Seth Read

Lt. Col. Seth Read
Lt. Col. Seth Read, served at Bunker Hill and in the Invasion of Canada under Col. John Patterson
Born	March 6, 1746 Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Died	March 19, 1797 Erie, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Massachusetts Militia Continental Army
Years of service	1775-1776
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Massachusetts 26th and Massachusetts 15th Regiments
Battles/wars	Battle of Bunker Hill Invasion of Canada (1775) Battle of Lexington
Other work	Physician Constitutional Convention Massachusetts state legislator Pioneer of Erie, Pennsylvania and of Geneva, New York Instrumental in E Pluribus Unum on U.S. coins

Massachusetts Militia

Seth Read (March 6, 1746 – March 19, 1797) was born in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, and died at Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania, as "Seth Reed", at age 51.

He was the son of Lieutenant John Read, and Lucy Read. John Read had received his military title through active service in the French and Indian war. Seth Read's brothers and sisters were: Sarah, born October 24, 1729, (married Josiah Adarns December 27, 1750); Joseph, March 6, 1732; Peter, November 13, 1735 ; John, June 1743 ; Seth, March 6, 1746 ; Josiah, July 23, 1753. Lieutenant John Read died at Uxbridge, January 18, 1771.

Seth Reed grew up in the colonial, agricultural and recently incorporated frontier town of Uxbridge. He would become a landowner, a militia member and a farmer. One reference mentioned that he worked as a physician.

Read married Hannah Harwood, (b. 1747), in 1768. Their son, Charles John Read, was born on December 23, 1771. Seth and Hannah's son Rufus was born in 1775. Seth and Hannah had seven children, James Manning, Charles John, Sophia, Rufus Seth, Sally Adams, Henry Joseph, George Washington and Mary (Polly) Reed. Seth Read also was the town clerk at Uxbridge from 1777 to 1778. Seth and his brother Joseph attended every meeting in the area having to do with preparing for the revolution. They are mentioned in the minutes of the town meeting as early as 1774 for Revolutionary War preparation and were active in the committee of correspondence.

Lieutenant Colonel Seth Read was commissioned in the Revolutionary War, served in the Battle of Lexington and Concord "Alarm", and commanded a regiment of troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Massachusetts 26th regiment, under Col. John Patterson on June 17, 1775. He participated in the Invasion of Canada (1775) Campaign in the Massachusetts 15th Regiment up until August 1776 but left active service in January 1777 that year due to health reasons, after the 15th had succumbed to smallpox and hunger. General George Washington stopped at a tavern owned by Colonel Seth Read in June 1775, while on his way to assume command of the Continental Army at Boston. Two years later, Seth Reed is referred to as having received a written vote by the Town of Uxbridge for particular duties related to public safety in the town."the town chose “by written votes,” Seth Read, “to procure and Lay before the court the Evidence that may be had of the Inimical dispositions of any Inhabitant of this town towards this or any of the United States who shall be charged by the freeholders and other Inhabitants of said town, or if their residence within this State is looked upon to be dangerous to the public peace and Safety.” In other words, Colonel Read was commissioned to deal with traitors, sedition or suspected treason within the town. Ironically, at least one source claims that Benedict Arnold's widow, Peggy Shippen, died here 59 years later. In the following year the Town of Uxbridge votes to send its troops and resources to the Continental Army. Worcester, Massachusetts Town Records indicate that Colonel Read was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1780. Read also served as a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1779.