Hartford Co., CT, Early Militia, 1658 - 1884

The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884
J. Hammond Trumbull, LL.D., Editor
Vol 1, p 174-180

In 1658 Major John MASON, then the highest military officer in the colony, secured the organization of a "troop" of horse for Hartford County. It contained thirty-seven members. Below is the roster of this first body of clvalry in Connecticut. .

Captain, Richard LORD, of Hartford Lieutenant, Daniel CLARK, of Windsor Cornet, John ALLYN, of Hartford Corporal, Nicholas OLMSTEAD, of Hartford Corporal, Richard TREAT, of Wethersfield Corporal, Sam. MARSHALL, of Windsor Quartermaster, Thomas WELLES, Jun., of Hartford PRIVATES (Samuel) WYLLYS Jacob MAYGATT Jonathan GILBERT John STEDMAN James STEELE Daniel PRATT Andrew WARNER Will. EDWARDS Rich. FELLOWS Robert REEVE [all of Hartford] Tho. ALLYN John BISSELL Geo. PHELPS Steph. TERRY Will. HAYDEN John HOSFORD John WILLIAMS Nath. LOOMIS Tho. LOOMIS Aaron COOKE David WILTON Simon WOLCOTT Tho. STRONG John MOSES John PORTER [all of Windsor] John LATIMER John BELDEN John CHESTER Anthony WRIGHT John PALMER [all of Wethersfield]

In 1737, there were forty-seven companies of infantry & two of horse, a total of 3586 men, in Major Roger WOLCOTT's "regiment".

Hartford: four companies of infantry, aggregating 478 men, under Captains Nath. HOOKER, Joseph COOKE, Wm. PITKIN, and Daniel WEBSTER.

Windsor: seven companies, 501 men; Captains, Henry ALLYN, Pelatiah ALLEN, Joseph PHELPS, John ELLSWORTH, and Tho. GRISWOLD; Lieutenants, Dan. ELLSWORTH and Pelatiah MILLS.

Wethersfield: four companies, 324 men; Captains, John CHESTER, Gideon WELLES, Jacob WILLIAMS, and Martin KELLOGG.

Middletown: seven companies, 481 men; Captains, John WARNER, Joseph SOUTHMAYD, Daniel HALL, Rich. HAMLIN, and Nath. WHITE; Lieutenants, Samuel HART and Geo. HUBBARD.

Farmington: four companies, 328 men; Captains, Josiah HART, Joseph WOODRUFF, Tho. CURTIS, and Tho. HART.

Simsbury: three companies, 202 men; Captains, James CORNISH, Benj. ADAMS and John LEWIS.

Haddam: two companies, 132 men; Captains, John FISH and Nath. SUTCLIFF

East Haddam: two companies, 166 men; Captains, Stephen CONE and Matthew SMITH.

Glastonbury: two companies, 150 men; Captains, Tho. WELLES and David HUBBARD.

Colchester: four companies, 212 men; Captains, Nath. FOOTE, Israel NEWTON, Jonath. DUNHAM, and John HOLMES.

Hebron: two companies, 172 men; Captains, Joseph SWETLAND and Morris TILLOTSON

Tolland: one company, 87 men; Captain, Sam. CHAPMAN

Bolton: one company, 65 men; Captain, John TALCOTT

Stafford: one company, 59 men; Captain, Dan. BLODGETT

Willington: one company, 56 men; Captain, Eleazar HUBBELL

Litchfield: one company, 65 men; Captain, Jacob GRISWOLD; also one company, Captain Joseph BIRD, number of men not given.

Of the two companies of horse, one was in Hartford and vicinity, Captain John WHITING; the other in Colchester (?) and vacinity, Captain John BULKELEY.

In 1739 regimental organizations were for the first time established; but under the departmental system they were of unequal size. The tactical unit became a compny, of 64 men; but many trainbands existed having a fractional part of that number. Thirteen regiments, each commanded by a colonel, were contituted. In Hartford County, the First Regiment included Hartford, Windsor, Simsbury, Bolton, Tolland, Harwinton, Torrington, New Hartford, Barkhamsted, Haartland, Colebrook, Winchester, and the First Society of Farmington. The Sixth included Wethersfield, Middletown, Glastonbury, and the parish of Kensington. Part of the Tenth Regiment (Durham and Southington) and the Twelfth (Hebron and East Haddam) also came within Hartford County. Neither divisions nor brigades were constituted, and, of course, no general officers were provided.

While it is impracticable to give a list of the field officers of the regiments in this county, the names of the commanding officers of the First Regiment (including the battalion which preceded it) are as follows:

1672-1688, Maj. & Lt. Col. John TALCOTT 1688-1710, Lt. Col. John ALLYN 1710-1724, Maj. Joseph TALCOTT 1724-1741, Maj. & Col. Roger WOLCOTT 1741-1751, Col. John WHITING 1751-1762, Col. Joseph PITKIN 1762-1774, Col. George WYLLYS 1774-1777, Col. Samuel WYLLYS 1777-1785, Col. Roger NEWBERRY 1785-1792, Lt. Col. Hezekiah WYLLYS 1792-1795, Lt. Col. Oliver MATHER 1795-1800, Lt. Col. Timothy SEYMOUR 1800-1803, Lt. Col. Job ALLEN 1803-1804, Lt. Col. Simon CLARK 1804-1807, Lt. Col. Timothy BURR 1807-1809, Lt. Col. Elijah TERRY 1809-1812, Lt. Col. Moses TRYON 1812-1815, Lt. Col. Luther FITCH 1815-1818, Col. James LOOMIS 1818-1822, Col. John F. WATERS 1822-1824, Col. Irenus BROWN 1824-1829, Col. Richard NILES 1829-1833, Col. Wm. HAYDEN 1833-1836, Col. Thomas ROBERTS 1836-1840, Col. Leonard R. WELLES 1840-1842, Col. Sam. W. ELSWORTH 1842-1845, Col. Nathan M. WATERMAN 1845-1846, Col. Daniel S. DEWEY 1846-1847, Col. Henry KENNEDY 1847-1852, Col. Elihu GEER 1852-1861, Col. Sam. A. COOLEY 1863-1866, Col. Chas. H. PRENTICE 1866-1869, Col. John N. BUNNELL 1869-1870, Col. Benj. F. PROUTY 1870-1874, Col. Jas. E. HAMILTON 1874-1875, Col. John B. CLAPP 1875-1877, Col. Philip W. HUDSON 1877-1878, Col. Heman A. TYLER 1878-1884, Col. Lucius A. BARBOUR 1884- , Col. Wm. E. CONE

The commanders of the Sixth Regiment, down to 1847, when the militia were reduced to one regiment in each county, were as follows: --

1739-1756, Col. Thomas WELLES (Glastonbury) 1756-1771, Col. John CHESTER 1771-1774, Col. Jabez HAMLIN 1774-1775, Col. Elizur TALCOTT 1775-1776, Col. Sam. Holden PARSONS 1776-1780, Col. Thomas BELDEN 1780-1788, Col. Howell WOODBRIDGE 1788-1793, Lt. Col., Roger WELLES 1793-1794, Lt. Col. Isaac WELLES 1794-1796, Lt. Col. Ezk'l Porter BELDEN 1796-1801, Lt. Col. Elisha HALE 1801-1803, Lt. Col. John HALE 1803-1809, Lt. Col. Levi LUSK 1809-1811, Lt. Col. Sam. SELLEW 1811-1813, Lt. Col. Simeon NORTH 1813-1816, Lt. Col. & Col. Martin KELLOGG, Jr. 1817-1818, Col. Josiah SAGE 1818-1822, Col. James SELLEW 1822-1824, Col. Edmond BULKELEY 1824-1826, Col. Joseph CAMP 1826-1828, Col. Ozias CAMP 1828-1830, Col. John C. PRATT 1830-1832, Col. Levi COE 1832-1833, Col., Amos MILLER 1833-1834, Col., Henry D. SMITH 1834-1836, Col. William BULKELEY 1836-1838, Col. Everlin BECKLEY 1838-1841, Col. Wolcott P. STONE 1841-1844, Col. E.W.N. STARR 1844-1846, Col. Henry E. ROBINSON 1846-1847, Col. Wm. H. BARTLETT