood Mead
Matthew Mead
Nathan Mead

Nathaniel Mead, 3d
Nemiah Mead, Jr.
Netus Mead
Obediah Mead
Reuben Mead
Richard Mead
Silas Mead, Jr.
Smith Mead, ae 80
Solomon Mead
Stephen Mead
Thaddeus Mead
Thaddeus Mead ae ^6
Theophilus Mead
Thomas Mead
Titus Mead
Uriah Mead
William Mead
Zaccheus Mead.

CONTINENTAL LINE AND NEW YORK FORCES.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Hezekiah Mead, Captain Job Mead, Captain

Joel Mead, Captain

Mead, Lieutenant Nathaniel Mead, Lieutenant

William Mead, Surgeon Enoch Mead, Adjutant

}acob Mead, Ensign Jehiel Mead, Ensign.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Andrew Mead, Sergeant
Libbeus Mead, Sergeant
Joshua Mead, Sergeant
Ezekiel Mead, Corporal
Stephen Mead, Corporal

Jonah Mead, Sergeant
Isaiah Mead, Sergeant
Sely Mead, Sergeant.
Halsey Mead, Corporal
Joseph Mead, Drummer.

' Similar names are not duplications, but different individuals having the same
name.

The Mead Family.

Aaron Mead
Abner Mead
Abraham Mead
Amos Mead
Aron Mead
Bille Mead
Calvin Mead
Daniel Mead -
David Mead
Duncan Mead
Ebenezer Mead
Edmund Mead
Edward Mead
Eli Mead
Ethan Mead
Gilbert Mead
Henry Mead
Isaac Mead
Ismael Mead

PRIVATES.

Israel Mead
Israel Mead, Jr.
James Mead
Jeremiah Mead
Jesse Mead
Job Mead, Jr.
Joel Mead
John Mead
Jonathan Mead
Joseph Mead
Josiah Mead
King Mead
Levi Mead
Louis Mead
Marsel Mead
Marshall Mead
Marshel Mead
Martial Mead
Moses Mead

Nathan Mead
Nathaniel Mead ■
Nehemiah Mead.-
Noah Mead
Paschel Mead
Richard Mead
Selah Mead
Silas Mead
Silas Mead, Jr.
Smith Mead
Thaddeus Mead
William Mead
Zachariah Mead
Zalock Mead
Zebibediah Mead
Zebulon Mead
Zelek Mead.

CONTINENTAL LINE AND VERMONT FORCES.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
James Mead, Colonel.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Abner Mead, Sergeant
Jacob Mead, Corporal

Jacob Mead, Fifer

Abner Mead, Corporal
Philip Mead, Corporal
Truman Mead, Fifer.

PRIVATES.

Amos Mead
Benjamin Mead
Ezra Mead
Henry Mead
Isaac Mead

James Mead
Philip Mead
Rufus Mead
Stephen Mead
Timothy Mead

Timothy Mead, Jr.
Timothy Mead, 3d
Truman Mead
Zebulon Mead
Zebulon Mead, Jr.

In response to the first call for troops following the Battle of
Lexington, April 19, 1775, quite a number of the family re-
sponded, entered the Continental Line, and participated in
the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Assault on Quebec. Dur-
ing that year Connecticut had eight regiments in the field, five

The Revolutionary War. T]

at Boston, and three in the Northern Division with forces from
Vermont.

In addition to the large force of New York troops at the
Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, Connecticut had in the
field during that campaign eight Continental Regiments, and
nine State Regiments, among this number was the 9th Regi-
ment under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Mead,
and upon an urgent request from the Commander-in-Chief for
reinforcements, the militia consisting of fourteen regiments
west of the Connecticut River and nine regiments east of the
Connecticut River were ordered out. At New York these
regiments were assigned to different posts and the brigade itself
was divided with the militia into three or four brigades, one
battalion of which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Mat-
thew Mead. The regiments saw much service during the sum-
mer and fall, some of them being engaged at the Battle of Long
Island, the Retreat from New York, the Battle of Harlem
Heights, the Battle of White Plains, and the Capture of Fort
Washington. At the close of campaign a considerable number
of the officers and men re-entered the Continental Line of 1777.

During the campaign of 1777, most of the troops were with
the forces from New York and Vermont, and were at the Bat-
tle of Bennington and the Battles of Saratoga. The militia
and remaining troops were engaged against Tryon in his raid
upon Danbury, April 25-28, or in Meig's Sag Harbor Expedi-
tion, May 23.

The Campaigns of 1 778-1 781. The troops and militia, ex-
cepting the Continental Line, had many engagements in pro-
tecting the State from the numerous raids made by Tryon upon
various towns, and Arnold's attack upon New London, The
siege of Yorktown and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, October
19, 1 78 1, practically ended the war, although the Treaty of
Peace was not signed until September 3, 1783.

78 The Mead Family.

Brigadier-General John Mead (4) was a direct descendent
from the first John, through the oldest sons. His mother was
Elizabeth Lockwood, of North Greenwich. He was born in
Horseneck about 1725, died December 3, 1790, and was buried
in the old burying ground at the summit of Put's Hill, but the
spot is no longer known. In personal appearance he was short
and very fleshy, so much so that a story is told of his tailor,
who having made a vest for him, by way of experiment but-
toned it around himself and four other men. In character he
was extremely firm and decided, sometimes looked upon as a
little severe, but, like all Meads, exceedingly just. He spent
the whole of his life in Horseneck, having there a large farm.
His residence was almost the first one in the village of Green-
wich, entering it from the west, and was standing up to within
a very few years. He was a member of the Legislature of Con-
necticut for eight years before the Revolutionary War, eight
years during the Revolutionary War and after the Revolution-
ary War until 1788, two years before his death, making twenty
consecutive years. He was Justice of the Peace for Fairfield
County from 1769 to 1774 inclusive; commissioned Lieutenant
of the West Company of Greenwich on the thirteenth day of
October, 1757; promoted to Captain on the tenth day of
October, 1767; and on the thirteenth day of May, 1773, re-
ceived his commission as Major in the 9th Regiment, Connec-
ticut Militia.

At the commencement of the Revolutionary War, King
George sent him a commission as Captain, which he declined.
He was commissioned Major when he entered the American
Army ; three weeks afterward was promoted to Lieutenant-Col-
onel, and three years before the war closed, was commissioned
Brigadier-General. His Major's commission was at one time
found by the British and tories among his papers, when they
surrounded and plundered his house during the war, and by

The Revolutionary War. 79

them carried off as evidence against him, should he by any
chance of war fall into their hands. For three years during the
war he had command of the American lines at Horseneck, and
for a long distance each way. He saw much active service,
served on the Brooklyn front with his regiment a few days be-
fore and during the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776,
and in the retreat from New York had command of the last
detachment of our troops that left the city. The day on
which the troops evacuated New York was a remarkably hot
one, and our men suffered intensely from that and fatigue
during the retreat. At night, as soon as a place of safety had
been reached, every one sought rest. The of^cers found ac-
commodations on the floor of the hotel and elsewhere, till
every place was occupied. Lieutenant-Colonel Mead came in
last, carefully sought a place, and laid down, thoughtlessly ap-
propriating an officer's feet for a pillow. The ofificer awoke,
and in a rough tone demanded who was lying on his feet.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mead politely apologized, but the ofificer
recognizing his voice, cried out, " For God's sake, Colonel, is
that you. I never expected to see you again alive after the
dreadful heat and struggle of this day ; make a pillow of my
feet and welcome, if you can find any rest here." On Septem-
ber 15, he was posted on Harlem Heights and remained
there until the Battle of White Plains, October 28, 1776,
in which he was engaged and suffered considerable loss. He
was afterwards posted at Horseneck and remained there during
the greater part of the war, and took part in many other en-
gagements. The sword that he carried through the war is in
the posession of his grandson. Major Gabriel S. Mead, of
Walton, New York.

General Mead was married in 1752, to Mary Brush, daughter
of Benjamin Brush, of Scotch extraction. A tradition remains
in that portion of the Brush family, to the effect that their

8o The Mead Family.

descent is direct from Robert Bruce, and that on coming to
this country the name was changed to Brush, to escape the
possible notoriety that might be connected with the name. By
this marriage he had nine children. His wife died in 1785,
aged fifty five. He married second, Mehetable, widow of
Jonathan Peck and daughter of Mr. Blackman, of North
Greenwich, Connecticut, and had one daughter, Mehetabel.
He died December 3, 1790.

A few weeks prior to his death, however. General John
Mead made and executed his last will and testament, which,
from the following copy taken from the data collected by the
late Rev. J. H. Hobart DeMille, it will be seen is quite lengthy
and very explicit.

In the Name of God, Amen, I, John Mead, of Greenwich
in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut being sick
and weak in body, but of a sound disposing mind and memory,
thanks be to God for the same, and calling to mind that it is
appointed for all men once to die and not knowing how short
my time may be in this world do make and publish this
last will & testament in manner following, and first of all I
give up my soul to God that gave it hoping to receive
salvation through the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ,
my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried with
a Christian burial by my executors hereafter to be named,
and as touching the goods and estate that it hath pleased
God to endow me with I give and dispose of in the following
manner.

First, my will is that all my just debts and funeral charges
shall be first paid out of my estate. Imprimis, I give unto
my son John Mead the third of said Greenwich all my land
Easterly of a line beginning at a heap of stones on the North
part of my farm by the fence adjoining David Bushes land
that was formerly Capt. Matthew Mead's and from thence
running a strait line to the North End of the Burnt Swamp so
called on the East side of said Burnt Swamp, until it meets
the fence lately set up on the Easterly side of my wheat lot,
where the wheat is now growing, Running South as said fence
now stands by the bars top of Blind Garden Hill so called,
thence running Easterly as the fence now stands North of

The Revolutionary War. 8i

said Blind Garden to Dr. Amos Mead land, called the great
pasture, the whole of said tract of land is bounded Easterly
and Southerly in part by Dr. Amos Mead's land & in part by
the road leading from Horseneck to King St. Northerly in
part by his own land and the land of David Bush & Westerly
by the other part of my farm, which tract of land I give to my
said Son John Mead the third, his heirs and assigns forever.
Except what I may order to be sold out of said tract for the
payment of my debts. I also give to my Son John Mead the
third my old barn standing on my land at my field to improve
it where it is or remove it on to his own land, I also give to
my said Son John my old sorrel mare & a pair of three year
old steers, one a yellow one, the other a black white faced one.
Item, I give unto my other three sons and five daughters viz:
Alan Mead, Seth Mead, Walter Mead, Mary Handford, Ann
Eels, Elizabeth Hobby, Mary Ann Sniffen, and my little daugh-
ter Mehetabel Mead, the remainder of my land in the field so
called. The said Mary Handford, Ann Eels, Elizabeth Hobby,
& Mary Ann Sniffen deducting from each of their parts of
said land what they have already had of my estate, except
what may be ordered to be sold toward the payment of my
debts, out of said tract of land which I reserve for that pur-
pose. And I do hereby give Sd tract of land to said Alan,
Seth, Walter, Mary, Ann, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, and Mehetabel
to them, their heirs and assigns forever, the said Mary Hand-
ford, Ann Eels, Elizabeth Hobby, and Mary Ann Sniffen have
deducted so much from their parts in said land as what they
have already had out of my estate as above mentioned
& my Sons, Alan, Seth, Walter, and Mehetabel will have so
much more in said tract of land than an equal share as my
other daughters have already had. Said tract of land is
bounded Easterly by the land given to my Son John Mead,
Northerly by the land of David Bush, Westerly by the lands
of Abel Mather, Abraham Merritt & Cole Townscnds lands &
Southerly by the Blind Garden, so called, as the farm now
stands, and I give liberty for my said children viz: the said
Alan Mead, Seth Mead, Walter Mead, Mary Handford, Ann
Eels, Elizabeth Hobby, Mary Ann Sniffen, & Mehetabel Mead
to pass and repass as they may have occasion to & from their
said land from the main country road, in the road or path
where it now goes through the Blind Garden to their said
lands, they doing no waste or spoil to anyone improving said
Blind Garden. Item, I give unto my wife Mehetabel Mead
the use & improvement of my dwelling house & barn standing
on my home lot, also the use & improvement of my land

82 The Mead Family.

South of my Field commonly called Blind Garden containing
about thirty five or thirty six acres in the whole and is the
same land my father gave me with the house he bought of
Peter How & the lands I bought of Dr. William Bush & Capt.
John Grigg & is bounded Easterly by the road & fence leading
through Sd Blind Garden with the equal half of the fence as it
now stands against my son John's land & also the one half of
the fence against my other heirs being the same line of fence.
I also give to my said wife Mehetabel Mead the use & im-
provement of Alans, Seth, Walter, & my daughter Mehetabels
parts until the said Alan, Seth, & Walter arrive to the age of
twenty one years & the Sd Mehetabel to the age of Eighteen
years to assist her in the supporting of my young children
until the Sd Seth and Walter arrive at the age of fourteen
years of age my will is they shall be put out to some proper
trade by my executors hereafter to be named. What I have
given as above to my said wife Mehetabel if she accepts
the same in stead of her dower I give it her no longer than
she shall remain my widow. If she shall marry again after my
decease, or leave my said dwelling house & go elsewhere to
live my will is that my Sd wife Mehetabel shall have the use
and improvement of one third part of my said dwelling house
& barn & also the use & improvement of one third part of all
my real Estate during her natural life except such part of my
real estate as may be found necessary to be sold toward the
payment of my debts and no more. Item, I also give unto
my three Sons Alan Mead, Seth Mead, & Walter Mead to
them, their heirs and assigns forever, to be Equally divided
between them after the decease of my said wife Mehetabel my
said dwelling house & barn & about thirty five or thirty six
acres of land in the same Blind Garden being the same house
barn & lands that I have given my said wife Mehetabel the
use of in lieu of her said dower and if either of said brothers
viz: Alan Mead, Seth Mead, or Walter Mead shall die before
they arrive to the age of twenty one years then the other one
or two as the case may happen shall have his or their parts
divided to him or them & not amongst the other heirs &
farther my will is that if my daughter Mehetabel shall die
before her marriage or before she shall arrive at the age of
twenty one years then her part of my estate shall be Equally
divided to and amongst the sisters & not amongst the sons.
Item, I order my timber land lying in the Society of Stanwich
East of Amos Mills dwelling house to be sold & the avails
thereof to be applied to the payment of my debts. I also
order my movable estate to be sold for the same purpose by

The Revolutionary War. 83

my Executors hereafter to be named, except what I shall
reserve for the use of my family & what by land & movable
estate shall fall short in the payment of my debts my will that
so much of my land be sold by my said Executors of my farm
at Close's Field so called as will pay & settle the whole out of
that part I have given to my son John & also out of the parts
of the other heirs so as will do equal justice to the whole as
nigh as may be. And I reserve out of my movable estate for
the present use of my family two cows, my black mare, four
swine, five sheep, one porridge pot, one dish kettle, one tea
kettle, two cider hogsheads, one cedar washing tub, & four
chairs, one trammel & the provisions that may be in the house
for the use of my family only at the time of my decease, also
one feather bed & furniture for the same.

Item, I give to my wife Mehetabel in the condition they
may be in at the time of my decease all the household goods
& furniture that is mine by virtue of my marriage with her
that she brought to me & those that is in the hand of her son
Jonathan Richard Peck provided she my said wife pay all his
debts & costs that has arisen on the debts & now due against
the estate of Jonathan Peck late of said Stamford dec'd on
which estate she is administrator & also pay to Major John
Davenport his fees as an attorney in the action brought
against me by Frederic Whiting, Goal Keeper of Danbury, on
account of her son Abraham Peck & if my said wife shall
neglect to pay up the same agreeable to the average made out
against said Estate & the cost that has arisen & still unpaid
then my will is that so much of my household goods &
furniture that is now in the hands of the said Jonathan
Richard Peck & those she my said wife brought to me should
be sold by my said Executors hereafter to be named as will
fully satisfy the debts & costs aforesaid, which are as I suppose
now in the hands of John Davenport, Esq., attorney &c., &
the several articles above-mentioned that I have given for the
present use of my family is to remain under the direction of
my wife for the use of my said family, until the marriage
or decease of my said wife & then to be sold for the use &
benefit of my five daughters viz : Mary Handford, Ann Eels,
Elizabeth Hobby, Mary Ann Sniffen, & Mehetabel Mead to
be equally divided to and among them & their heir? and
assigns forever & I do hereby nominate & appoint my wife
Mehetabel Mead & my brother Nathaniel Mead of said Green-
wich to be Executor of this last will & testament, revoking &
making void all former wills by me made, ratifying, publishing
& confirming this, and this only, to be my last will & testament.

84 The Mead Family.

Ill witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this
6th day of August Anno Domini 1790

John Mead
Signed Sealed Published & Declared by the Testator
TO BE HIS Last Will & Testament in our Presence
& Hearing

John Addington
Richard Mead
Beale Lewis

Colonel James Mead, of Vermont, born September 6, 1730,
died January 17, 1805, was a direct descendant of the first John.
His father was Timothy, who was the son of Jonathan, the
fourth son of John (i). He was Colonel of the Vermont Militia
during the Revolutionary War and served at Ticonderoga,
June 29 to July 8, 1777; also in guarding the frontier, May 6
to 12, 1779. He married, August, 1752, Mercy Holmes, by
whom he had Sarah, James, Abner, Samantha, Stephen, Mercy,
Dorcas, Hannah, Damarius, Tameson, William, and James.

Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Mead was a direct descend-
ant of the first Joseph. His father was Jeremiah and his
mother was Hannah St. John, of Norwalk, Connecticut. He
was born in Norwalk, August 20, 1736, married February, 1760,
Phebe Whelpley, and died February 26, 18 16. He enlisted in
the army, September 8, 1755, as private in Captain Samuel
Hanford's Company, French and Indian War, served in the
Expedition against Crown Point; in 1758 was commissioned
Quarter master of the 4th Regiment in the Expedition against
Crown Point and Ticonderoga ; was commissioned and served
as Ensign of the 12th Company, 2nd Regiment, in the Ex-
pedition against the Indians in 1761, and in 1762 as Ensign of
the 5th Company, 2nd Regiment, in the Expedition against
Crown Point. After the termination of the French and Indian
War, he was on the thirteenth day of May, 1773, commissioned
captain of the company, or trainband, in Wilton Parish in the
Town of Norwalk, Connecticut Militia. At the outbreak of

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The Revolutionary War. 85

the Revolutionary War, he received a commission as Captain
in the 5th Regiment of Connecticut, Continental Line, was
engaged in the Assault on Quebec in 1775, and wounded at St.
Johns, Canada, on the sixteenth day of September, 1775. Dur-
ing the campaign of 1776, he served as Major in Colonel Still-
man's Regiment, Connecticut State troops and Continental
Line, and was in several engagements. The following year,
1777, he was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Regiment of Con-
necticut, Continental Line, and in the engagement at Danbury
during Tryon's raid, and in the Battle of Germantown, October
4. In the spring of 1778, he had command of the 8th Regi-
ment of Connecticut, Continental Line. He resigned his com-
mission May 25, 1778 after the winter of 1777-1778, at Valley
Forge, where he was quartered with his Regiment.

The following is a copy of a letter sent by Thaddeus Mead
to his father, Thaddeus Mead, of New Fairfield. Connecticut.

Camp Bedford, New Purchase, Oct. i, 1780.
Honoured Parents : —

I with pleasure sit down to enclose a few lines to you, but
time will not permit me to write every particular. I hope
these lines may find you in a good state of health ; they leave
me so at present, through kind Providence. Perhaps you may
think not so well of me for not writing to you, when I had an
opportunity to send home a letter, but something would pre-
vent. I should have sent a letter by Lieut. Hubbell, but did
not know that he was going home till the morning before he
set out for home. I was employed with making out returns
till the moment he went. I have no news at present, only that
we have been wonderfully preserved from the cruel enemy, by
taking a spy, which brought the plan to light, which was laid
between that treacherous General Arnold, and the British
Officer. Had not that spy been taken, we should every one
have been numbered with the dead, or prisoners, for vvc were
on our march to West Point ; but the wicked plan fell through,
Blessed be God for the same. The spy had the plan of the
fort, and all the works there, the number of men, the whole
account of the regiments, ours likewise. I soon expect we
shall move back to Horseneck ; there is an Express gone from

86 The Mead Family.

the Governor to General Washington to get orders to move
back, we expect every hour that we will return. If you get
settled down I will get a furlough if possible, but for fear I
should not get a furlough I would not have you delay sending
me some things, which I stand in need of now, shoes, stock-
ings, breeches, shirts, mittens, and a handkerchief, for I can't
get one down here, and I will reward you well. I cannot as yet
expect to see you for tho I have petitioned in a manner for my
audience of leave, yet I cannot obtain it, wherefore let me en-
treat of you to bear with me till such times as it lies in my
power to make an honourable retreat, and then I shall not fail
to hasten with the greatest celerity imaginable and give you an
account of my entertainment, and of the recreation I have had
in these parts. Till when, I subscribe myself, with a hearty
presentation of my duty to my Parents and my love and re-
spects unto all my other friends and relatives.

I am your obedient Son,

Thad. Mead.

P. S.

I am in want of money. If you can send me a little as soon
as may be, I shall be over glad. I should be very glad if you
would come down and see me, for giving directions where to
come I can't, for we will soon move from this place.

T. M.

DEPUTIES TO THE ASSEMBLY DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY

WAR.

Peter Mead, of Greenwich, 1775.

John Mead (4) General, of Greenwich, 1775 to 1783.

Amos Mead M. D., of Greenwich, 1775 to 1781.

Benjamin Mead, of Greenwich, 1778.

Matthew Mead, Colonel, of Norwalk, 1779.

CHAPTER IX.
THE WAR OF 1812.

WAR was declared, June 1812, and in the spring of 1813,
Commodore Hardy, with a British fleet appeared off
the eastern end of Long Island Sound, and for a length of time
had almost complete control of the waters of the sound. Many
vessels were burned or sunk by the enemy, and they pushed
through the sound nearly to Throgg's Neck.

At this time the people of Greenwich and vicinity were
greatly alarmed, and feared the enemy would attempt to land.
The Pot-pie Company of Horseneck was posted on Field Point ;
the Cos Cob Company on Captain Noah Mead's Point, and a
company from North Stamford on Greenwich Point. Mr. Bush
Mead, one of the Horseneck Company, having been sent from
Field Point after some straw, found on being challenged by the
sentinel on his return, that he had forgotten the pass-word, and
finally stammered out in reply, " Straw, straw for beds."

Mr. Selah Mead, one of the sentinels on Field Point, seeing
but little excitement arising from the approach of the enemy,
put into execution a practical joke of his own. Equipping
himself in his birthday suit, he slipped without noise into the
water, and swam silently around the point, where he found
another sentinel asleep, whom he suddenly clasped around
the waist, and shook to wakefulness, who awoke the neighbor-
hood with his ^ries, supposing he was in the power of a real,
live mermaid. Soon after this the enemy's ships withdrew to

88 The Mead Family.

the eastern part of the sound, and the several companies were
dismissed from guard duty. In case of alarm, however, the bells
were to be rung, and one fine morning shortly after, the greatest
consternation was created by the fierce ringing of the alarm-
bells. Men hurried to and fro, and the news spread that the
British had landed on Greenwich Point during the night, and
the people, especially in Old Greenwich, were in a terrible
flurry. The militia was hastily summoned and Major Ebenezer
Mead, Jr., having collected his forces at Horseneck, hastened
to the scene of action. Arriving at the meeting-house in Old
Greenwich, about two miles from the position known to be oc-
cupied by the supposed enemy, he came to a halt and called
for volunteers to reconnoiter. Mr. Whitman Mead, a son of
Captain Sylvanus Mead of the French and Indian and the
Revolutionary Wars, was the only one there who had courage
enough to volunteer. Carrying a white handkerchief fastened
to a cane he started off, and on investigation found the sup-
posed enemy to be a fleet of American gun-boats under Com-
modore Lewis, who had been in search of one of the enemy's
privateers, and had landed upon the point for breakfast. Mr.
Mead so liked the joke that he stayed with the Commodore
much longer than he should have done, and breakfasted with
him. In the meantime our forces were in the greatest anxiety
of suspense, and supposed that their scout had been taken
prisoner and their flag of truce violated. He, however, re-
turned safely and explained all to the officers of our forces,
and they thereupon dismissed the troops and returned home.
The Treaty of Peace of December 24, 1814, ended the war,
and the Battle of New Orleans was fought, January 8, 18 15,
before notice of the termination of hostilities had been
received.

Other members of the family, also, as official records show,
served from Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, as follows :

The War of 1 8i 2. 89

REGULARS AND CONNECTICUT FORCES.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Ebenezer Mead, Jr., Major. Seth Mead, Captain.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Edmund Mead, Sergeant. Bush Mead, Corporal.

Leander Mead, Sergeant. Henry Mead, Corporal.

Bush Mead, Musician.

PRIVATES.

Jabez Mead, Job Mead, Rogers Mead, Selah Mead.
James Mead, Luke Mead, Samuel Mead,

VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Ezra Mead, Ensign.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Josiah Mead, Sergeant. Rufus Mead, Jr., Sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Elisha Mead, Joel Mead, Thomas Mead, Jr.,

Helon Mead, Martin Mead, William Mead.

Henry Mead, Samuel Mead,

NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Thompson Mead, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
Enos Mead, Major.

Augustus Mead, Quartermaster-Sergeant.
Michael Mead, Captain. Orison Mead, Captain.

Hiram Mead, Ensign.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Ezekiel Mead, Sergeant. Tyler Mead, Corporal.

Jesse H. Mead, Sergeant. Israel Mead, Corporal.

Obadiah Mead, Sergeant. Jacob Mead, Corporal.

William B. Mead, Sergeant. Shadrach F. Mead, Corporal.

Ezbun Mead, Corporal. William Mead, Corporal.

The Mead Family.

Abraham Mead,
Abraham Mead,
Abraham B. Mead,
Allen Mead,
Allen Mead,
Amasa Mead,
Artemus Mead,
Beckman Mead,
Daniel A. Mead,
David P. Mead,
Eber Mead,
Eber Mead,
Eber Mead,
Edward Mead,
Edward Mead,
Enos Mead,
Enos Mead,
Edmund W. Mead,
Ezekiel Mead,
George Mead,
Harvey Mead,
Henry Mead, Jr.,
Isaac Mead,
Isaac Mead,
Isaac Mead, Jr.,

PRIVATES.

James Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James H. Mead,
Jeremiah Mead,
Jeremiah Mead,
Jeudethan Mead,
Jonathan Mead

(seaman),
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John P. Mead,
Joseph E. Mead,
Jotham Mead,
Levi Mead,
Lewis Mead,
Lewis Mead,
Lewis Mead,

Martin Mead,
Nathaniel Mead,
Nathaniel Mead,
Peter Mead,
Peter Mead,
Philip Mead,
Ralph Mead,
Samuel Mead,
Samuel Mead, Jr.,
Shadrach Mead,
Smith Mead,
Smith Mead,
Smith Mead,
States M. Mead,
Solomon Mead,
Stephen Mead,
Sylvanus Mead,
Tyler Mead,
Walter H. Mead,
William Mead,
William Mead,
William C. Mead,
William R. Mead,
Zalmuna Mead,
Zadock Mead (name
also appears as Zo-
doc and Zadee).

Major-General David Mead, born January 17, 1752, was a
descendant of the first John through the Jonathan branch. His
father, Darius, was born in Horseneck, (Greenwich), Connecti-
cut, March 8, 1718; removed from there to Nine Partners,
Dutchess County, New York ; thence to Hudson, New York ;
thence to Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and thence
to Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where he permanently set-
tled. His military record is contained in Chapter VI.

Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson Mead, born February 26,
1774, was a descendant of the first John through the Jonathan
branch. His father, Jonathan, who was born in Horseneck

MAJOR-QENERAL EBENEZER MEAD,
CONNECTICUT MILITIA.

The War of 1812. 91

about 1727, removed from there to Nine Partners, Dutchess
County, New York, and thence to Chenango County, where he
permanently settled. At the commencement of the War of
18 1 2, the 17th Regiment, New York Militia, Lieutenant-
Colonel Thompson Mead, Commanding, was ordered out on
the first day of September, 1812, and participated in the Battle
of Queenstown Heights.

Colonel Mead, married, February 26, 1795, Miriam Haight,
by whom he had Julia, Allen, Almira, Thompson, Anson,
EHza, Clinton, Sarah, and Thompson, 2d. He was for many
years Sheriff of Chenango County, New York.

Major-General Ebenezer Mead (4), of the Connecticut
Militia, a direct descendant from the first John through the
Ebenezer branch, was born December 12, 1748, and died in
1818. He served during the Revolutionary War as a private
in Captain Hobby's Company, Colonel John Mead's Regiment,
and after the Revolutionary War gained distinction as a train-
ing master in the militia. He was Major in the Connecticut
Militia during the War of 1812, and at the time of the British
scare, caused by the appearance of a British fleet, under Com-
modore Hardy, off the eastern end of Long Island Sound,
which had almost complete control of the sound to Throgg's
Neck, he was detailed to guard the coast against an invasion
of the enemy. He had his forces stationed at several of the
most strategic points, and through his vigilance the enemy was
unable to effect a landing and was finally compelled to with-
draw its forces from the waters of the sound.

He married, April 6, 1769, Nancy, daughter of EHphalet
Mead, by whom he had Nancy, Hannah, Marilda, Ebenezer
(5), Rheumah, Jabez, and Amy.

Joseph E, Mead, of the Joseph line, ' William, ' Joseph,
'Joseph, * Israel, 'John, "Joseph E., born June 12, 1796, when
but seventeen years of age was drafted into the army, War of

92 The Mead Family.

1812. He enlisted afterwards, and just before the war closed,
was sent with his regiment to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to guard
the frontier against the incursions of the Indians. In those
days that was a long distance from New York, and as he had
been so long separated from his family, he had lost all traces
of them in the various changes of residence which they made.
When he was mustered out of service, he remained in the
vicinity of Green Bay, cultivating a tract of land, and traffick-
ing with the Indians, sometimes extending his travels into
Illinois, and often visiting Fort Dearborn. This fort was situ-
ated on the Chicago River, near the lake, and was surrounded
for miles by a low marshy country, apparently unfit for cultiva-
tion, but which is now occupied by the City of Chicago and its
suburbs. Joseph E. lived to see a beautiful city rise up from
the swamp, and ever loved to relate his adventures among the
wilds of the Northwest, before the hand of civilization had
wrought such marvelous changes. He never married, but lived
near Green Bay until he was about sixty years of age. While
there, two young men came from McHenry County, Illinois,
who were acquainted with Thomas R. Mead and his brother
Charles. Seeing a man in the tavern where they stopped who
resembled those two, they opened conversation with him, and
found his name to be Mead also. They inquired if he had
relatives in Illinois. He replied, " Not that I know of." They
then told him that they knew two men by the name of Mead,
living there, Thomas R. and Charles, and that he bore a strik-
ing resemblance to them both. He said that formerly he had
brothers of those names, but he had supposed them dead long
ago, as he had heard nothing from them, or any of his family
in years ; but that if these men were his brothers, they would
find that Charles had two fingers chopped off, which he had
done when they were boys together, and that Thomas had a
crooked finger. On their return, the young men made known

The War of 1 812. 93

their discovery to Thomas, who recognized in the description,
his long lost brother, whom all had supposed dead. He wrote
him a letter, and in a short time Joseph returned to his
relatives, and spent the remainder of his life with his brother
Thomas.

CHAPTER X.

THE WAR WITH MEXICO, 1846-1848.

THE principal causes which lead to the Mexican War were
the annexation of Texas and the aggressive action of the
United States Government against Mexico. The Battle of
Palo Alto, May 8, 1846, marked the commencement of active
hostilities, and on the 13th day of May, 1846, Congress passed
an Act providing money and men. Quite a number of the
family volunteered, but owing to the small number of men
called for, only a few were able to enlist, as appears from
ofificial records. The Treaty of February 2, 1848, ended the
war, and the Mexican Government ceded to the United States
an immense territory in the Southwest and on the Pacific
Coast.

REGULARS AND VOLUNTEERS FROM CONNECTICUT.
Franklin Mead, Co. D., ist Artillery.

NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
The following communication from the War Department,
Washington, D. C, dated November 28, 1899, explains itself:

It is shown by the records on file in this Department that
one Nicholas Mead was a member of Company D., ist New
York Volunteers. Nothing has been found of record in this
Department to show that any other person with surname of
Mead was a member of any volunteer organization from the
State of New York in the service of the United States during
the war with Mexico.

Q
<

5
O

uJ -

111

THE

NEW YORK

rFUBLtC LIBRARY!

V\ Abtor, Lenox and Tilden

Founi'istinns.
1902

The War with Mexico, 1846- 1848. 95

It seems that there are no records of the men who served
during the Mexican War on file in the Adjutant General's
Office at Albany, therefore the statement of the War Depart-
ment has not been verified.

VERMONT.

During the month of September, 1899, the author received
a communication from the Adjutant General's Office, Mont-
pelier, stating that " we have no records of the Mexican War,
but you can find those who served from Vermont in the War
Department, Record and Pension Division, Washington, D. C."

In reply to a request for the information as to those who
served, the War Department, Record and Pension Division,
Washington, D. C, under date of November 28, 1899, advised
" that there are no records on file in this Department of any
volunteer organization from the State of Vermont in the
service of the United States during the war with Mexico."

The fact nevertheless remains, notwithstanding these state-
ments that the State of Vermont furnished her quota of
volunteers for service in the Mexican War.

CHAPTER XI.

THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865.

THE bombardment of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, the
first overt act by the seceded States against the Federal
Government, began on Friday, April 12, 1861. The fort was
surrendered by Major Anderson on the following day, after an
attack in which one man was wounded, but none killed. The
news was published in the papers of Sunday, April 14, 1861,
and on Monday morning, April 15, 1861, President Lincoln's
first proclamation, calling for 75,000 men to suppress the re-
bellion, was issued. This was followed, May 3, 1861, by an
additional proclamation calling for forty more regiments and
18,000 seamen, and on July 2, 1862, by a call for 300,000
volunteers.

At the outbreak of the war, individual members of the
family were aroused to a degree of enthusiasm and patriotism
rarely witnessed even during the exciting times of those days,
and many promptly responded to the first call for volunteers,
and were early at the front both with commissions and in the
ranks. The young men who enlisted were the flower of its
manhood. They were representatives of the leading families
and in their toilsome marches and battle sca^d campaigns,
they were nobly sustained by their people at home, who re-
mained to furnish the " sinews of war."

Early in the war the women of the family allied themselves
with soldiers aid societies, which were continued throughout

The Civil War, 1 861-1865. 97

the conflict and proved of invaluable service to the objects of
their solicitude. It was through their efforts that large sums
of money were raised and valuable aid given to the Union
cause. The reverses of the Union Army under McCiellan in
the early summer of 1862 only quickened their patriotic spirit,
and during the entire conflict the family contributed both men
and money liberally to the Union cause. Not only were there
men at the front from Connecticut, New York, and Vermont,
but also from the great West and Northwest, where members
of the family had early settled, who were among the first
pioneers of those wild and unknown regions and had made for
themselves and their families new homes. In this and various
other ways the family has become scattered, so much so that
the author has found the task too difficult to include in this
volume the names of those who served in the war from all the
States or to relate the many deeds of heroic valor displayed on
the field of battle by individual members of the family, or
instances of sublime devotion to the Union cause of those who
remained at home.

The surrender of General Lee April 9, 1865, ended the war.

CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Daniel M. Mead, Major,
Thomas R. Mead, Captain, David W. Mead, Lieutenant.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

George A. Mead, Sergeant; John M. Mead, Corporal,
Zachariah Mead, Sergeant, John D. Mead, Musician.

PRIVATES.

Aaron B. Mead, Francis D. Mead,

Benjamin L. Mead, Frederick Mead,

Charles L. Mead, Hanford Mead,

Edward Mead, Henry H. Mead,

Edward A. Mead, Hibbard Mead,

Eliphalet Mead, Isaac L. Mead,

98 The Mead Family.

James E. Mead, Rufus N. Mead,

Jeremiah O. Mead, Silas E. Mead,

John D. Mead, Smith Mead,

Ralph S. Mead, Ward B. Mead,

Rufus Mead, Jr., Watson N. Mead.

REGULAR AND VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

John B. Mead, Colonel,
John B, T. Mead, Lieutenant.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Egbert H. Mead, Sergeant, Charles B. Mead, Corporal,
George C. Mead, Sergeant, Charles E. Mead, Corporal,
C. Eugene Mead, Corporal, Darwin Mead, Wagoner,

Geo. D. Mead, Musician.

PRIVATES.

Cyrus H. Mead, Gardner C. Mead, John A. Mead,

Ezra L. Mead, George Mead, Morris D. Mead,

Franklin Mead, George A. Mead, Royal Mead,

Franklin S. Mead, George E. Mead, Wolcott A. Mead.

NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Charles D. Mead, Division Judge Advocate, (Colonel),
Sidney Mead, Captain, William W. Mead, Captain,

Henry T. Mead, Adjutant, George W. Mead, Regimental

Quartermaster,
Arthur J. Mead, Lieutenant,

Augustus W. Mead, Lieutenant, George U. Mead, Lieutenant,
Elias A. Mead, Lieutenant, John Mead, Lieutenant,

Joseph N. Mead, Lieutenant.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Andrew J. Mead, Sergeant, Fletcher Mead, Corporal,

Charles Mead, Sergeant, Frank Mead, Corporal,

Wm. B. Mead, Sergeant, Isaac N. Mead, Corporal,

Alvin Mead, Corporal, Judson Mead, Corporal,

Elnathan Mead, Corporal, John Mead, Blacksmith.

■PUBLIC LIBRARY 1

'or, Leror aridTildcn ■','

'*»S!>«<\ .

MAJOR DANIEL M. MEAD,
10TH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS.

The Civil War, 1861-1865.

Abner B. Mead,
Absalom Mead,
Adolphus Mead,
Allen Mead,
Amzi Mead,
Asa C. Mead,
Asael Mead,
Austin Mead,
Charles Mead,
Cyrus Mead,
Daniel Mead,
Daniel Mead, Jr.,
Dryas H. Mead,
Dwight Mead,
Edward C. Mead,
Edward C. Mead,
Edwin F. Mead,
Elias Mead,
Frank C. Mead,
Frederick A. Mead,
George Mead,
George Mead,
George H. Mead,
George W. Mead,
George W. Mead,
George W. Mead,
Gideon Mead,

PRIVATES.

Henry Mead,
Henry H. Mead,
Henry W. Mead,
Jacob Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James Mead,
James A. Mead,
James M. Mead,
James McF. Mead,
James P. Mead,
J. S. Mead,
James S. Mead,
Jeremiah Mead,
Jeremiah C. Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John Mead,
John F. Mead,
Joseph Mead,
Joseph W. Mead,
Joshua Mead,
Lafayette Mead,
Lafayette Mead,
Lawrence Mead,
Lemuel D. Mead,
Lewis M. Mead, (R

Lucius IL Mead,
Lyman Mead,
Martin Mead,
Napoleon Mead,
Nathaniel Mead,
Nelson H. Mead,
Norman Mead,
Oscar Mead,
Peter C. Mead,
Ransom H. Mead,
Seneca Mead,
Seth Mead,
Sidney M. Mead,
Stephen Mead,
Sylvester Mead,
Thadd Mead,
Thomas Mead,
Thomas G. Mead,
Volney Mead,
Walter F. Mead,
Walton Mead,
Warren Mead,
William Mead,
William A. Mead,
William H. Mead.^

egular)

Major Daniel M. Mead, of the John line-Ebenezer branch,
a descendant of Captain Isaac Howe of the Revolutionary
War, was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, June 2, 1834. He
attended Yale College and the Law School at Poughkeepsie,
New York, was admitted to the Connecticut Bar, practised
law at Horseneck, married June 16, 1856, Louisa S., daughter
of the late Colonel Thomas A. Mead by whom he had no
children, and in 1857, published Mead's History of Greenwich,
Connecticut.

At the commencement of the Civil War, he enlisted, Septem-
ber 6, 1861, in the loth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer

loo The Mead Family.

Infantry, as Captain of Company I., and on the fifth day of
June, 1862, was promoted to Major, loth Regiment Connec-
ticut Volunteers, for gallant service. While at the front he
was taken sick with typhoid fever and sent home, where he
died September 19, 1862.

Captain Thomas R. Mead, of the John line-Ebenezer branch,
a descendant of Dr. Amos Mead, Surgeon of ye 3d Con-
necticut Regiment, French and Indian War, and of Richard
Mead of the Revolutionary War, was born in Greenwich, Con-
necticut, April 23, 1836. At the commencement of the Civil
War, he enlisted, September 6, 1 861, as Lieutenant in Company
I, loth Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and later was
promoted to Captain for gallant service. He died of typhoid
fever at Washington, North Carolina, October 25, 1862, after
thirty-seven weeks and four days of active service at the front.

The following is the history of the loth Regiment Connecti-
cut Volunteer Infantry as written by Brevet Brigadier-General
John L. Otis, late Colonel of the regiment.

The loth Regiment of Infantry was recruited late in the
summer of 1861, mustered into the United States service
September 30, at Camp Buckingham, Hartford, Connecticut,
left there for Annapolis, Maryland, October 31, under com-
mand of Colonel Charles L. Russell, of Derby, and was assigned
to the First (General J. G. Foster's) Brigade of Burnside's
Division. The regiment remained at Annapolis two months,
during which time it became noted for superior drill and
discipline.

January 2, 1862, it took transports with the Burnside Ex-
pedition for North Carolina, remained on shipboard, miserably
provided for. over five weeks ; then landed February 7,
and on the eight fought like a regiment of veterans in the Bat-
tle of Roanoke Island, losing fifty-six killed and wounded —
the heaviest loss sustained by any regiment engaged. Colonel

CAPTAIN THOMAS R. MEAD,
COMPANY G, lOTH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS

The Civil War, 1 861-1865. 101

Russell was killed, and was succeeded by Colonel Albert W.
Drake, of Windsor.

February ii,the regiment re-embarked and remained on
transports over a month longer, landing at Slocum's Creek
March 13, and after a hard day's march and a night bivouac
in the mud again distinguished itself for steadiness and effi-
ciency under fire on the morning of the fourteenth, in the
Battle of Newbern, losing twenty-seven killed and wounded.
Colonel Drake died June 5, and was succeeded by Colonel Ira
W. Pettibone, of Winsted.

The loth Regiment remained in North Carolina during the
summer of 1862, taking part in all the movements of the
Army. It was sent to Roanoke Island to suppress a mutiny,
a battalion w^as sent to Plymouth to take part in capturing
some rebel works on the Roanoke River, and the whole regi-
ment took part in the Trenton and Tarboro expeditions, meet-
ing the enemy at Rawle's Mills, Hamilton, and Williamstown.
July 22, all troops in North Carolina were organized into the 9th
Corps, under command of Major-General Burnside. November
15, Colonel Pettibone resigned, and the command of the regi-
ment devolved for a short time upon Lieutenant-Colonel
Pardee, and then on Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Leggett. De-
cember 14, 1 862, during the Goldsboro Expedition, there was a
very sharp engagement at Kingston, North Carolina. General
French, of the rebel army, occupied the town with about 7,000
men ; one of his brigades under Colonel Mallett occupied a
strong position on the opposite side of the Neuse River, to
defend the approach to the bridge. Several Union regiments
had attempted to carry the enemy's position, but were all
repulsed ; the loth Regiment was then sent for from the rear,
passing, on its way to the front, one entire brigade and three
regiments of another. Arriving in position, it charged the
enemy over three regiments lying down in hne of battle, drove

I02 The Mead Family.

the enemy from its position, pursued them to the Neuse
River, charged and carried the bridge, which was on fire, and,
swept by four guns in a tcte-dii-pont, captured five hundred
prisoners, a hke number of small arms, and eleven pieces of
artillery, with a loss of one hundred and six killed and
wounded. From the time the loth Regiment commenced its
charge, not a soldier of any other infantry regiment took part
in the engagement. On the sixteenth the regiment took part
in the engagement at Whitehall, and on the eighteenth, in that
of Goldsboro. At this time Colonel T. G. Stevenson, 24th
Massachusetts, commanded the brigade ; General Foster, the
expedition and the department. December 24, the troops
then in North Carolina were, by order of the President, made
to constitute the i8th Corps, with Major-General J. G. Foster
in command.

January 29, 1863 General Foster led a division of his troops
(of which Stevenson's Brigade, including the loth Regiment
formed a part) to South Carolina, for the purpose of making
an attack on Morris Island and Charleston. Foster's troops
were landed on St. Helena Island, where on February 13,
Major John L. Otis of Manchester, was commissioned Colonel
and assumed command of the regiment. Before leaving
the island the regiment established its well-earned reputation
of being the best drilled and best disciplined of any troops
in the service. While here General Forster, with thirty
men from the loth Regiment made a complete reconnoissance
of Morris Island, and declared it in a condition to be easily
captured by a small force. But difficulties with Hunter and
his staff, arising from childish jealousies on their part, resulted
in Foster's return to Newbern, leaving Stevenson's Brigade be-
hind, which was soon after assigned to General O. S. Ferry's
Division of the loth Corps. April 9, 1863, the brigade left
St. Helena Island for Edisto Inlet, and on the next day the

The Civil War, 1 861-1865. 103

lOth Regiment landed under the guns of Commodore Rogers'
monitor and drove the enemy from Seabrook Island, losing one
killed and two wounded. While stationed on this island, the
regiment was ordered to make a reconnoissance on John's
Island, out of reach of support from the main body. The
enemy had taken up the planking of the bridge connecting the
two islands, and had a good force of infantry, artillery, and
cavalry stationed so as to prevent relaying it. Colonel Otis,
having but a single regiment of infantry with him retired to a
good position and sent back for another regiment of infantry
and a section of artillery. Meantime the enemy crossed to
Seabrook Island with the hope of capturing the loth Regi-
ment before reenforcements could arrive ; but they arrived in
season and the enemy was attacked with such vigor that they
were driven from the island in confusion, pulling up the bridge
planking after them.

On July 14, Stevenson's Brigade took transports for James
Island, landed there on the sixteenth, and became a part
of Ferry's Division, loth Corps. On the seventeenth the enemy
drove the 54th Massachusetts from its position, where it
was holding one of the causeways, marched five regiments of
infantry, a battery, and a squadron of cavalry on the island,
and unwittingly formed their line of battle so that it left the
loth Regiment on their right and rear. As our main line of
battle outnumbered them two to one, and faced them at not
more than two hundred and fifty yards distance, Colonel Otis
begged permission to attack their right and rear while at this
disadvantage, but permission was peremptorily refused. The
two lines of battle faced each other for a few minutes without
a shot being fired, then the enemy faced to the right, marched
deliberately past our front, and off over one of the causeways,
without molestation.

Colonel Otis was ordered to " follow them up closely, but in

I04 The Mead Family.

no case to bring on an action." This he did capturing several
prisoners. There is no doubt that every rebel soldier who
came on the island would have been killed or captured had an
attack been ordered. On the morning of the eighteenth
Ferry's Division marched across Cole's Island to a position
opposite Folly Island, and after several hours' delay took
transports for Morris Island — the whole brigade arriving just
in time to form the third column of attack on Fort Wagner;
but the order to charge was countermanded just as the brigade
came under fire. Next morning Chaplain Trumbull and Ad-
jutant Camp, understanding that a truce had been agreed
upon, went out among the wounded, and inadvertently getting
within the enemy's lines, were captured and taken to Charleston.
Two weeks later Colonel Otis was detailed for special duty, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Leggett having been severely wounded,
the command of the regiment devolved temporarily upon
Major E. S. Greeley, of New Haven. Although the regiment
suffered but little loss on the Morris Island, its service there
was ardous and trying. The courage and soldierly qualities of
both officers and men were severely tested ; they were con-
stantly on duty, and at the front every third day, exposed to
the fire of all the rebel fortifications about Charleston. When
ordered to St. Augustine, after the capture of Fort Wagner,
sixty per cent, of the men were on sick list.

In November Colonel Otis was relieved from special duty,
resumed command of the regiment, and was placed in com-
mand of the Post and District of St. Augustine. While sta-
tioned here a force of the enemy's cavalry one hundred and sixty
strong ambushed a detail of about thirty-five wood-choppers
from the loth, commanded by an officer from another regiment ;
the officer and two men were killed and twenty-one captured.

April 1 8, 1864, the regiment took transports for Virginia,
reported at Gloucester Point the twenty-fifth, and was assigned

The Civil War, 1 861-1865. 105

to the Third Brigade, Ferry's (First) Division, loth Corps,
Army of the James. This army was composed of the loth
Corps under General GiUmore, and the Eighteenth Corps
under General Smith, the whole under command of General
B. F. Butler.

On May 7, the regiment took a conspicuous part in the
affair at Port Walthall Junction, driving the enemy away
from the railroad and destroying the telegraph, while other
troops tore up the track. General Plaister the brigade com-
mander, who had never before seen the loth Regiment under
fire, expressed astonishment and admiration at its matchless
steadiness in action. May 13, 14, and 15, the regiment took an
active part in all the preliminary movements and skirmishing
preceding the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, and on the sixteenth
was conspicuous throughout the day in that engagement.
The right flank of the i8th Corps should have rested on the
James River, but "through somebody's blunder," it did not,
and the enemy marched a force between that flank and the
river, capturing two brigades and leaving the right in such con-
dition that the loth Corps, which was forcing back the enemy's
right, was ordered to withdraw and send re-enforcements to the
1 8th Corps. To the loth Regiment was assigned the duty of
holding the enemy in check while Hawley's Brigade on its right
and Pond's on the left withdrew from the front ; a duty which
rendered the regiment liable to be overwhelmed and captured
by the heavy force sent against it. Here again it won the
applause of many ofificers of rank who witnessed its conduct,
holding the enemy in check until the other troops had gained
a safe position, then retiring in perfect order, halting twice to
drive back the pursuing forces. The brigade commander said
of this affair in his official report :

Of the loth C. v., I need hardly say more than that they
fully sustained the splendid reputation they have hitherto

io6 The Mead Family.

borne. For steady and soldierly behavior under most trying
circumstances .... they may have been equalled, but never
surpassed. Under a fire in which eighteen fell from the left of
the regiment in almost as many seconds, not a man spoke
a word or moved a heel from the alignment.

The moment this duty had been accomplished the regiment
was sent to the front farther to the right, with orders to hold
the enemy in check there until other troops could gain a safe
position ; this accomplished. Colonel Otis was ordered to take
his own and another regiment of infantry, with a section of
artillery, advance to the Half-Way House, and hold a position
there on the Richmond and Petersburg pike until the last of the
1 8th Corps had passed to the rear. The enemy, with both
infantry and artillery, attempted to force the position, but
failed completely. The loth Regiment was then sent far out
to the right of our retreating army to protect its flank, and
remained there until all had passed to the rear, then became
the rear-ffuard back to Bermuda Hundred. In these move-
ments the regiment lost thirty-six killed and wounded — none
missing, although at three different times during the sixteenth
it had been in danger of capture through holding its ground
so tenaciously while the corps was retiring.

Early in June the regiment took part in repelling the attack
of Beauregard on the Bermuda Hundred lines, when Major-
General Walker of the rebel army was wounded, and captured ;
Beauregard himself barely escaped. June 15, the loth Regi-
ment was on duty at the front near Wier Bottom Church, Major
Greeley in command. About three o'clock in the morning
signs of a movement on the part of the enemy were observed.
A skirmish line soon demonstrated that the enemy was re-
tiring, on which the main body of the regiment advanced so
rapidly as to capture, without loss, the famous Howlett House
Battery, with thirty men and two officers. On the evening
of June 20, a division under General Ferry moved down

The Civil War, 1861-1865. 107

to Jones' Landing, on the James River, with orders to cross
by a pontoon bridge and capture Deep Bottom, a position
north of the James, and only nine miles from Richmond.
There was so much delay with the pontoons that the general,
fearing daylight would reveal and defeat the movement before
the bridge could be completed, ordered Colonel Otis to select
another infantry regiment in addition to his own, cross the
river in boats, and capture the position. The i ith Maine was
selected in addition to the loth Connecticut the movement
promptly executed, and the position captured at two o'clock
in the morning. At daylight the enemy appeared in force
with infantry and artillery to retake it, but were promptly re-
pulsed. From this time to the end of the war Deep Bottom
was the base of operations against Richmond. A few days later
two detachments were sent out from the regiment to go
within the enemy's lines, capture and destroy a gristmill with
a large amount of grain, and also capture a torpedo station
and bring away the apparatus. Both expeditions were com-
pletely successful.

August 10, the regiment was on duty at the front. The
enemy made determined attacks on the line and were repulsed
with considerable loss. The loth Regiment being well pro-
tected, lost but one killed and three wounded. The following
correspondence between Generals Butler and Foster, relative
to the affair, speaks for itself — no other troops than the loth
Regiment were engaged :

Headquarters Third Brigade, First Division,
loth Corps, Army of the James,

Deep Bottom, Va., August s 1864.

Colonel J. L. Otis, Commanding loth C. V. :

Sir:-I have the honor to forward the following dispatch
from Colonel J. W. Shafter, Chief-of-Staff, in answer to a dis-
patch in relation to the affair in which your regiment was
engaged this afternoon.

loS The Mead Family.

The dispatch by telegraph from General Butler's Headquar-
ters, August I, 1864.
General Foster :

Your dispatch is received. The Commanding General thanks
you and your troops for the gallant manner in which you re-
pulsed the attack on your lines this evening.

(^Signed) J. W. Shafter, Colonel and Chief-of-Staff.
Very respectfullv. vour obedient servant,

P. A.' Davis, Capt. and A. A. G.

July 26, Colonel Otis was again ordered to take the loth
Connecticut and the nth Maine, cross from Deep Bottom
to Strawberry Plains, and retake a position from which a
brigade of the 19th Corps had been driven the evening before.
The two regiments recovered the position, forced the enemy
back into their intrenchments, and held a position within fifty
yards of their works through the night. In the morning the
two regiments joined a brigade of the 2nd Corps in charging
the works; the loth Connecticut and the nth Maine carried
an angle of the works, capturing three field guns. Loss of the
loth Connecticut, nine killed and wounded. August 17,
Lieutenant-Colonel Leggett, being too much disabled by
wounds received on Morris Island to continue in the field,
resigned and was succeeded by Major Greeley.

August 26, the regiment fought with its usual gallantry
and steadiness in forcing the enemy's lines in front of
Deep Bottom and Spring Hill, losing thirty-six killed and
wounded. Two days later, with the 24th Massachusetts and
lOOth New York, all under command of Colonel Otis, it took
the advance in moving against the enemy at Deep Gully and
Fuzzell's Mills, losing thirty-two killed and wounded. In
short, the loth Connecticut was in all of the nameless and
almost numberless fights and skirmishes of the Armv of the
James during the summer of 1S64. August 28, the regiment
was ordered into the lines at Petersburg, where it remained
thirty days, and although no serious engagement took place

The Civil War, 1 86 1-1865. 109

there during the time, it suffered a loss of nineteen killed and
wounded, having been under fire night and day the whole time.

September 26, the regiment returned to the north bank of
the James, and on the twenty-seventh took part in the engage-
ment at Chapin's Farm, which resulted in the capture of Fort
Harrison and Newmarket Heights.

October i, General J^irney found that the enemy was
moving in force northward across the front of the loth Corj^s,
became alarmed for the safety of a body of troops under Gen-
eral Ferry that had been moved so far to the right as to
become disconnected from the main body, and ordered the
loth Regiment to advance without support and attack the
marching column of the enemy. The regiment advanced so
promptly that it took a force of the enemy's cavalry by sur-
prise and sent it flying from the field ; then advancing rapidly,
attacked the main body of the enemy in flank, compelling
them to halt and form in line of battle facing the woods from
which their cavalry and pickets had been driven. The loth
Regiment, by changing position rapidly in the woods, gave the
rebels the impression that they were attacked by a much
heavier force, which kept them stationary until Ferry's safety
was assured. General Birncy personally thanked the regiment
for the pluck and coolness it had displayed in attacking and
keeping inactive for two hours a force that outnumbered it
ten to one.

September 30, the three years' term of the regiment ex-
pired. Losses in battle, by disease, and the muster-out of
the non-reenlisted men reduced the command to but little
more than one hundred men present for duty. October
7, when Kautz's Cavalry was stampeded without making a
fight, and Lee's Army came down to drive the Army of the
James back across the river, the regiment on the right of the
loth Connecticut broke and ran, leaving the loth Connecticut

no The Mead Family.

on the extreme right of the army, where it was attacked by a
rebel brigade pushed forward to turn our flank ; the regiment
stood its ground and drove back the entire brigade in con-
fusion. The enemy ralHed and again advanced, and was
driven back the second time with heavy loss, leaving their
dead, including three regimental commanders, on the field.
The loss of the loth Regiment was eight killed and wounded.
General Plaisted said of this affair in his ofificial report : " In
my opinion, the conduct of the loth Regiment, when the
troops on its right broke and fled, saved the Army of the
James from disaster."

October 13, the regiment, with but ninety men in the
ranks, was ordered to join Pond's Brigade in charging a
heavy and well-manned line of intrenchments on the Darby
Road, five miles from Richmond. The force sent in was
entirely inadequate and met with a bloody repulse, the loth
Regiment losing forty-six killed and wounded — just one more
than half the number taken into the fight. The enemy was
not only thoroughly intrenched, but outnumbered the assault-
ing column five to one. During the service of more than three
years, this was the first time the regiment had fallen back
under fire.

October 18, Colonel Otis was mustered out by reason
of " expiration of term of service," and the command of
the regiment devolved upon Colonel E. S. Greeley, of New
Haven. October 28, the loth Regiment under his command,
had a sharp skirmish near the Gerhardt plantation with the
loss of five wounded, and near the Johnson place on the
twenty-seventh with one wounded. The following week
the loth Connecticut was one of the regiments selected to go
to New York City and preserve order there during the Presi-
dential election.

In November and December the regiment was recruited with

The Civil War, 1861-1865. m

substitutes up to about eight hundred men. INIarch 28, 1865,
Colonel Greeley being absent on leave, the regiment, under
command of Lieutenant-Colonel E. D. S. Goodyear, broke
camp north of the James, with orders to march to the extreme
left of the lines south of Petersburg. It reached Dinwiddie
on the evening of the twenty-ninth ; on the thirty-first took
post at Hatcher's Run, and the next morning at four o'clock
was attacked by a brigade of North Carolina troops, which it
whipped handsomely, taking a number of prisoners. April
2, four companies being on picket, Lieutenant-Colonel Good-
year was ordered to take the other six and join in the as-
sault on Fort Gregg, a key to the inner defences of Petersburg.
After a march of over three hours he joined the assaulting col-
umn, which had to advance under the fire of Forts Gregg,
Bradley, and Cemetery Hill. The fighting for a foothold on
the parapet of the fort was desperate, and continued for more
than half an hour with the bayonet and clubbed muskets.
The loth Regiment carried the southern angle of the works,
and its State flag, with twenty-three bullet holes through it and
three through the staff, was the first banner planted on the
parapet. The desperate character of the combat is shown by
the losses sustained ; out of thirteen officers and one hundred
and eighty men of the loth Regiment that were engaged,
eight officers and one hundred and eighteen were killed or
wounded. The corps commander. General Gibbons, pre-
sented to the regiment a bronze eagle in recognition of its ser-
vices on the occasion. General Grant himself gave the order
for the charge, and in his Memoirs speaks in high terms of the
conduct of the troops engaged. Lieutenant-Colonel Goodyear
was severely wounded in the charge, and the command of the
regiment devolved upon Captain Hickerson, under whom it
marched in the van of the infantry sent to support Sheridan.
Lee's plan was to defeat the cavalry and escape around the

I 12

The Mead Family.

flank of the Army of the Potomac. He had already broken
through the cavalry when the infantry of the 24th Corps, after
a march of almost unprecedented hardship, formed across his
line of march, barring effectually his further progress. Sabers
alone, as Sheridan had foreseen, could not stop Lee's strong
infantry column, but the bayonets of the loth and the i8th
Corps (the old Army of the James), combined in the new 24th,
proved an impassable barrier. The rebels advanced on the in-
fantry and some sharp fighting took place, during which the
loth Regiment had several men wounded and seven captured.
The prisoners all escaped and got back during the day, but
thoroughly cleaned out of everything valuable.

The regiment remained at Appomattox until the last rebel
had been paroled, leaving there on the fifteenth day of April.
On the sixteenth Colonel Greeley resumed command of the
regiment, which moved deliberately " On to Richmond," where
it remained until August 26, when it was ordered home and
was mustered out of service at Hartford, Connecticut, Sep-
tember 5, 1S65 — four years, lacking twenty-five days.

PRINCIPAL ENGAGEMENTS.

Roanoke Island, N. C, Feb. 8, 1862.

Newbern, N. C, Mch. 14, 1862.

Kinston, N. C, Dec. 14, 1862.

Whitehall, N. C, Dec. 16, 1862.

Goldsboro, N. C, Dec. 18, 1862.

Seabrook Island, S. C, Mch. 28, 1863.

Siege of Charleston, S. C, from July 28 to Oct. 25, 1863.

St. Augustine, Fla.. Dec. 30, 1863.

Walthall Junction, Va., May 7, 1864.

Drewry's Bluff, Va., May 13 to 17 (inclusive), 1864.

Bermuda Hundred, Va., June 16, 1864.

Deep Bottom, Va., June 20, 1864.

Strawberry Plains, Va., July 26 and 27, 1864.

Deep Bottom, Va., Aug. i, 1864.

Deep Bottom, Va., Aug. 14, 1864.

Deep Run, Va., Aug. 16, 1864.

Deep Gully and Fuzzell's Mills, Va., Aug. 28, 1864.

The Civil War, 1861-1865. n

Siege of Petersburg, Va., Aug. 28 to Sept. 29, 1864.

Fort Harrison, Va., Sept. 27, 1864.

Laurel Hill Church, Va., Oct. i, 1864.

Newmarket Road, Va., Oct. 7, 1864,

Darbytown Road, Va., Oct. 13, 1864.

Darbj'town Road, Va., Oct. 27, 1864.

Johnson's Plantation, Va., Oct. 29, 1864.

Hatcher's Run, Va., Mch. 29 and 30, and Apl. i, 1865.

Fort Gregg, Va., Apl. 2, 1865.

Appomattox Court House, Va., Apl. 9, 1865.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 1S98.

ON the night of February 15, 1898, the United States
Battleship Maine, while lying peacefully at anchor in
the harbor of Havana, Cuba, was destroyed by an explosion.
The following morning the entire country was aroused by the
startling message from Captain Sigsbee, " Maine blown up,
suspend judgment." The officials at Washington took im-
mediate action, a Court of Inquiry was appointed and sent to
Havana to ascertain, if possible, the cause. The country
waited in suspense the report of that Court, which on the
twenty-fifth day of March, 1898, was delivered to the Presi-
dent, on the twenty-eighth of March, transmitted to Congress,
and " in the opinion of the Court the Maine was destroyed by
the explosion of a submarine mine." Reparation was de-
manded by the Government, but refused, and on the twenty-
second day of April, 1898, a proclamation was issued by the
President declaring war. This was followed on the next day
by a proclamation calling for 125,000 volunteers. The greatest
enthusiasm and patriotism were shown throughout the entire
length and breadth of the land. Many members of the Mead
family volunteered, and enlisted in the provisional regiments,
which were organized for the purpose of going to the front,
among the number the author, but the quota of each State was
so small that only a small proportion of those eager to go were
mustered into the United States service. The campaign was

114

The Spanish-American War, 1898. 115

short and decisive. The Protocol signed on the twelfth day
of August, 1898, ended hostilities, and the Treaty of Peace
was signed at Paris, on the tenth day of December, 1898.

CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS.

Harry A. Mead, Musician,
Seaman M. Mead, Private,
Harry A. Mead, re-enlisted for service in the Philippines.

VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.

Charles W. Mead, a descendant of the Vermont family, served
as 1st Lieutenant, Montana Volunteers. After the
close of the war he re-entered the service with a com-
mission as captain in the 36th Infantry, United States
Volunteers, and was sent with his regiment to the Phil-
ippine Islands. Brevetted Major for valiant service and
afterwards appointed Engineer to the United States
Philippine Commission.

George W. Mead, Private,

Robert P. Mead,

William H. Mead, "

NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS, COMMLSSIONED OFFICERS.

Harry Mead, Assistant Surgeon.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

John F. Mead, Sergeant, Clifton J. Mead, Corporal.

PRIVATES.

Edward A. Mead, Frank R. Mead, John J. Mead,
Edward H. Mead, Frederick E. Mead, Orrin W. Mead,
Frank Mead, George A. Mead, William Mead.

CHAPTER XIII.

IN MEMORIAM.

THE following is an extract from the funeral sermon for
Darius Mead, M.D., delivered at the Second Congregational
Church, Greenwich, Connecticut, February i, 1864, by the
Rev. S. B. S. Bissell, of Norwalk, Connecticut :

Darius Mead, son of Joshua Mead and Rachel Knapp, of
Round Hill, Greenwich, Connecticut, was born in Greenwich,
July 9, 1787. He was fitted for college under the tuition of
the venerated Isaac Lewis, D,D., whom he ever greatly re-
vered and loved, and to whom he was much indebted for the
formation of his character. He entered Yale College in the
year 1803, and was graduated in 1807, at the age of twenty
years. Among his classmates were, Thaddeus Betts, lieuten-
ant-governor of Connecticut, and senator in Congress ; Aris-
tarchus Champion ; John P. Cushman, M.C. ; William
Dubose, lieutenant-governor of South Carolina ; Thomas
S. Grimke, LL.D. ; William Jay, LL.D. ; Alexander Hodg-
don Stevens, M.D., LL.D., professor of surgery, and president
New York Medical College, and president Medical College,
United States ; Jacob Sutherland, LL.D., judge Supreme Court,
New York; Nathaniel W. Taylor, S.T.D., etc. He studied
medicine in Philadelphia, under Dr. Rush, and received his
diploma in 1809, in which year he was married to Lydia K.,
daughter of Elisha Belcher, M.D., of Round Hill. She died
sixteen years before him, January 15, 1848. He practised

116

.if/,.'

■-^

DR. DARIUS MEAD.

In Memoriam 1 17

medicine for a few months in New York, but removed to
Greenwich in iSio, settling first in the Old Society, biit soon
removing hither. He united with this church in 1819, soon
after the dismission of Rev. Dr. Lewis, under the pastorate of
his son of the same name. In the years 1845 ^^itl 1S46 he re-
presented the Twelfth District in the Senate of Connecticut,
being nominated without his seeking or knowledge of the in-
tention. Such are some of the principal facts and events in his
personal history.

In his private life, Dr. Mead was a diligent reader of the
Bible, making it more and more his companion in his later
years. His piety was a deeply settled principle, manifesting
itself in an humble, godly, consistent life rather than in many
words. Of strong intellect, he had a clear and comprehensive
judgment. His mind seemed at once to grasp a subject, how-
ever intricate. He turned away with disdain from the friv-
olous and factitious in life, and was eminently practical and
methodical. At the same time, he had a quick and accurate
taste, giving him a keen perception of the true and beautiful.
While he practised frugality and economy, he despised any-
thing mean and penurious. Although to a casual observer he
might, at times, have appeared auster and reserved, he had a
very genial and sensitive nature. There was a deep fountain
of feeling in his heart, from which gushed out strong and
abiding sympathies, pure and ardent affections.

In his home, where he most loved to be, and where he
needed to be known in order to be appreciated, Dr. Mead
was systematic and energetic in discipline, strict in the
training of his children, requiring them sacredly to observe
the Sabbath and to commit the Shorter Catechism. Yet he
was most affectionate, sympathizing, and self-sacrificing for
his children, manifesting a deep interest in their spiritual
welfare, constant in family worship, making his home a centre

ii8 The Mead Family.

of attraction to them, hallowed in their affections ; and to-day
they rise up and call him blessed : for what they all are,
prosperous, respected in society and in the church of Christ,
they are very much indebted, under God, to his exertions and
sacrifices, his discipline and example.

In his social and public life, Dr. Mead was a man of stern
integrity and unbending uprightness, despising anything like
equivocation, insincerity, ostentation, and cunning policy.
Of strong will and earnest convictions, he was nevertheless
modest and self-denying ; finding one of the sources of his
greatest happiness in ministering to the happiness of others.
He was ever ready to do what he could for the public good,
early originating the academy in Greenwich where so many
have been educated, and the cemetery where he will sleep
with so many of his neighbors. He was always decided on
the side of good morals and the general welfare.

As a citizen. Dr. Mead was loyal and patriotic, taking great
interest in the efforts of the Government to vindicate the
majesty of the Constitution, Laws, and Union against un-
righteous rebellion ; solicitous for the honor of his country,
her delivery from the blighting curse of Slavery, and for the
extension and perpetuation of Liberty.

As a Christian, Dr. Mead was punctual in the house of
God, often rising very early and riding late on the Sabbath
that he might redeem the time of public worship ; — jealous
for the honor of God and zealous for the peace and prosperity
of the Church, the maintenance of her ministry and ordin-
ances, the order and beauty of her house and the building up
of the Kingdom of Christ.

As a physician, thoroughly educated and fitted by nature
for his profession, he attained a high reputation, and was
skilful and successful in an extensive and laborious practice.
In no ordinary degree did he sympathize with his patients,

In Mcmori:im 1 19

bearing their burdens, in cases of danger greatly concerned in
regard to them, watching over and studying the changes,
features and phases of diseases, and patiently using all the
means that the most careful thought and reflection could
suggest for their recovery. He was considerate of the poor,
giving them his faithful attendance, often visiting them at
long distances, through cold storms, dark nights, and wintry
blasts, furnishing and preparing their medicines without
expectation of reward. He never accumulated wealth in
his profession. He was often the minister of spiritual good
and consolation to his patients, ever ready to pray with
them when it was proper, and to seek the Divine favor
upon them.

Born and bred among you, his long and laborious life has
been devoted to your service, and he was thoroughly identified
with all your interests. Blessed with almost uninterrupted
health, and scarcely ever absent from his post, even for a
day, continuing active in his profession till the hour he was
stricken down by the disease that terminated his life, he was
your physician for over half a century.

On the third of December he was suddenly smitten. His
disease was acute and painful ; but his last anxieties were
for the patients he was then visiting, and he could not
rest until assured that they should be cared for. After
he was attacked he had only the partial use of his faculties;
but at intervals he enjoyed religious conversation, and hearing
of the Bible and prayer, until he gradually became uncon-
scious, and expired without a groan, January 28, 1864, aged
seventy-six years, six months, and nineteen days.

Cyrus P. Mead, of the John line-Jonathan branch,
'William, 'John (i), 'Jonathan, 'Timothy, 'Zebulon, "Martin
(1), 'Martin (2), 'Cyrus P., -born July 26, 1837, was postmaster
at Waterloo, Wisconsin, from the time of his appointment

I20 The Mead Family.

under President Lincoln's first administration, until his death,
March 4, 1874. The following obituary notice is taken from
the Waterloo paper of that date.

Death, who seldom or never is a welcome visitor, has again
called upon us, and in the chilling shadow of his presence, a
whole community stands bowed with uncovered heads. This
time he has not knocked at the door of the humble and com-
paratively unknown, whose presence would scarcely have been
missed, but with that relentless impartiality which has ever
characterized his reign, he has walked into our midst, and laid
his mailed hand upon one of our most prominent and respected
citizens.

Cyrus P. Mead is no more. He has fallen in the prime of
early manhood at the age of thirty -seven years. On the even-
ing of the second, he was engaged in his official duties as post-
master until a late hour. Shortly after retiring for the night
he was taken ill. He grew rapidly worse, and at six o'clock l'. M.
on the fourth his spirit departed to that shoreless future from
whence no voyager ever returns.

Mr. Mead had been a resident of this village for thirty
years, and for the last fifteen years, was one of our leading
business men, during which time he held many public and
official positions, all of which he filled with signal ability. We
made his acquaintance seventeen years ago. He was ever our
friend whom we appreciated among the first of earth ; and it
is only left for us to pay to his memory a last tribute feeble, —
as only words are feeble on such occasions, — but none the less
sincere and heartfelt.

Our departed friend was a noble-hearted, generous, consis-
tent, good man. We had frequent opportunities to see him
tried, under circumstances where none but the genuine man
could have stood the test and come out triumphant ; and he
was never found wanting in any of the essentials of true man-

In Memoriam 121

hood. His was a history of kind acts and noble deeds. He
planted no thorns nor thistles, to annoy the traveller in life's
weary journey, but strewed its rugged path with garlands of
unfading flowers. How many will miss his cheerful face, and
more than all his active counsel and encouraging words. It
may be truthfully said of our departed friend, " It is hard for
an enemy to detract from, as for a friend to add to his praise."
The following description of the chapel erected in memory
of Julia C. Mead of the John line-Benjamin branch, 'Wil-
liam, 'John, 'Benjamin, 'Benjamin, 'Thaddeus, ° Benjamin,
'Edwin, * Julia C, — is taken from a Brooklyn, New York,
paper.

During the whole of yesterday a flag of the Norwegian Mer-
chant Marine floated from a lofty pole planked inside a neat
iron railing inclosing the ground on which has just been erected
the Bethel of the Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church, at
the southwest corner of President and Van Brunt Streets. The
plot of ground is 50 by loo feet. The Bethel, a neat looking
structure, is built with the best quality of brick and finished
with blue stone. Its dimensions are 65 feet in length by 38
in width. On either side of the porch at the President Street
end of the church are commodious class-rooms, and over them
is a large apartment intended to be used for prayer meetings
and other similar purposes. The main chapel is nearly 50 feet
in length and will seat about 300 persons. It is neatly fur-
nished, well lighted and thoroughly warmed and ventilated.
Inserted in the wall at the upper end of the chapel, and on the
right hand side of the platform and pulpit is a white marble
tablet on which in gilt letters is inscribed :

"In memory of Julia C. Mead, whose devotion to Jesus'
poor friends led her father, Edwin Mead, of New York, with
his sons, to consecrate this entire property to the Bethel ship,
Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church. To the poor the

122

The Mead Family.

Gospel is preached. The abundance of the sea should be con-
verted to Him. Glory be to God alone."

The ground and building cost about $16,000, and as above
stated, has been donated by Mr. Edwin Mead, a wealthy ship-
ping merchant of New York, to perpetuate the memory of his
deceased daughter, whose death occurred about two years ago.
Large numbers of sailors, the majority of whom are Nor-
wegians, are always to be found in that locality, and it was
with a view to providing a place for the religious instruction
of men of that nationality that the Bethel was built. It takes
the place of the floating Bethel that formerly lay at Pier No.
II, North River, New York, and more recently at the foot of
Harrison Street, in this city. The society sold it about two
years ago, and it now lies at the foot of Fifteenth Street, Jer-
sey City, where it is used as a Bethel by the Protestant Epis-
copal Church. In one of the class-rooms of the new Bethel is
a large supply of Bibles, Testaments and tracts, and pamphlets
on religious subjects, printed in the Norwegian language,
which are distributed by Mr. Ernst Jackson, an agent of the
New York Bible Society, to sailors and others who make ap-
plication for them.

INDEX.

MEAD FAMILY INDEXED UNDER CHRISTIAN NAMES.

Aaron, 76

Aaron B., 97

Abel, 75

Abigail, 10, 19, 24

Abijah, 75

Abner, 76, 84

Abner, Corpora!, 76

Abner, Sergeant, 76

Abner B., 99

Abraham, 76, 90

Abraham, 3d, 75

Abraham, Captain, 53, 74

Abraham, Sergeant-Major, 74

Abraham B., 90

Absolom, 99

Addington, John, 84

Adolphus, 99

Alan, 62, 81

Alexandria, O., 34

Allen, 90, 91, 99

Almira, 91

Alston, Anne, 6

Alston, Rowland, 6

Alvin, Corporal, 98

Amasa, 90

Amenia, N. Y., 17, 26

Amos, 30, 76

Amos, Dr., 49, 51, 54-56, 59, 68,

86, 100
Amy, 91
Arazi, 99

Anderson, Major, 96
Andrew, 10, 27, 30, 66, 68
Andrew, Captain, 67
Andrew, Ensign, 74
Andrew, Sergeant, 75
Andrew J., Sergeant, 98
Anna, 60, 61, 63, 64
Annapolis, Md., 100
Anne, of England, 3, 4
Anson, 91
Appleton, O., 34

Applington, Beulah, 29

Appomattox, Va., H2, 113

Arkesden, Eng., 2

Arnold, General Benedict, 77, 85

Aron, 76

Artemus, 90

Arthur J., Lieutenant, 98

Asa C, 99

Asael, 99

Asahel, 35, 36

Asel, 59

Augustus, Quartermaster-Sergeant, 89

Augustus W., Lieutenant, 98

Austin, 99

Austin Friars, Eng., 5

Azor, Sergeant, 74

Baker, David, 64

Ballston, N. Y., 26

Barber, J. W., 69

Barnum, Nathaniel, 56

Bates, James, 7

Bates, Johanna, 7

Bates, Richard, 7

Beauregard, General, 106

Beckman, 90

Bedford, N. Y., 21, 85

Belcher, Dr. Elisha, 116

Belcher, Lydia, 116

Bell, Jonathan, 22, 24

Bendish family, Eng., 2

Benjamin, 10, 17, 19, 21, 24, 75, 76, 86,

121
Benjamin, Ensign, 53
Benjamin, Jr., 56
Benjamin, Jr., Lieutenant, 53
Benjamin (i), 54, 121
Benjamin (2), 55, 60, 121
Benjamin (3), 60
Benjamin L., 97
Bennington County, Vt., 34
Bennington, Vt., 33, 77

123

124

Index.

Bergen Heights, N. J., 59

Bermuda Hundred, Va., 106, 112

Betsey, 35

Betts, Hon. Thaddeus, 116

Bille, 76

Birney, General, 109

Bissell, Rev. S. B. S., 116

Blackman, Mr., 80

Bond. Ensign Lewis, 39

Boston, Mass., 59, 77

Bowers, John. 20

Bradley, Colonel Philip B., 59

Brograve, Bridget, 2

Brograve, John, 2

Brooklyn, N. Y., 79, 121

Brown, Mary, 10

Brown, Samuel, 4

Broxted, Eng., 3

Bruce, Robert, 80

Briish, Benjamin, 79

Brush, Mary, 79

Buckinghamshire, Eng., 5

Buffalo, N. v., 39

Bull, Captain, 39

Bunker Hill, Mass., 76

Burnside, General, loi

Bush, 30, 87, 89

Bush, David, 73, 80, 81

Bush, Justus, 56

Bush, Ruth, 56

Bush, William, 56

Bush. Dr. William, 82

Butler, General B. F., 105

Button, Mrs. Philander, 73

Buxton, Clement, 22

Caleb, 28, 30
Caleb, Captain, 74
Caleb, Lieutenant, 48, 51, 53
Caleb, Sergeant, 74
Calvin, 75, 76
Cambridgeshire, Eng., 4
Camp, Adjutant, 104
Canada, P. Q., 46, 48
Canton, N. Y., 34
Gary, 33

Cemetery Hill, Va., in
Centre Rutland, Vt., 32
C. Eugene, Corporal, 98
Chamberlain, Richard, 2
Champion, Aristarchus, 1 16
Chapel, Eng., 3
Chapin's Farm, Va., 109
Charles, 75, 92, 99
Charles, of England, 2
Charles B., Corporal, 98
Charles D., Colonel. 98
Charles E., Corporal, 98

Charles I., 5

Charles L., 97

Charles, Sergeant, 98

Charles W., Major, 115

Charleston, S. C, 102, 104, ri2

Charnell, of England, 4

Charity, 30

Chenango County, N. Y. , 26, 29, 30,

91
Chester, N. Y., 30
Chicago, Ills., 92
Clamp, Joan, 2
Clark, 27

Clark, Hannah, 27
Clark, Thomas C, 27
Clifton J., Corporal, 115
Clinton, 91
Close, Elnathan, 67
Close, -Samuel, 56
Close, Thomas, 56
Coe, Robert, 9
Coles Island, S. C, 104
Colin, Ellen, 3
Colin, Nicholas, 3
Conneaut Lake, Pa., 38, 39
Cornelius, Hon., 51
Cornwallis, Lord, 77
Cos Cob, Conn., 21, 55, 73
Crab, Richard, 14
Crawford County, Pa., 26, 36, 37, 40,

42, 90
Crishall, Eng., 2, 3
Cristhall Grange, Eng., 3
Croft, Ann, 4
Croft, William, 4

Crown Point, N. Y., 47-50, 59, 84
Crutched Friars, Eng., 5
Curtis, Ruth, 35
Cushman, Hon. John P., I16
Cussewago Creek, Pa., 36, 38, 39
Cussewago Island, Pa., 37
Cyrus, 99
Cyrus H., 98
Cyrus P., 119

Dagworths, Eng., 2

Damarius, 84

Danbury, Conn., 56, 77, 83, 85

Daniel, 10, 12, 17, 31, 41, 51, 76, 99

Daniel A., 90

Daniel, Fifer, 75

Daniel, Jr., 99

Daniel M., Major, 97, 99

Darby Road, Va., no

Darbytown Road, Va,, 113

Darius, 35-37, 39. 9°

Darius, Dr., 116

Darwin, Wagoner, 98

Index.

'25

Davenport, Major John, S3

David, 7, 10, 19, 21, 24, 56, 75, 76

David, Drummer, 75

David, General, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43. 9'^

David P., 90

David W., Lieutenant, 97

Davis, Captain P. A., 108

Deep Bottom, Va., 107, 112

Deep Gully, Va., 108, 112

Deep Run, Va., 112

De Mille, Rev. J. H. Hobart, 80

Denton, Humphrey, 68

Denver, Colo., 51

de Prato, Henry, i

de Prato, Matilda, i

de Prato, Peter, 1

de Prato, Reginald, i

de Prato, Richard, i

de Prato, Robert, i

de Prato, Roger, i

de Prato, Stephen, i

de Prato, Walter, i

de Prato, William, i

Derby, Conn., 100

Detroit, Mich., 38, 43

Dinwiddle, Va., 11 1

Dobbins, Captain Daniel, 43

Dorcas, 84

Dorothy, of England, 4

Drake, Colonel Albert W., loi

Drewry's Bluff, Va., 105, 112

Dryas, H., 99

Dubose, Hon. William, 116

Dumpling Pond, Conn., 15

Duncan, 76

Dupry, Hugh, 42

Dutchess County, N. Y., 17, 26, 30, 32,

50, 51, 90, 91
Dutton Hill, Eng., 3
D wight, 99

Eben, 90

Ebenezer, 10, 17-21, 23-26, 30, 75, 76

Ebenezer, Colonel. 72, 74

Ebenezer, General, 28, 53, 74, 91

Ebenezer, Lieutenant, 53

Ebenezer, Jr., Major, 28, 88, 89

Ebenezer (i), 17, 54

Ebenezer (2), 27, 53, 54

Ebenezer (3), 28, 54

Ebenezer (4), 28, 53, 74, Qi

Ebenezer (5), 91.

Eber, 90

Edisto Inlet, S. C, 102

Edmund, 76

Edmund, Corporal, 75

Edmund, Sergeant, 89

Edmund W., 90

Edward, 76, 90, 97

Edward, of England, 3

Edward A., 97, 115

Edward C, 99

Edward II., 115

Edward N., 97

Edwin, 121

Edwin F., 99

Eells, Anna, 81

Eells, John, 63

Egbert IL, Sergeant, 98

Eli, 36, 76

Elias, 75, 99

Elias A., Lieutenant, 98

Elias S., 29

Elijah, 75

Eliphalet, 49, 55, 91, 97

Elisha, 10, 12, 18, 89

Eliza, 91

Elizabeth, 17, 20

Elizabeth, of England, 3, 4

Elizabeth Neck, Conn., 14, 16, 22

Elkanah, 75

Ella J., 29

Elmdon, Eng., 2, 3

Elmdonbury Hall, Eng., 2

El n a than. Corporal, 98

Elrington, Edward, 3

Elrington, Humphrey, 3

Ely, 75

Eneck, 75

Enoch, 28, 75

Enoch, Adjutant, 75

Enos, 90

Enos, Major, 89

Epenetus, 75

Erie, Pa.. 38, 43, 44, 45

Esben, 75

Essex County, Eng., i, 2

Esther, of England, 4

Ethan, 76

Experience, 7

Ezbun, Corporal, 89

Ezekiel, 90

Ezekiel, Corporal, 75

Ezekiel, Sergeant, 89

Ezra, 32, 33, 76

Ezra, Ensign, 89

Ezra L., 98

Fairfield, Conn., 12, 23, 56
Feaks, Elizabeth, 8
Feaks, Robert, 8, 9
Ferris, James, 22, 55
Ferris, James, Jr., 55
Ferris, Jeffere, 14
Ferry, General O. S., I02
Ferry Point, N. Y., 67

126

Index.

Field Point, Conn., 87

Finchingfield, Eng. , 3

Finney, Janet, 40, 41

Finney, Robert, 40

Fiske, Jonathan, 55

Fitch, William, 3

Fletcher, Corporal, 98

Florence, Italy, 5

Floyer, Matthew, 4

Floyer, Susannah, 4

Flushing, L. I., 63

Flying Cloud, 37

Folly Island, S. C, 104

Fort Bradley, Va., Ill

Fort Dearborn, Ills., 92

Fort Edward, N. Y., 48, 52

Fort Franklin, Pa., 37-39

Fort Gregg, Va., in, 113

Fort Harrison, Va., 109, 113

Fort Lee, N. j., 59

P'ort Sumter, S. C, 96

Fort Ticonderoga, N. Y., 47

Fort Wagner, S. C., 104

Fort Washington, N. Y., 59, 77

Foster, General J. G., 100, 102

Francis D., 97

Frank, 115

Frank, Corporal, 98

Frank C, 99

Frank R., 115

Franklin, N. Y., 64

Franklin, 94, 98

Franklin S., 98

Frederick, 97

Frederick A., 99

Frederick E., 1 15

French Creek, Pa., 36, 39-41

French, General, loi

Frost, Abraham, 12

Fuzzell's Mills, Va., loS, 112

Gabriel, 7

•Gabriel S., Major, 79

■Gardner C, 98

■George, 90, 98, 99

■George, King, 78

George, of England, 2-4

George II., 6

George A., 98, 115.

George A., Sergeant, 97

George C, Sergeant, 98

George D., Musician, 98

George E., 98

George H., 99

George U., Lieutenant, 98

George W., Regimental Quartermaster,

98
George W., 99, 115
Gerhardt's Plantation, Va., no

Germantown, Pa., 85

Gershom, 48-51

Gibbons, General, in

Gideon, 56, 59, 99

Gilbert, 76

Gill, William, 40

Gillchrist, Captain William, 51

Gillmore, General, 105

Glascock, Jane, 3

Glascock, John, 3

Gloucester Point, Va. , 104

Goldsboro, N. C, loi, 102, 112

Goodman, 7

Goodyear, Colonel E. D. S., in

Gould, Mr., 12

Grant, General U. S., in

Granville, O., 33, 34

Great Easton, Eng., 3

Greeley, Colonel E. S., 104, 106, no

Green Bay, Wis., 92

Green, General, 59

Green, James, 47

Gregg, 38

Greenwich, Conn., 7, 10, 12, 16, 17,
19, 20, 23, 25-32, 46-53, 55, 56, 58,
59, 67-69, 78, 80, 85, 87, 90, 99, 116

Greenwich Point, Conn., 8, 25, 87, 88

Grigg, Captain John, 82

Grimke, Thomas S., LL.D., 116

Guernsey, Sarah, 30

Haight, Miriam, 91

Half Town, 37

Halsey, Corporal, 75

Hamilton, N. C, loi

Hanford, 97

Hanford, Levi, 63

Hanford, Mary, Si

Hanford, Captain Samuel, 48, 84

Hanford, William B., 64

Hannah, 10, 19, 24, 84, 91

Hardey, Richard, 12, 16

Hardey, Ruth, 16

Hardy, Commodore, 87, 91

Harlem Heights, N. Y., 77, 79

Harmer, General, 39

Harrison, General, 44

Harry, Assistant-Surgeon, 115

Harry A., Musician, 115

Hart, Colonel Jonathan, 48, 51, 52

Hartford, Conn., 47, 100, 112

Harvey, 90

Haslingfield, Eng., 4

Hatcher's Run, Va., in, 113

Havana, Cuba, 50, 114

Helon, 89

Hempstead, L. I., n, 12, 14

Henary, 75

Henham, Eng., 3

Index.

127

Henry, ig, 34. 47, 76, S9, 99

Henry, Corporal, 89

Henry. Jr., 75, 90

Henry VI., 2

Henry, of England, 3, 4

Henry II., 97, 99

Henry T., Adjutant, 98

Henry W., 99

Hertford, Eng., i

Hertfordshire, Eng., 2

Heusted, Angell, 9, 14

Heusted, Angell, Jr., 20, 22

Heusted, Robert A., 9

Hewitt, Elizabeth, 4

Hewitt, William, 4

Hezekiah, Captain, 75

Hibbard, 97

Ilickerson, Captain Francis G., 11 1

Hill, Captain Ebenezer, 59

Hiram, Ensign, 89

Hitchcock, Captain Amos, 50

Hobby, Elizabeth, 81

Hobby, Captain Thomas, 47-50, 91

Holland, 5

Holley, Edward P., 73

Holmes, Captain James, 50

Holmes, Mercy, 84

Horseneck, Conn., see Greenwich

Hosea, 26

How, Peter, 82

Howe, Captain Isaac, 99

Hubbell, Captain Samuel, 49

Ilubbell, Lieutenant, 85

Hudson, N. Y., 35, 90

Hunter, Colonel, 43

Huntingdon, Eng., 2

Huntington, L. I., 63

Huntington, N. I., 59

Husted, William A., 73

Hyde, Dr. Fred, 60

Isaac, 75, 76, 90

Isaac, Jr., 90

Isaac, Captain Isaac, 49

Isaac L. , 72, 74, 97

Isaac N., Corporal, 98

Isaiah, 26

Isaiah, Sergeant, 75

Ismael, 76

Israel, 7, 26, 29, 75, 76, 91

Israel, Corporal, 89

Israel, Jr., 76

Jabez, 54, 56, 74, 89, 91
Jabez, Jr., 55
Jackson, Ernest, 122
Jacob, 34, 75, 99
Jacob, Corporal, 76, 89

Jacob, Ensign, 75

Jacob, Fifer, 76

James, 30, 33, 48, 55, 56, 75, 76, 84,

89, 90, 99
James, Colonel, 32, 33, 76, 84
James, Ensign, 46, 48
James, Lieutenant, 49
James, of England, 4
James A., 99 •
James E., 98
James H., 90
James M., 99
James McF., 99
James P., 99
James S., 99
J. S., 99

James Island, S. C, 103
James River, Va., 105
Jane, of England, 3
Jared, 68, 75
Jasper, 30

Jasper, Lieutenant, 74
Jasper, Regimental Quartermaster, 74
Jay. William, LL.U., 116
Jeffers, Captain, 41
Jehiel, Ensign, 75
Jehiel, Lieutenant, 74
Jemima, 28, 56

Jeremiah, 30, 56, 75, 76, 84, 90, 99
Jeremiah, Jr., Ensign, 74
Jeremiah C, 99
Jeremiah O., 98
Jersey City, N. J., 59
Jespor, 75
Jesse, 49, 50
Jesse, Ensign, 74
Jesse H., Sergeant, 89
Jeudethan, 90
Joan, of England, 3
Job, 89

Job, Captain, 75
Job, Jr., 76
Job (I), 26
Job (2), 26
Joel, 76, 89
Joel, Captain, 75
Johanna, 7
John, 10-12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 29, 35-37r

50, 53, 54- 56, 75, 76, 90, 91. 99,

121
John, Blacksmith, 98
John, Colonel, 28
John, Drum-Major, 62, 75
John, King, i
John, Lieutenant, 98
John, of England, 2-4
John (i), 10-12, 14-17, 19, 20, 23, 25,

26, 30-32. 35, 54, 84, 119, 121
John (2), 10, 12, lO, 17, 19, 20, 23, 26,

30, 54

128

Index.

John (3), Captain, 17, 20, 22, 30, 53,

54
John (4), General, 53-55, 61, 74, 77,

78, 86, qi
John (5). 62

John, 3d, 62, 75, 80, 81
John A., q8
John B., Colonel, 98
John B. T., Adjutant, 98
John D., 98
John D., Musician, 97
John F., 99
John F., Sergeant, 115
John J., 115
John M., Corporal, 97
John P., go

Johnson Place, Va., no
Johnson Plantation, Va., 113
John's Island, S. C, 103
Jonah, 75

Jonah, Sergeant, 75
Jonas, 56
Jonathan, 10, 17-21, 23, 26, 32, 35, 75,

76, 84, 90, 119
Jonathan (i), 26, 29, 32, 35
Jonathan (2), 26, 29, 35
Jonathan (3), 29
Jonathan (4), 30
Jones' Landing, Va., 107
Joseph, 10-12, 16-20, 23, 24, 29, 35, 36,

49, 54, 75, 76, 91, 99
Joseph (1), 17, 29, 84, 91
Joseph (2), 17, 26, 29, 91
Joseph, Corporal, 48
Joseph, Drummer, 75
Joseph, Ensign, 48, 49
Joseph E., 90, 91
Joseph N., Lieutenant, 98
Joseph W., 99
Joshua, 26, 48, 50, 99, 116
Joshua, Sergeant, 75
Josiah, 50, 55, 56, 75, 76
Josiah, Sergeant, 89
Jotham, 90
Jothem, 75
Judson, Corporal, 98
Julia, 91
Julia C, 121

Katharine, of England, 2
Keeler, Captain Samuel, 59
Kent County, Eng., 7
King, 76
King, Mercy, 26
Kinston, N. C, 101, 112
Knapp, Rachel, 116
Knapp, Timothy, 65

Lafayette, 99

Lafayette, General Marquis, 69

Lake George, N. Y., 47

Lake Waccabuc, N. Y., 28, 30

Laurel Hill Church, Va., 113

Law, Jonathan, 52

Law, Richard, 11

Lawrence, 99

Leander, Sergeant, 89

Lee, General, 97

Leggett, Colonel Robert, loi, 104

Leicester County, Eng., 4

Lemuel D., 99

Levi, 75, 76, 90

Lewis, 51, 90

Lewis, Beale, 84

Lewis, Commodore, 88

Lewis, Isaac, D.D., 116

Lewis M., 99

Lewisboro, N. Y., 27

Lexington, Mass., 76

Leyden, Netherlands, 5

Libbeus, Corporal, 75

Libbeus, Sergeant, 75

Licking County, O., 34

Lincoln, Hon. Abraham, 96

Lockwood, 75

Lockwood, Elizabeth, 78

Lockwood, Gershom, 22

London, Eng., 2, 3

Long Island, N. Y., 77, 79

Louis, 76

Louisa S., 99

Lucius H., 99

Luke, 89

Lydd, Eng., 7

Lydia, 7

Lyman, 99

McClellan, General, 97
McFarland, James E., 37
McHenry County, Ills., 92
McNeil, Captain Archibald, 48, 49
Mackinaw, Mich., 43
Maher, John, 72
Mallett, Colonel, loi
Mamaroneck, N. Y., 68
Manchester, Conn., I02
Manchester, Vt., 34
Margaret, of England, 2, 3
Maria, 41
Marilda, 91

Marlborough Church, Eng., 4
Mark, Rev., 72
Marsel, 76
Marshall, 76

Index.

1 29

Marshall, John, 56

Marshall, John, Jr., 56

Marshe, Ruth, 6

Marshal, 76

Martha, 10, li

Martial, 76

Martin, 27, 89, 90, 99, 119

Mary, 10, 12, 19, 24, 60, 62, 63

Matching, Eng., 3

Mather, Abel, 81

Matthew, 48, 56, 75

Matthew, of England, 2

Matthew, Captain, 53, 54, 74, 80

Matthew, Colonel, 48, 50, 56, 74, 77,

84, 86
Matthew, Ensign, 50
Matthew, Quartermaster, 48
Matthew, Rev., of England, 4
Mead Township, Pa., 39
Mead's Mills, Vt., 32
Mead's Point, Conn., 87
Meadville, Pa., 10, 35, 36, 40, 41
Mehetable, 80, 81
Mercer County, Pa., 37, 39
Mercy, 26, 33, 84
Merritt, Abraham, 81
Merritt, Shubel, 58
Messenger, Andrew, 9
Mianus, Conn., 58
Mianus River, Conn., 15
Michael, Captain, 89
Mifflin, Hon. Thomas, 42
Mills, Amos, 82
Montreal, Canada, 49
Morris D., 98

Morris Island, S. C, 102, 104
Moses, 76
Molt, Adam, 15
Mounteneys, Eng., 2
Mount Vernon, N. Y., 68
Munrow, Amos, 55

Nancy, 91

Nansemond County, Va., 10

Naples, Italy, 5

Napoleon, 99

Nathan, 17, 20, 26, 32. 75, 76

Nathaniel, 10, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 30, 55,

56, 76, 83, 90, 99
Nathaniel, 3d, 75
Nathaniel, Lieutenant, 75
Nathaniel, Sergeant, 74
Nehemiah, 26, 53, 55, 76
Nehemiah, Lieutenant, 54
Nelson H., 99
Nemiah, Jr., 75
Nemiah, Sergeant, 74
Nesbit, John, 5

Netus, 75

Neuse River, N. C, loi

Nevill, Colonel, 39

Newbern, N. C, loi, 102, 112

New Canaan, Conn., 61, 63

New Haven, Conn., 104

Newmarket Heights, Va., 109, 113

New London, Conn., 77

New Orleans, La., 88

New Purchase, N. Y., 85

New Rochelle, N. Y., 71

New York, N. Y., 63, 66, 68, 77, 79,

no, 122
Nicholas, 94
Nine Partners, N. Y., 26, 30, 32, 90,

91
Noah, 76
Norman, 99
Normandy, fiance, i
North Greenwich, Conn., 60, 78, 80
Northumberland County, Pa., 26, 35-

37. 90
Nortofts, Eng., 3, 4
Norwalk, Conn., 47-5". 54-56, 84, ii6

Obadiah, 60

Obadiah, Sergeant, 89

Obediah, 75

Ogden, Captain Jonathan, 50

Old Greenwich, see Sound Beach

Oliver, Fifer, 75

Orison, Captain, 8g

Orrin VV., 115

Oscar, 99

Oswegatchie, N. Y., 49

Otis, General John L., 100, 102

Otter Creek, Vt., 32, 33

Oxfordshire, Eng., 4

Padua, Italy, 5

Palo Alto, Tex., 94

Pardee, Colonel, loi

Paris, France, 115

Paschel, 76

Patience, 7

Patrick, Captain Daniel, 8, 9

Peck, Abraham, 83

Peck, Rev. Jeremiah, 16

Peck, Jonathan, 80, 83

Peck, Jonathan R.. 83

Peck, Mehetabel, 80

Perry, Commodore O. IL, 43-45

Peter, 54, 55, 66, 86, 90

Peter, Sergeant, 74

Peter C, 99

Petersburg, Va., 11, lo8, 113

I^O

Index.

Pettibone, Colonel Ira W. , lOi

Pett)', Charnell, 4

Petty, Elizabeth, 4

Phebe, 60

Philadelphia, Pa., 116

Philip, 76, go

Philip, Corporal, 76

Philip, of England, 4

Pittsburgh, Pa., 40

Pittsford, Vt., 33

Plaisted, General, 105, no

Piatt, 59

Plymouth, N. C, loi

Port Walthal Junction, Va., 105

Potter, Anna, 30

Potter, Hannah, 10, 15

Potter, William, 15, 22

Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 99

Proctor, General, 44

Putnam, General Israel, 18, 69

Put's Hill, Conn., 78

Pytches, William, 3

Quaker Ridge, Conn., 60
Quebec, Canada, 76, 85

Rachel, 30, 55

Ralph, 90

Ralph S., 98

Ransom H., 99

Rawle's Mills, N. C, lor

Ray, , 38

Rebecca, 26

Redding. Conn., 54, 55, 71

Reginald, of England, 2

Reuben, 19, 75

Reynolds, Gideon, 56

Rheumah, 91

Richard, 10, 12, 27, 31, 68, 69, 75, 76,

84, 100
Richard, Dr., of England, 5, 13
Richard K., 11
Richard K., Colonel, 10
Richardson, John, 11
Richmond, Va. , 107
Ridgefield, Conn., 55, 63
Roanoke Island, N. C, 100, lOi, II2
Robert, Earl of Sussex, 2
Robert, of England, 2-4
Robert P., 115
Rogers, 89
Rome, Italy, 5
Rouen Castle, Normandy, 2
Rowell, Eng. , 3
Royal, 98
Rufus, 76

Rufus, Jr., 98

Rufus, Jr., Sergeant, 89

Rufus N., 98

Russell, Colonel Charles L., 100

Ruth, 17, 30, 35

Rutland, Vt., 32, 33

Rye, N. Y., 58, 71

Sag Harbor, L. I., 77

St. Augustine, Fla., 104, 112

St. Clair, General, 39

St. Helena Island, S. C, 102

St. John, Hannah, 84

St. Johns, Canada, 85

St. Lawrence County, N. Y., 30, 34

Salem, N. Y., 27

Sally, 30

Samantha, 84

Samford, Elizabeth, 3

Sam ford, Robert, 3

Sampson, Judith, 33

Samuel, 10, 18, 19, 22, 24, 30, 55, 89,

90
Samuel, Fifer, 75
Samuel, Lieutenant, 53
Samuel, Jr., 90
Samuel, of England, 5
Sarah, 7, 30, 37, 56, 84, 91
Saratoga, N. Y., 77
Saratoga County, N. Y., 26
.Sattertield, Rev. Mr., 37
Sawpits, N. Y., 71
Scoful, Hannah, 24
Seabrook Island, S. C, 103, 112
Seaman, Hon., 51
Seaman M., 115
Selah, 76, 87, 89
Sellick, Captain Jonathan, 55
Sely, Sergeant, 75
Seneca, 99
Seth, 81, 99
Seth, Captain, 89
Seymour, Captain Seth, 63
Shadrach, 30, 90
Shadrach F., Corporal, 89
Shaffer, Colonel J. W., 107, 108
Shenango Creek, Pa., 39
Shippan Point, Conn., 15, 22
Sidney, Captain, 98
Sidney M., 99
Silas, 76

Silas, Jr., 75, 76
Silas E., 98

Simpson, Captain John, 43
Singleton, Thomas, 5
Slocum's Creek, N. C, lor
Smith, 75, 76, 90, 98
Smith, John, 3

Index.

131

Sniffen, Mary A., 81

Solomon, 28, 75, 90

Solomon, Rev., 27, 28

Solomon S., 60

Somersetshire, Eng., 2

Sound Beach, Conn., 9, 14. 16. I7. 25,

88
South Bainbridge, N. Y., 29
South Norwalk, Conn., 63
South Salem, N. Y., 27, 28
Spicer, Mrs., 63
Spring Hill, Va. , 108
Staffordshire, Eng., 4
Stagg, Captain, 7
Stamford, Conn., 8-12, 14, 22, 24, 52,

55. 69, 71. 72
Stanwich, Conn., 27, 82

Stark, , 33

States M., 90

Stephen. 32, 33, 50, 54-5C>, 75, 76, 84,

90. Q9
Stephen, Captain, 54
Stephen, Corporal, 75
Stephen, Lieutenant, 54
Stepney, Eng., 5
Stevens, Dr. Alexander H., 116
Stevenson, Colonel T. G., 102
Stillnian, Colonel, 85
Strawberry Plains, Va., 108, 112
Strong, Rev. Benjamin, 27
Strong, Hannah, 27
Studvvell, Thomas, 14
Sun bury, I'a., 36
Sutherland Falls, Vt., 32, 33
Sutherland, Hon. Jacob, 116
Susannah, 55
Sussex County, Eng., 2
Swartout, Captain Jacobus, 51
Sylvanus, 90
Sylvanus, Captain, 49, 58. <Jo. ^y, 74,

88
Sylvanus, Corporal, 49, 59
Sylvester, 99

Tameson, 84

Tarboro, N. C, 10 1

Taylor. Rev. Nathaniel W., 1 16

Thadd, 99

Thaddeus, 75. 76. 85. 121

Thaddeus, ae. 76, 75

I'haddeus, Captain, 49, 5^' —

Thaddeus, Commissary, 48

Thaddeus, Lieutenant, 47, 48

Theodosia, 27, 60

Theophilus. 75

Thespt., Filer, 75

Thomas, 75, 99

Thomas, jr., 2, 89

Thomas, of England, 2, 3

Thomas A., Colonel, 69, 99

Thomas (]., 99

Thomas R., 92

Thomas R., Captain, 97, 100

Thompson, 91

Thompson, Colonel, 30, 89, 90

Throgg's Neck, N. Y., 87, 91

Ticonderoga, N. Y., 48, 49. 5i. 59. 84

Timothy, 32-34, 76. 84, 1 19

Timothy, Jr., 76
Timothy (i), 32, 33, I19
Timothy (2), 32, 34
Timothy 3d, 76
Titus, 30, 56, 65, 75
Townsend, Cole, 81
Treat, Sallomon, 22, 24
Trenton, N. C, loi
Triml)le, James, 42
Truman, 76
Truman, Fifer, 76
Trundriull, Chaplain, 104
Tryon, Governor, 19, 70, 77, 85
Turner, Captain, 8, 9
Tyler, 90
Tyler, Corporal, 89

Upton, Eng., 3
Uriah, 75

Uriah, Fife-Major, 75
Uriali, Sergeant. 74
Utrecht. Netherlands, 5

Valley Forge, Pa.. 85

Van Deiibergh, Captain Peter, 50

Van Home, , 38

Van Home, Ensign. 40
Vincent, General, 45
Volney, 99

Wakeman, Rev. Mr., 12

Walker, General, 106

Walter, 81

Walter C, 51

Walter F., 99

Walter IL, 90

Walthal Junction, Va., 105, 112

Walton, 99

Walton, N. Y., 63, 64, 79

Ward, Andrew, 9

Ward, B., 98

Wardour, Jane. 3

Wardour, William, 3

Warren, 99

132

Index.

Warren County, N. Y., 30

Warren County, Fa., 37

Washington, D. C, 43, 94, 95

Washington, N. C, 100

Washington, General George, 10, 66, 86

Waterbury, Conn., 27

Waterbury, Captain David, 48

Waterbury, J no., 11

Waterloo, Wis., 119

Watson, N., 98

Wayne General, 39, 40

Wendon Lofts, Eng., 2

Wendy, Dorothy, 4

Wendy, Thomas, 4

Westchester County, N. Y., 27, 28, 30,

50, 51
West Creek, Vt., 33
West Point, N. Y., 85
West Rutland, Vt., 32, 33
Wethersfield, Conn., 8, 9
Whaley, John, 3
Whelpley, Betty, 56
Whelpley, Phebe, 84
White, Captain Stephen, 39, 48, 51, 52
Whitehall, N. C, 102, 112
White Plains, N. Y,, 77, 79
Whiting, Frederic, 83
Whitman, 59, 88
Whitman S., Hon., 17
Wier Bottom, Va., 106
William, 7, 8, 10, ri, 14, 29, 33, 42,

75, 76, 84, 89-91, 99, 115, 119. 121
William, of England, 3, 4
William, Corporal, 89
William, Rt. Rev., 11
William, Surgeon, 75
William A., 99
William B., Sergeant, 89, 98
William C, go
William H., 99, 115
William R., 90

William W., Captain, 98

Williams, Richard, 9

Williams, Robert, 15

Williams, Sophia F., 29

Williamsiown, N. C, lOl

Wilinot, Edward, 6

Wilson, Agnes, 35

Wilson, Edward, 4

Wilson, Elizabeth, 4

Wilson, Janet, 35

Wilson, John, 35

Wilton, Conn., 54, 84

Windsor, Conn., 8, loi

Winsted, Conn., loi

Wolcott, A., 98

Wood, Jonah, 59

Wood, Sybil, 59

Wooster, Colonel David, 47-49

Wooster, Captain Joseph, 46

Wyllys, George, 52

Wyoming County, Pa., 26, 35, 36

Yorktown, Va. , 77

Zaccheus, 75

Zachariah, lO, 12, 17, 22, 24, 26, 76

Zachariah, Sergeant, 97

Zadee, 90

Zadoc, 90

Zadock, 90

Zalmuna, 90

Zalock, 76

Zebibediah, 76

Zebulon, 32, 33, 76, 119

Zebulon, Jr., 76

Zebulon, Lieutenant, 50

Zelek, 76.

. J

1 2 193^;

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Full text of "History and genealogy of the Mead family of Fairfield county, Connecticut, eastern New York, western Vermont, and western Pennsylvania from A.D. 1180 to 1900"

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