The next step in the evolution of the military establishment had its origin at the second town meeting after the incorporation, which was held on the 12th day of April, 1774. The town, by a vote, applied for the establishment of a regiment.[4] For some reason the legislature was slow to act. It may have been for the want of a representative in the law making body. The town, however, did not neglect to keep itself in a state of preparedness. They kept everlastingly at it. At the fourth town meeting held that year "Votes were passed to form themselves into companies in a military way,"[5] each district in Westmoreland to be a company and Zebulon Butler, Esq., Major Ezekiel Pierce and Mr. John Jenkins were appointed a committee to repair to the several districts and lead each company to a choice of officers. From this it is clear that the officers were chosen by a vote of the men in each company. The subsequent "establishment" of the rank of officers by the Connecticut Assembly was but a ratification of what had already been done by vote of the men. It was more than a year after the action of the town meeting asking for the legal organization of a regiment before the legislature acted upon the subject. At May session, 1775, it enacted "That the town of Westmoreland shall be one entire regiment distinguished and called by the name of the Twenty-fourth regiment and shall be under the same rules and orders, and have the same powers, privileges and advantages as other regiments of this Colony by law have."[6] One of these advantages was the promise of six pence for half day training and twelve pence for whole day training, and this to be paid out of the Colony treasury. The regiment was assigned to the sixth brigade, Connecticut State Militia, commanded by Brig. Gen. Oliver Wolcott. The organization was begun by the "establishment" of the regimental officers at the same session. Zebulon Butler was made Colonel; Nathan Denison, Lieutenant Colonel; William Judd, Major.[7] Zebulon Butler, the newly elected colonel, born at Lynne. Conn., 1731, was no novice in the military service. In the French and Indian war he was Ensign in Captain Andrew Ward's 2 company of the 4 Conn. Regt. in 1755-6-7. He was Lieutenant in Captain Timothy Mather's company of the 3 Regt. in 1758. He was Captain in the 4th and 1st regiments in 1759, 1760 and 1761.[8] He had served seven enlistments. The territorial range of his service extended from Crown Point on the north to Havana on the south. When elected Colonel his home was in Wilkes-Barre. Nathan Denison, the newly elected Lieutenant Colonel, born in Conn., 1741, had seen service in the French and Indian war as a private in Col. Eleazar Fitch's 3d Conn. Regt. His services extended from May to November, 1758. His home was in Kingston.