Frank Mead was born on Feb 13, 1839, in Greensburg, Indiana.

In 1854, he moved to Lewiston near St. Paul. He and Charles Shatto went to school together in Lewiston, when they were young boys. In 1858, Mead moved to Hastings and worked as a printer for The Hastings Independent newspaper. He lived with Charles Adams, who was the owner of the paper and a local physician. In 1860, Adams sold the paper to John Mars. Mead was working at the paper when the war broke out.

Frank joined the rest of the Dakota County Volunteers on May 24, 1861, as they were mustered in and became the nucleas of Company H of the first Minnesota Infantry.
He was 5' 9 1/2" tall, had blue eyes and brown hair.

He was made a corporal in the company.
However, records show he was reduced to the ranks from
Corporal by court martial on Sept 20, 1861.

Alonzo Heard, also of Comapny H, noted in a statement on Sept 21, 1861, that Frank left the field without a gun before the order to retreat was sounded. In the fiasco that was Bull Run many of the unproven soldiers fled in panic. His action during the battle may have been the reason for his demotion from corporal to private.

It appears that even after being discharged Mead hung around the camp and continued to act as a correspondent to papers back in Minnesota. A writer known as "Quill Driver" mentioned Mead in a letter published in the St. Paul Daily Union on Jan. 1st, 1863. In it the writer said,

"He is a tip-top printer, a "bully" soldier, and a perfect gentleman-independent in his views, upright in his dealings, with a good education and a fund of humor, he will make his mark in the world. He was well known as a correspondent, writing over the various nom de plumes of "Shooting Stick," "Plebe," "Howitzer," etc., but more recently as "Handell" of the State Atlas. King [the publisher of the State Atlas newspaper] has lost a good correspondent."

Another friend and fellow correspondent, John Mars, described him as "fearless, independent and outspoken; a good friend and jovial".

Frank transferred to Co B on May 17, 1862; perhaps for personal reasons or perhaps he was a bit of a trouble maker and hard to get along with. He was slightly wounded at Fair Oaks. He was stricken with camp fever (malarial poisoning) during the Penninsula campaign. During a partial recovery on July 23, 1862, he was detailed as a printer at Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, located at Harrisons Landing, Va. From all accounts he gave first rate service. Continuing to suffer from the fever and then from heart disease he was eventually discharged for disability on Dec 26, 1862.

On August 19, 1864, he enlisted as as a private in Co F of Hatch's Battalion of Independent Cavalry.
He was promoted to 2nd lieutenant on September 1, 1864, and served as such until he was discharged on March 5, 1866.

Frank also had the distinction of shooting a friend to death in St. Paul during a drunken agrument. On Sept 7, 1886 he was staying at the Merchant's Hotel in St Paul, where Frank met Allen Farnsworth, an old friend from Mandan and from their days together in Hatch's Battalion. Mead had been a comrade of Allen's brother, Jerome, in the First Minnesota. Jerome had been killed at Gettysburg. Mead was back in St Paul after financial failures in Mandan. He had been drinking heavily before meeting Farnsworth. They went out together and when they returned Mead turned angry and began shouting at him. Then in a drunken rage he pulled out a .38 cal Smith and Wesson and shot Farsworth in the stomach. Farnsworth fell crying, "I can't believe it, shot by my best friend. What will become of my little ones?" He died a day later.

Mead was acquitted of murder; perhaps by Masonic friends.
Frank died in Minneapolis on Nov 29, 1908, at the Swedish Hospital located at 8th Street and Chicago Ave S. The cause of death was listed as Uremia.

Mead was married twice. He married his first wife, Sarah M Stowell, in 1861, undoubtedly before he left in June with the regiment for the east and the war. She was from a wealthy and prominent family in Hastings. They had two children, Henry S (Aug. 20, 1864) and Fanny E (Apr. 1866). Sarah divorced Frank on Jan 24, 1871, and was awarded custody of the children. Sarah died in Hastings in 1886.

He married Mary Francis Rowley Dec. 17, 1871, in Springfield, IL. Their children were, Marguerite (Dec. 20, 1872), Frank R (June 19, 1874) & Ottilie (Jan. 1, 1877).

After the war Mead worked as a traveling correspondent and as a result had many residences; Hastings until 1866, Farmington (1868-1870), Minneapolis (1872-1879). Here he served as the city clerk for four years (1874-1878). He lived in Mandan, D. T. (South Dakota) from 1879 to 1886 and engaged in the real estate and insurance businesses. He was not successful in these ventures, so he returned to Minneapolis, where he lived from 1887 to 1901.

Source: http://www.1stminnesota.net/SearchResults.php3?ID=0190

Frank J Mead