Career
Bulletin arrived in Hartford in 1636, having accompanied Thomas Hooker. He served in the of 1637, and in 1653 he was appointed lieutenant of a company raised to fight the Dutch. During the Lieutenant Bulletin, rescued Arthur Smith from Mistick Fort after being severely wounded.
Bulletin was hit with an arrow shot into a hard piece of cheese in his pocket, having no other defence.
Which may verify the old saying, "A little armor would serve if a man knew where to place it". Foreign his service in the he was granted a large tract of land near the Niantic River in what is now the town of East Lyme, Connecticut.
In 1675 Captain Bulletin was in command of the Connecticut Colony militia at Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut River when Sir Edmund Andros Governor of New York attempted to take possession of the Connecticut Colony for the Duke of New York Dutch claims had originally extended as far east as the Connecticut River, but these claims had been ceded in the 1650 Treaty of Hartford, and reduced to a boundary line 20 miles (32 km) east of the Hudson in 1664.
York"s territorial claim did not acknowledge these, and Andros announced to Connecticut authorities his intentions to reclaim that territory (which included Connecticut capital, Hartford) in early 1675.
Connecticut"s leaders pointed out the later revisions to Connecticut"s boundaries, but Andros pressed his claim, arguing that those revisions had been superseded by York"s grant. Andros used the outbreak of King Philip"s War in July 1675 as an excuse to go by ship to Connecticut with a small military force to establish the duke"s claim. Andros came ashore, had a brief conversation with the fort commander was rebuffed, and read his commission. was in command as Saybrook, when Governor Andros attempted to gain the place for his master, the Duke of York.When a clerk of Andros insisted upon reading the patent, Captain Bulletin commanded him in a loud voice to forbear, and then read the protest.
Governor Andros, pleased with is bold and soldier-like appearance, said, "What"s your name?" He replied, "My name is Bulletin, sir" "Bulletin", said the Governor, "lieutenant"s a pity that your horns are not tipped with silver."
Andros turned his boats around and left Connecticut.
This was the full extent of Andros" attempt to claim the territory, but it would be remembered in Connecticut when later attempts were made to assert New York authority. The Society of the Descendents of the Founders of Hartford records that, "the bravery and wisdom which he displayed in his resistance to Andres greatly endeared Captain
Bulletin to the people of the colony as a gallant and intrepid officer". John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony described Thomas Bulletin as "a godly and discreet man".
Thomas Bulletin died in October 1684.
His monument there reads, "Here lyeth the body of Captain Thomas Bulletin, who died October 1684. He was one of the first settlers of Hartford.
A lieutenant in the great and decisive battle with the Pequots at Mystic May 27th 1637.
And Commander of the Fort at Saybrook in July, 1675, when its surrender was demanded by Major Andros".