Further genealogical information is requested about Matthew Mead. Please contact Charles Riegle at CRiegle@aol.com Matthew Mead was born in the old Mead Tavern at the upper end of Comstock Ridge, in what became Wilton, on July 30, 1735. He was orphaned at 10, and brought up by his oldest brother Thaddeus. Thaddeus served in 1746 in the defense of Louisburg. When war broke out again in 1755, Thaddeus went as a Lieut. in the CT militia to Canada, and Matthew went with him as a private. T. served until 1760 when he died of smallpox at Schenectady; Matthew continued to 1762. In 1773, Mead was elected Captain of the "Wilton Train Band." In the first group of officers commissioned at the outbreak of war, he became Captain of the Norwalk Company sent under General Waterbury to the invasion of Canada. He was wounded at St. Johns. In June of 1776 he went as Major of a battalion of State troops to Long Island and the attempted defense of New York. He became Lieut. Col. of the 5th line Regiment in 1777, and spent that winter at Valley Forge, commanding for a time the 8th line. He was in command of the state regiment defending Greenwich and the sound, and was thus in charge of the defense of Norwalk when it was burned by the British. During the final years of the war, he served in the legislature and as recruiting officer in Norwalk. He was the only Colonel of regular troops from any part of Norwalk. *************************************************