Thomas Fitch V

Thomas Fitch, V
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk
In office 1776–1777
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Daniel Betts, Jr., Moses Comstock
Personal details
Born	1725 Norwalk, Connecticut
Died	(1795-01-16)January 16, 1795 Norwalk, Connecticut
Spouse	Sarah
Children	Sarah Fitch St. John (1766 –- 1825), Thaddeus Hill Fitch (1775 –- 1776)
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain
Rank	Senior Colonel
Battles/wars	French and Indian Wars  • Battle of Ticonderoga  • Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

Thomas Fitch, V (1725 – Jan. 16, 1795) was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk in 1776. He was the son of Governor Thomas Fitch, IV and Hannah Hall Fitch. He served as an officer in the French and Indian War, primarily in upstate New York, near Fort Crailo. He and his troops are widely believed to be the inspiration for the song Yankee Doodle. Although the song may have been applied to Fitch and his men, contemporary scholars place its origins much earlier.

Yankee Doodle

Fitch was the commander of the four New England Regiments in the French and Indian War. Tradition states that in 1755, Captain Fitch received the song as a joke from a British surgeon, Dr. Richard Shuckburgh. According to tradition, Fitch is the original "Yankee Doodle". Years later, during the American Revolutionary War, colonial troops turned the tables by adopting it as one of their favorite marching songs and playing it in front of the English troops after Bourgoyne's defeat at Saratoga.

Captain Thomas Fitch had assembled his company of raw young recruits before the Fitch Homestead in Norwalk during the early days of the French and Indian War 1755-1761. Their lack of uniforms caused his sister Elizabeth to present each man a chicken feather for his hat that might suggest association. Upon entering West Albany with these plumes and their homespun and forlorn clothing their motley appearance caused Dr Richard Shuckburg, a British surgeon, being both a poet and musician, through derision and mockery to write the verses dubbing them "Yankee Doodles and Macaronies". Having been placed to music these words became a marching piece for all time. However, after the Ticonderoga and Crown Point Campaign of 1759 was won, the battle cause became entirely in favor of the British.

Within three years from this time, Thomas Fitch, V left at the close of the war with the eminent title and rank of Senior Colonel, having had charge of sixteen regiments.

Life after military service

After that conflict, Thomas, V returned to Norwalk. His Governor father honored his war achievements with a gift of a parcel of land upon which was soon built the house which became known as the Yankee Doodle House. The original Yankee Doodle House was taken down due to complete disrepair in the year 1919, the site of which is now Hendricks Avenue.

He was a prominent resident during and after the American Revolution. He served as a town councilman. He was, along with Thaddeus Betts, in the first delegation from Norwalk to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1776. He helped with the reconstruction efforts after the burning of Norwalk in 1779.

He died on January 16, 1795 and was buried in the East Norwalk Historical Cemetery.

Historical dispute

Norwalk historian, Gloria Stewart claims that eighteenth century documents available from the Connecticut state archives, including some written by Fitch himself, support the conclusion that Fitch could not have been involved with the French and Indian War. The documents show that Fitch had other duties from 1856 to 1863. One document is a bill for work copying and sending letters for the Connecticut General Assembly. Another document shows that Fitch refused a commission as a captain in 1861, and did not accept a commission in the Connecticut ninth regiment until 1868, after the war was over. Still another document written by Fitch in 1775, shows that Fitch resigned a commission as a colonel, because of rheumatism he had for twenty years.