Jonas Simonds (1755-1816)
of Lexington, Massachusetts
unrelated to our family [Part 2 of 3 posts re: Jonas Simmons & Jonas Simonds]
My September 2023 post, Jonas Simmons – A Question of Loyalty, recounted the story of one of my 5th great-grandfathers who fought on the side of the British during the Revolutionary War. Over 120 years later, some of his descendants, four sisters from Ohio who are my 4th cousins 3 times removed, mistakenly identified our common ancestor as a patriot. Their applications to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) were approved despite the fact they were based on the military records of another man with no connection to our family – Jonas Simonds of Massachusetts. This post focuses on possible reasons for the sisters' error and Captain Jonas Simonds' involvement in the American Revolution from Lexington to its conclusion.
– THE LISEY SISTERS & THE DAR –
Effie, Naomi, Emma, and Margaret Lisey were born in 1866, 1869, 1871, and 1880, respectively.
Emma and Naomi were the first to apply for membership in the DAR. The sisters were approved sometime before 1908, the year they were listed in a DAR Lineage book. Emma and Naomi almost certainly researched the family and worked on their DAR applications together. They likely applied for membership at the same time, since their DAR
member numbers are consecutive (65700 and 65701).
Emma and Naomi correctly claimed their line of descent to be from our common ancestors, Jonas Simmons and Elsie Strunk of Rensselaer County, New York. Unfortunately, they used the records of Captain Jonas Simonds of Massachusetts on their applications. Margaret and Effie followed suit, perpetuating the error.
Published: 1923
Source:
vol. 66 (1908), page viewer image 244 of 390, p. 238
Published: 1923
Margaret was accepted by 1909, and Effie nearly ten years later. Effie added one new piece of information – that Jonas was in Capt. Samuel Mansfield's company, also from Jonas Simonds' record. She referred to Margaret's application No. 73065.
Source:
Published: 1924
Source:
Published: 1934
– HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? –
There are several likely culprits behind the Simonds-Simmons mix up. The first is a lack of records and other sources. Some sources that would have been useful to Emma and Naomi in their research, as well as to the DAR during its verification process, weren't even published until well after the first two applications were approved. Also, it's not uncommon for certain records to be held for a period of years before being made public. For example, federal census records are held for seventy years before they are released.
Left: Entry for Jonas Simonds of Massachusetts from Francis B. Heitman’s Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution, published in 1914. (Heitman, 497-498)
The next problems are family stories and anecdotes. Since these are often passed down orally through the generations, the stories can be altered through details that have been embellished,
forgotten, or left out over the years. Jonas Simmons' loyalty to the Crown is something
that might not have been discussed in the Lisey family. In this case, the elders might have said he fought in the Revolution without offering details.
Finally, there is the issue of spelling. When Emma and Naomi first started their research they were confronted with numerous records where the surname "Simonds" was spelled Simmons, Simons, Simonds, Simmonds, or Symonds, even though all referred to the same man, Jonas Simonds of Lexington, Massachusetts.
Understandably,
finding "Jonas Simmons" written on various records would lead the
sisters to believe they had found their ancestor. The other variations would be considered misspellings of "Simmons." A few examples on index cards to muster rolls are shown below.
Regiment of Artillery" beginning 1st Janr.
– 1st Lieutenant Jonas Symonds on command
in General Greene’s Division of Gridley’s &
Knox’s Artillery Regiment, Continental Troops, commanded by Henry
Knox, Esqr, 5 Oct
1776.
– Company Muster Roll dated 25 Jan 1780
for Nov & Dec 1779 - "Captain Jonas Simonds'
Co. in the
Reg't of Artillery commanded by Col. John Lamb." Promoted to Captain.
(Source: Fold3 on Ancestry.com)
Why was Jonas Simonds' name spelled so many different ways? Prior to the mid-1800s spelling was generally based on phonetics. Consequently, clerks and other record keepers spelled names based on someone's pronunciation – and they guessed. A double "m" or one? A "d" at the end or not? Even members of the same family sometimes spelled their surname differently. After Noah Webster's 1841
edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language, Corrected and Enlarged was published, spelling gradually became standardized.
* * *
– WHO WAS JONAS SIMONDS OF MASSACHUSETTS? –
Jonas was the son of Nathan Simonds, a Lexington, Massachusetts farmer, and Hannah Flagg, who died in 1760 when Jonas was about five. He had four siblings. After his father remarried in 1762, five more children were born into the family.
In April 1775, Jonas lived with his family in Lexington. As an able-bodied male, he had participated in mandatory militia training since he was 16 years old. The Province of Massachusetts Bay began requiring it in 1631 to ensure settlements were prepared to defend themselves against hostilities from Native Americans.
Each town had to have at least one militia company led by an elected captain and consisting of about 60 men. (National Park Service) Many militiamen were veterans of the French and Indian War (1757-1763), during which they learned guerrilla warfare tactics. Some members of each militia received additional tactical training and learned how to respond to an emergency with only a moment's notice. These were the "minute men."
 |
| Map highlighting the towns of Concord, Lexington, Burlington, Woburn, and Cambridge in Massachusetts. (Google Maps 2023 with added labeling) |
* * *
~ 1775 ~
– THE REVOLUTION BEGINS –
As relations with Britain became more
strained, like-minded men in the colonies formed organized groups such as the Sons of Liberty, a secretive organization founded in Boston in 1765. By the start of the Revolution similar groups were established in all the colonies. Their goals were to undermine Britain's authority, fight tax increases, and resist restrictive laws enacted by the British.
 |
| "Green Dragon Tavern, Union Street." Engraver: Russell. 1898 (approximate). Copy photograph from engraving by Russell of the tavern in the North End [of Boston] where the Sons of Liberty planned the Boston Tea Party. (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0) |
The Boston group, led by Dr. Joseph Warren, was large and well-organized. Should the British army move against residents of the city and surrounding areas, the Sons of Liberty were ready to implement a plan with two important objectives. Using a method similar to modern-day phone trees, men on horseback would alert citizens that British soldiers (regulars) were on the way. People would continue to spread the word, activating the militias. The other objective was to warn dissidents John Hancock and Samuel Adams to leave their hideout in Lexington to avoid arrest. This put the Simonds family at the epicenter of what would become a major event in American history.
~ The Midnight Ride ~
On
the dark, chilly night of April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren's covert operation was put
into motion. When silversmith Paul Revere saw two lanterns in the Old North Church tower,
he began the fifteen-mile ride to Lexington. After dodging a
British patrol, he stopped to knock on doors to quietly warn residents
that "the regulars are coming."
William Dawes, a tanner and second in command in the Boston militia regiment, was also going to make the ride. He disguised himself so he could make it past British soldiers guarding the Boston Neck, a narrow strip of land that was the only way off the Boston peninsula. Both men knew stealth and caution were important because British
patrols were everywhere. If one of them was captured, hopefully the
other would make it to Lexington. Revere arrived around midnight, and Dawes at about 12:30 AM. It was now the 19th of April.
With no time to waste, Dawes and Revere headed for Concord, about six miles from Lexington. Around 1 AM, they were surprised to find Dr. Samuel Prescott on the road. Prescott was returning home to Concord from Lexington where he had been visiting his fiancée. Revere knew him, so when the doctor offered to help with the mission, Revere and Dawes accepted.
The meeting turned out to be a fortunate one because, after a short distance, the men
encountered a British patrol. Revere was captured and Dawes was thrown
from his horse. He managed to escape and
return to Lexington. Prescott made a dash into the dark, dense woods
and was the only one to complete the ride to warn the residents of
Concord.
 |
| Routes of the British Expedition and the Patriot Messengers. (National Park Service map, Wikipedia Commons, cropped with added highlighting). Insets L-R: Depiction of Samuel Prescott evading a British patrol on the road to Concord, Paul Revere, and William Dawes. |
MAP CAPTIONS – Right: "Revere avoids British patrols."
(in blue) Middle: "Revere and Dawes reach Lexington before the British leave Lechmere
Point. Dr. Prescott joins them after they leave for Concord."
Left: "British patrol stops Revere, Dawes, and Prescott. Revere is captured,
Dawes flees back to Lexington, and Prescott escapes to continue to
Concord and beyond."
– THE BATTLES OF LEXINGTON & CONCORD –
19 April 1775
A young Jonas Simonds answered the call that night. His only weapon was probably a smoothbore flintlock. (Revolutionary War Journal) With that and some rounds of ammunition, he was ready to stand with the Lexington militia against the British regulars.
Just before dawn, seventy-seven militiamen were confronted by over 500 British soldiers on Lexington Green. Seeing they were vastly outnumbered, Captain John Park ordered his militia to retreat. Suddenly, a shot was fired by an unknown party, followed by several volleys from the British. Eight militiamen were killed and nine were wounded in the skirmish.
May 1 - Twelve days after Lexington and
 |
| "The battle of Lexington, April 19th. 1775. Plate I." From "The Doolittle
engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775." Hand-colored engraving by Amos Doolittle. (Wikimedia Commons) |
The
British moved on to Concord to raid and destroy a cache of colonial
military supplies and ammunition. Nearly 400
well-armed and well-trained militiamen and minute men from surrounding areas met them at the North Bridge. This time the British were confronted with an unexpected show of force. They were also at a distinct disadvantage. If they tried to cross the narrow bridge, they would be unable to easily fall back to reload after a
volley – and their rigid formation made them easy targets.
 |
| Plate III, "The
Engagement at the North Bridge in Concord," Amos Doolittle engravings
of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, December 1775, reprint by
Charles E. Goodspeed, Boston, 1903 - Concord Museum - Concord,
Massachusetts, USA. (Wikimedia Commons) |
Once
shots had been fired, both sides had difficulty aiming due
to dense clouds of white smoke created by the black powder used in their weapons (see images above). The soldiers soon made a retreat toward Boston. They were pursued by hundreds of militiamen as word spread throughout the Massachusetts countryside that the British regulars had arrived.
An ever-growing force of militia joined in the chase, with Jonas very likely among them, shooting at the retreating soldiers from behind rock walls, buildings, and trees. By the time the regulars reached Boston, thousands of Massachusetts militiamen were in pursuit. The British were trapped as the colonials surrounded the city.
– THE SIEGE OF BOSTON / BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL –
19 Apr 1775 – 17 Mar 1776
Apr 19 - The Siege of Boston begins.
During the first two months of the siege, colonial officers worked quickly to organize the militias and sign up men for one-year enlistments into what would become the Continental Army.
 |
| (Source: FamilySearch) |
Concord Jonas enlists in Colonel Richard Gridley's
Regiment of Artillery at Cambridge, a few miles
outside of Boston.
This is the only artillery regiment in the
Continental Army. Jonas is assigned to Captain
Edward Crafts' Company and given the rank of
2nd Lieutenant.
May 10 - During the night, Ethan Allen and about
100 Green Mountain Boys of the Vermont
militia, along with 50 additional men under
Colonel Benedict Arnold, row from Vermont
Ticonderoga in an early morning surprise attack.
[Arnold changed his loyalties in 1780.]
The fort is manned by a small detachment of
only 50 British soldiers who are unaware that
Britain and the colonies have been at war for
several weeks; no shots are fired. The prizes
are artillery (cannons, howitzers, and mortars),
ammunition, and the strategically located fort.
Jun 15 - The 2nd Continental Congress appoints
George Washington as commander-in-chief of
the newly formed Continental Army.
Jun 17 - Jonas is at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The British win the battle after losing twice
as many soldiers as the Americans – an expensive victory. The colonial militias totaled
about 16,000 men in this battle (Massachusetts 11,500, Connecticut 2,300, New
 |
Positions
of the colonial forces (in blue) at the outset of the Battle of Bunker
Hill. The length of the scale (lower right) is about the same as the
range of a cannon (3500 ft). (Wikimedia Commons by Charlies E Frye CC BY-SA 3.0) |
 |
| Battle of Bunker Hill by Howard Pyle, 1897. Oil on canvas. (Wikimedia Commons) |
Jul 29 - The map below shows the positions of the combatants on this date. The British
are trapped on two peninsulas – they can leave by ship but are not willing to relinquish
their positions.
 |
| Map showing the positions of the newly formed Continental Army & British forces on July 29, 1775, during the Siege of Boston. (Wikimedia Commons, cropped from the original with added labels and highlighting) |
MAP CAPTIONS: Top – Gen.l [Israel] Putnam's Camp
(blue boxes) Left – Head Quarters of the Provincial Army encamped commanded by Gen.l
[Artemas] Ward
Bottom – Gen.l [John] Thomas's Camp
– THE GUNS OF FORT TICONDEROGA –
16 Nov 1775 – 25 Jan 1776
In the fall of 1775, the British were still firmly entrenched in Boston, and George Washington knew he was far short of having enough artillery to force the British out of the city. The solution came in the form of retrieving and transporting artillery captured by Allen and Arnold at Fort Ticonderoga. It would be a monumental task since the fort was nearly 300 miles from Boston.
Henry
Knox was tasked with the assignment. Knox was a 25-year-old former bookseller from Boston serving in the Boston Grenadier Corps. Self-educated in both military tactics and artillery, he organized and engineered all aspects of the expedition. On November 16, 1775,
the newly promoted Colonel Knox and hundreds of men, with Jonas possibly among them, departed for Fort
Ticonderoga.
On
the return trip, Knox used boats, horses, oxen, and sledges to
transport 59 pieces of artillery weighing 60 tons. In a December 1775
letter to his wife, Henry Knox wrote, “We shall cut no small figure in going through the Country with our Cannon, Mortars, etc., drawn by eighty yoke of oxen.”
 |
| Henry Knox Cannon Trail (Hudson Valley River National Heritage Trail/National Park Service) |
The expedition
traveled through snowstorms, crossed frozen rivers, and traversed the snowy Berkshires in western
Massachusetts. Knox finally reached Cambridge on January 25, 1776, with what he called a "noble train of artillery."
Victor
Brooks, a historian, called Knox’s achievement "one of the most stupendous
feats of logistics" of the Revolutionary War. (Wikipedia)
Left: “Knox entering camp with artillery.”
Wood engraving,
hand-colored, ca.
1855. William Van Ingen, artist. Henry
Knox on horseback with soldiers trans-
porting a disassembled canon on a sled
through the snow, winter 1775-76,
following his famous capture of artillery
at Fort Ticonderoga. (Wikimedia)
 |
| The Berkshires in Massachusetts, "Mt. Greylock after December snowfall." (Wikimedia by Ericshawwhite CC BY-SA 3.0) |
~ 1776 ~
Jan 10 - Jonas is promoted to 1st Lieutenant in Crafts' Company in the Regiment of
Artillery commanded by Col. Henry Knox.
Jan 25 - Knox halts his expedition at Cambridge while he waits for ammunition.
Mar 4/5 - During the night, Washington's troops build fortifications and move the
Ticonderoga artillery onto Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor. On the
morning of the fifth, the British awaken to the realization that they are now
overwhelmingly outgunned.
[Watch the one-minute video,"John Lamb's Artillery Company Fort Lee Interviews," to see a reenactment of the men firing a cannon and learn about the importance of artillery in battle.]
Mar 10-17 - The British evacuate sick and wounded troops. Thousands of British troops
and Loyalists follow, boarding ships bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Jul 4 - The Declaration of Independence is signed in Philadelphia.
Oct 5 - Jonas is a 1st Lieutenant on command in General Greene's Division, Gridley's and
Knox’s Artillery Regiment.
 |
| (Source: Fold3 on Ancestry.com) |
~ 1777 ~
Jan 1 - Jonas is commissioned captain-lieutenant in Colonel John Lamb’s 2nd Artillery
Regiment of the Continental Army, commanded by General Henry Knox.
Apr 11 - Jonas Simonds marries Elizabeth Kinney in New Jersey, probably in Morristown.
 |
| Marriage record for Capt-Lt. Jonas Simonds & Elizabeth Kinney. (New Jersey Colonial Records. Vol. XXII. Marriage Licenses
1665-1800, p. 348. (Ancestry.com) |
After only five months of marriage, Jonas participated in two ferocious battles, Brandywine and Germantown, both in southeastern Pennsylvania.
 |
| Map showing the locations of Valley Forge, Brandywine, and Germantown, Pennsylvania, and Morristown, New Jersey (with added locations and labels). |
– THE BATTLES OF BRANDYWINE & GERMANTOWN –
11 Sep 1777 & 4 Oct 1777
Colonel Henry Knox's Artillery Regiment was a critical part of these battles. As second in command of an artillery company, Captain-Lieutenant Jonas Simonds had an important role in both battles.
Right: Battle of Brandywine historic marker in Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (by William Pfingsten, 31 May 2008, courtesy HMdb.org).
Erected 1952 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Committee.
Left: The Revolution in the Wissahickon Battle of Germantown historic marker (by Bill Coughlin, 5 Oct 2013, courtesy of HMdb.org).
After
the British took Philadelphia, George Washington ordered a surprise attack on
the British encampment in nearby German-town. German mercenary troops, called
Hessians, and the Americans “...cannonaded from the heights on each side of the
Wissihickon [sic], whilst the Riflemen on opposite sides acted on lower
ground”…. After three hours, Washington’s troops made an orderly retreat.
– THE VALLEY FORGE ENCAMPMENT –
19 Dec 1777 – 19 Jun 1778
In December 1777, General George Washington moved his weary Continental
troops, numbering around 12,000, and 400 women and children to winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. They would remain there for the next six months. Many of the sick and wounded soldiers were quartered at hospitals in the region.
The
first order of business was to build shelter for the winter. Wood was plentiful
but the tools to build log huts were not. It was just one of many
struggles the soldiers faced during the encampment.
Left: The Valley Forge encamp-
ment had over 1,500 log huts
spread over two miles of
fortifications. At the time, it
was virtually the fourth largest
city in the colonies.
The Marquis
de Lafayette arrived with Washington, taking on the role of
camp
inspector, interacting with troops, and working to obtain the resources
the
soldiers needed.
 |
| George Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge. John Dunsmore, artist, ca. 1907. (Wikimedia Commons) |
As the months wore on, winter
conditions took a toll on everyone. Cold,
fatigue,
shortages of warm clothing, blankets, shoes, food, and other necessities
left the soldiers in low spirits and vulnerable to diseases. Typhoid, dysentery, and typhus were common; all were caused by unsanitary conditions and had high mortality rates.
~ 1778 ~
Early 1778 - Jonas and Elizabeth welcome a baby girl, Sarah. [Sarah's birth date is
unknown. She was probably born in early 1778, making her barely eighteen at the time
of her first marriage on August 20, 1796. More information is in the next post.]
Right: "Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben" by Charles
Willson Peale, 1780. Oil on canvas. (Wikimedia)
Realizing the independent-minded colonial veterans wouldn't respond to the rigid European approaches to training, the Baron modified his methods. (National Park Service) He stated,
I should have been pelted had I attempted it, and should
inevitably have failed. The genius
of this nation is not in the least to
be compared with that of the Prussians, Austrians, or
French. You say
to your soldier [in Europe], "Do this” and he doeth it; but [at Valley Forge]
I am obliged to say, “This is the reason why you ought to do
that,” and then he does it.
~ Baron von Steuben to Baron de Gaudy, 1787-88
 |
| Baron von Steuben Drilling American Recruits at Valley Forge in 1778 by Edwin Austin Abbey. Oil on canvas. (Wikimedia Commons) |
Feb 24 - George Washington sends Capt-Lt. Jonas
Simonds to harass British shipping in
and out of Philadelphia. A letter from Washington to Col.
Joseph Ellis of Gloucester
County, New Jersey instructs Ellis
to have his militia provide cover for Simonds' artillery
unit.
 |
| “From George Washington to Colonel Joseph Ellis, 24 February 1778.” (Founders Online, National Archives) |
 |
| Valley Forge, Philadelphia, and Gloucester County, NJ. (Google map with added locations and labels) |
Feb 28 - Washington writes to Captn Lieut. Jonas Simonds and Brig. Genl. Anthony Wayne.
 |
| “From George Washington to Captain-Lieutenant Jonas Simonds, 28 February 1778.” (Founders Online, National Archives) |
 |
| “From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 28 February 1778.” (Founders Online, National Archives) |
Jun 19 - Washington's army leaves the winter encampment at Valley Forge. His soldiers
are in better spirits, focused, and ready for battle.
– THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY –
28 June 1778
Jun 28 - This
day is humid with temperatures over 90 degrees. Jonas' company (in
Lamb's Regiment in Knox's 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment) takes part in an hours-
long barrage
of artillery with
the British. Many soldiers on each side become ill due
to the extreme heat and lack
of water; some die from heat exhaustion.
– THE BATTLE OF WYOMING & MASSACRE –
3 July 1778
In 1777, most tribes of the Six Nations became
allies of American loyalists and the British. By 1778, loyalists and the tribes were making regular raids on settlements across the New
York and Pennsylvania frontiers, taking prisoners, and decimating communities.
Jul 3 - The Battle of Wyoming and massacre takes place in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Marker in Wyoming, Luzerne
County, Pennsylvania (photo by
Michael Beatty, 11 May 2009,
courtesy HMdb.org).
Erected 1952 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Nov 11 - Residents of Cherry Valley, New York are massacred by British and Iroquois
forces. It's considered one of the most vicious frontier massacres of the war.
 |
| Map of Cherry Valley, New York at the time of the massacre. (Wikimedia Commons) |
~ 1779 ~
– THE WYOMING VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA & SULLIVAN-CLINTON INDIAN CAMPAIGNS –
Apr-Dec 1779 & Jul-Oct 1779
The Wyoming Valley Campaign was a response to the destruction of many frontier settlements and the massacre of settlers. Continued attacks led to the scorched-earth Sullivan-Clinton Indian Campaign, ordered by George Washington in 1779. The campaign targeted Iroquois Confederacy nations that supported the British - the Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Onondaga. The Tuscarora and Oneida aligned with the Americans.
The 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment, including Captain
Jonas Simonds' company, was one of three
artillery regiments used as part of this campaign. In the end, forty villages were obliterated, leaving the Iroquois Confederacy's military and political power in ruins and its people dependent on Britain for food and shelter. The British gave them little support.
 |
| Sullivan-Clinton Campaign Map 1779. The bold lines with arrows show the routes of Sullivan and Clinton. Map submitted by Larry Gerner, 10 Dec 2019, courtesy HMdb.org (with added highlighting - places that were attacked are highlighted in blue) |
Aug 29 - The Battle of Newtown is the largest battle in the Sullivan Campaign, and the
British and their Native American allies are subjected to a relentless barrage of
artillery. After this, most remaining tribe members flee their villages ahead of the
army's arrival.
 |
| "Burning of Newtown by the Sullivan Expedition 1779." Woodcut print, 1825. (Wikimedia) |
Sep 5 - An army of approximately 3,500 soldiers, on foot and horseback, led by Maj. Gen.
John Sullivan and Brigadier Gen. James Clinton, arrive in Kendaia. They have orders
Sep 7 - Sullivan attacks Kanadesaga.
commemorative plaque (photo by Scott J.
Payne, 26 Mar 2016, courtesy HMdb.org) in
Binghamton, Broome County, New York.
Inscription:
Routes of the Armies of
General John Sullivan
and
General James Clinton
1779
An expedition against the hostile Indian
Nations which checked the
aggressions of
the English and Indians on the frontiers of
New York and
Pennsylvania, extending
westward the dominion of the United
States.
Erected by the State of New York 1929.
Sep 28 - Captain Simon Spaulding's Riflemen burn the town of Painted Post near Elmira, NY.
marker (photo by Craig Swain, 30
May 2010, courtesy HMdb.org)
Inscription: The final episode of
the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign
was the advance of Col. Van
Cortland's Brigade up the
Canisteo River to this area two
miles beyond the Tory-Indian
town of Painted Post, burned by
Capt. Simon Spaulding's Riflemen
September 28, 1779.
Erected by the Newtown-Battle Chapt. Sons of the American Revolution.
~ 1780 ~
Jan 25 - Jonas is certified as a Captain.
Transcription:
Jonas Simonds Appears in A Return of officers
and men belonging to Massachusetts in Col.
John Lamb's 2d Artillery regt certified at Morris-
town, Jan 29, 1780, by Lt-Col. Commander
Ebenr. Stevens and Brig. Gen. H. Knox.
Rank - Captain.
Mass. Muster and Pay Rolls.
Vol. 55, page 22 file n.
Apr-Oct - The 2nd Artillery Regiment participates in the New Jersey Summer Campaign.
New Jersey became known as "The Crossroads of the American Revolution" because it played such an important part in the war. American headquarters were in Morristown, over 90 battles were fought in New Jersey, Washington crossed it with his army four times, and wintered there three times.
~ 1781 ~
Jan 1 - Captain
Jonas Simonds is transferred to the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment
after it is
reorganized into a 10-company regiment. He is given
command of a company
consisting of his own and one other.
Feb 20 - Jonas' company is one of four transferred to the Southern Department to
keep up the Continental Army's momentum after its victory in The Battle of Cowpens,
South Carolina – a turning point for the Americans.
May 15 - The Southern Campaign begins.
Sep 28-Oct 19 - The Americans besiege Yorktown, Virginia.
Oct 19 -
British General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown. After the surrender, the British
realize it's unlikely they will win the war. Part of the 4th Artillery Regiment is sent to the
Carolinas to join Major General Nathanael Greene's troops.
Oct 23 - Jonas' wife, Elizabeth, is buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard in Morris-
town, New Jersey. Jonas is now a 26-year-old widower with a young daughter.
Left: Burial record for Elizabeth (Kinney)
Simonds.
Name: Elizabeth, w. of Capt. Jonas
Simmons
Date of Burial: Oct 23, 1781
Source: Register of Deaths, First
Presbyterian Church, Morristown,
New Jersey, p. 74. Date of death
~ 1783 ~
– THE TREATY OF PARIS –
Jan 1- Captain Jonas Simonds retires from the Continental Army the same day the 4th
Artillery Regiment is reduced to four companies.
Jun 11 - The soldiers of the 4th Regiment are furloughed in Philadelphia.
Sep 3 - The Revolutionary
War formally ends when the Treaty of Paris is signed in France.
 |
| American Commissioners of the Preliminary Peace Agreement with Great Britain (oil on canvas, unfinished sketch), 1783-1784. Benjamin West, artist. L to R: John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, William Temple Franklin (Benjamin Franklin's grandson). The British delegation, meant to be portrayed on the right, would not sit for West so the painting was never finished. (Wikimedia Commons) |
Nov 15 - The 4th Continental Artillery Regiment is officially disbanded.
Summary of Revolutionary War Service - Captain Jonas Simonds of Massachusetts
- 2d Lieutenant of Gridley's Regiment of Massachusetts Artillery, May, 1775
- 1st Lieutenant of Knox's Regiment Continental Artillery, 10th December, 1775
- Captain-Lieutenant, 2d Continental Artillery, 1st January, 1777
- Captain, 12th November, 1778
- Transferred to 4th Continental Artillery, 1st January, 1781
- Retired 1st January, 1783 (age 28)
* * *
Jonas Simonds was a Massachusetts patriot who served in the American Revolution from April 1775 when the first shots were fired at Lexington, until some of the last days of the war in 1783. His skills, first as an artillerist and then as captain of an artillery company, made him a valuable asset on the battlefield. My 5th great-grandfather, Jonas Simmons of New York, was a loyalist who fought with the British; he is not the soldier who should have a Daughters of the American Revolution plaque on his grave. That honor and recognition belongs to Captain Jonas Simonds of Massachusetts.
* * *
NEXT: Captain Jonas Simonds - A Life of Service (TBA)
* * *
– FURTHER READING & VIEWING –
Artillery
- AmericanRevolution.ORG Your Gateway to the American Revolution has drawings and explanations of different types of artillery. https://www.americanrevolution.org/artillery.php
- "Get to Know the Brutal Artillery of the Revolutionary War," is found in "The War Zone" section of the website, The Drive. Don't know a cannon from a howitzer from a mortar? The information on this site will help. There are good photos from reenactments, along with interesting details. [The author also has a keen interest in cars, motorcycles and associated topics.] https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/28836/get-to-know-the-brutal-artillery-of-the-revolutionary-war
- "John Lamb's Artillery Company," provides insight into what Jonas Simonds likely experienced during the Revolutionary War. https://www.lambsartillerycompany.org/
Henry Knox & Ticonderoga
- "Dragging cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, 1775," is an excerpt from Henry Knox's 17 Dec 1775 letter to George Washington. An image of the original letter is available, as is a full transcript in PDF form. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/dragging-cannon-fort-ticonderoga-boston-1775
- "Henry Knox's 'Noble Train of Artillery' : No Ox for Knox," by Derek W. Beck, uses vivid descriptions to take the reader on Col. Knox's Ticonderoga expedition in the cold, snowy winter of 1775-76, as he and hundreds of men transported artillery from Ticonderoga, NY to Boston. By using Knox's diaries, Beck analyzes whether oxen or horses moved the artillery. Published in the Journal of the American Revolution on 4 Feb 2019. https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/02/henry-knoxs-noble-train-of-artillery-no-ox-for-knox/
Minute Men & Militia Training
- "The Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms," is an interesting five-minute National Park Service video that has a reenactment of militia training, including interesting facts about the weapons and ammunition used. https://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/historyculture/the-militia-and-minute-men-of-1775.htm
– SOURCES –
“Boom! Artillery in the American Revolution.” The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati. Exhibition October 1, 2016 - March 26, 2017. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/exhibition/boom/
Calvasina, Dee. "Beyond the Fence: Remembering Kendaia." Finger Lakes Times, October 10, 2020. https://www.fltimes.com/news/environment/beyond-the-fence-remembering-kendaia/article_53efaeaf-e237-505f-bd9d-10706a188a28.html
Greenwalt, Philip S. "Valley Forge Encampment–The Most Famous Winter in American History." American Battlefield Trust, October 6, 2021 (updated December 28, 2021). https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/valley-forge-encampment
Heitman,
Francis B. "Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During
the War of the Revolution." Washington, D. C.: The Rare Book Shop Publishing
Company, Inc., 1914. https://archive.org/details/franheitmanreg00bernrich/page/496/mode/2up
McCullough, David. 1776. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2005.
McKenney, Janice E. "The Organizational History of Field Artillery 1775-2003." Washington, D. C.: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Library of Congress, 2007. https://history.army.mil/html/books/OH_of_FA/index.html
“Military
History of Jonas Simonds (n.d. – 7/14/1816).” The State Society of the Cincinnati of
Pennsylvania. https://pasocietyofthecincinnati.org/Names/JonasSimonds.html
Schenawolf, Harry. "Matchlocks & Flintlocks: Weapons That Tamed a New World & Claimed an American Revolution" Revolutionary War Journal, March 28, 2018. https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/matchlocks-flintlocks-firelocks-that-tamed-a-new-world-claimed-an-american-revolution/#more-3167
“From George Washington to Colonel Joseph Ellis, 24 February 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-13-02-0556. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 13, 26 December 1777 – 28 February 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2003, pp. 653–654.]
“From George Washington to Captain Lieutenant Jonas Simonds, 28 February 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-13-02-0598. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 13, 26 December 1777 – 28 February 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2003, pp. 698–699.]
“From George Washington to Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, 28 February 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-13-02-0601. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 13, 26 December 1777 – 28 February 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2003, pp. 700–701.]
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Bradish-Scott Family History – December 2023