His eight brothers and sisters were named Jean, David, Susanna, George, Faithful, Jemima, Mary, and Elizabeth.

Soon after, he joined Colonel Fry's Massachusetts regiment and served in Rogers' Rangers during three separate clashes with French-allied Indians.

The effort of running a great distance on a hot day impaired his health and rendered him unfit for service for the rest of the French and Indian War.

[3] In 1761, Thayer, now employed as a wig-maker in Providence, Rhode Island, bought a piece of property and was married.

[6] A muster roll from September 10, 1775, showed that Thayer's company consisted of two lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, a fifer, and 79 privates.

Since a snow storm was raging, the head of the column became disoriented and lost its direction before Thayer, who knew the way, led the soldiers on.

As the guns were withdrawn to reload, Thayer and Morgan climbed through the gunports, followed by their men, and captured 60 of the defenders.

[9] Continuing up the street, the Americans surprised a group of Quebec militia and made them prisoners, making a total of 130.

After four hours of fighting, the Americans found themselves trapped and they surrendered when the British promised to grant them quarter.

Ordered to join the main army, the Rhode Island Brigade left Peekskill, New York, on September 29, 1777.

When Fort Mercer was attacked by the Hessians on October 22, the 2nd Regiment was rowed across the river to help and participated in the Battle of Red Bank.

[14] Thayer fought under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith during the latter part of the Siege of Fort Mifflin which lasted from September 26 to November 16, 1777.

The defenders of the fort held out heroically against a bombardment by warships in the Delaware and by British batteries on the north bank.

British accounts suggest the blaze was either set deliberately by the crew or caused accidentally by flaming wadding from her guns.

The Americans claimed that hot shot from Fort Mifflin or fire ships set the third rate afire.

[16] On November 11, during an intense bombardment, Smith was badly bruised when a cannonball crashed into the barracks, struck him in the left hip, and showered him with bricks.

On November 15, the British managed to work Vigilant, an East Indiaman razeed into a 20-gun floating battery, into a position 200 paces from the fort.

The gun crew put 14 shots into Vigilant but soon had to abandon the piece as the position was deluged by fire.

[20] With the situation hopeless, Thayer ordered the fort to be evacuated that evening and the survivors were rowed across to Red Bank, New Jersey.

[23] On May 20, 1778, at the Battle of Barren Hill, Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette discovered that major British forces were converging on his detachment.

La Fayette sent Thayer and 300 men to fight a delaying action while he slipped away across the Schuylkill River with the bulk of his force.

[24] At the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Thayer fought with Colonel Joseph Cilley's detachment in Brigadier General Charles Scott's command.

[25][26] After a five-week recovery at Morristown, New Jersey, he hastened to rejoin his regiment but missed the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29.

When the enemy force fell back, Brigadier General John Stark asked him to determine which way they were marching.