Hello Childs Clan,
Today is the 4th of July and I thought you all may be interested in learning some family history on one of our ancestors, Captain Jonas Childs, who lived in the city of Becket located in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Jonas was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the spring of 1776 and was assigned to the Regiment of Benjamin Simonds. He was part of the all-Berkshire regiment.
It was common during this time of the war to go home and come back to war at different times. From looking at the records it looks like Jonas returned home to Becket, MA multiple times. After the Declaration of Independence was signed you can find clearer records of when Jonas is commissioned and discharged from the Continental Army.
Jonas was commissioned again as a Lieutenant in August of 1777 and fought at the Battle of Bennington. The battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, part of the Saratoga campaign, that took place on August 16, 1777.
After the battle of Bennington Jonas was commissioned as a Captain in the army and was assigned to at least two other regiments until 1780.
Captain Jonas’s full military career can be found in the book, “Massachusetts soldiers and sailors of the revolutionary war. Volume 3, page 413.”
There is a lot more history and relevance to look up so if you are interested please contact me through the website or over E-mail to learn more.
Benjamin Simonds is worth looking into. Recent Article
He was colonel of the all-Berkshire regiment of about five hundred men known as the “Berkshire Boys” during the American Revolutionary War. His regiment notably fought in the Battle of Bennington in the summer of 1777. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonds%27_Regiment_of_Militia