He was a man of prominence in all public affairs, both civil and military, and among other records of the time is the following : " The town of Springfield voted, 30 Nov. 1693 to send Capt. Thomas Colton and Sargt. Luke Hitchcock to the bay to procure a minister to preach the word of god to the town." The Rev. Dr. Williams, in a funeral sermon preached a few days later after the death of Capt. Thomas Colton, spoke of him as a man of strong character, a man of eminent piety, and having been eminently useful in the Indian wars. He is said to have been much feared by the Indians, both for his daring in attack, and from his apparent invulnerability and supernatural protection from their best - laid plans for his death or capture.