Col. John Reed

John Reed was born about 1747 in Maine, which at the time was part of Massachusetts. He was the son of John Reed and Susanna Stanwood. John married Rachel Thorne.

Reed served in the military before 1777 as a 1st Lieutenant in Capt. Blasdel's Company. He enlisted from Topsham, Maine, on 1 January 1777 and served in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment from 1 January 1777 to 20 September 1780. Captain John Reed served in the 6th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Line (often referred to as the 7th). The regiment saw action at Saratoga, Cobleskill, Cherry Valley, and during the Sullivan Campaign.

Please visit the link below for details concerning the actions of this regiment and its men during the Revolution.

Reed died on 20 October 1797 in Topsham, Maine.

His tombstone reads:

Sacred to the Memory of John Reed Esq. A captain in the late American War where he served with reputation till obliged to retire in consequence of a wound received in an action a little preceding the capture of General Burgoyne and army. He so far recovered his health and activity that he was elected to, and sustained the office of Lt. Col. till his death. He was an affectionate husband and parent and his hospitality endeared him to many who mourned his departure, which was suddenly in a paroxysm of the cholic on the 20th day of Oct., A.D. 1797, aged 50 years.

Citation: Lecompte, Nancy. “John Reed (c. 1747-1797).” WikiTree: The Free Family Tree. Accessed September 17, 2026. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Reed-5403.