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Death Of Col. J. W. Childs

Death Of Col. J. W. Childs image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
May
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
Obituary
OCR Text

Col. J. W. Childs, late of the oíd 4th Miohigan Infantry, and vvell kuown to the older inhabitants of this county, died at his home in Washington, D. C, on Monday, of a complication of diseaBes contracted while serving with the Arroy of tbe Potomac in the war of the rebellion. Col. Childs was the oldest son of thefamilyof ninechildren of the late Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Childs, of Augusta township, and was born and bronght np in this couuty. Of the family of nine children only four are now lef t : Mrs. Robert Campbell, W. K. Childs and Miss Alma C. Childs, of this city, and E. M. Childe, of Ypsilanti. His widow and one ohild, Miss Elaine E. Childs, who is a inember of the class of '96 literary department of the University of Michigan, also survive him. As above stated, Col. Childs was born and bronght up in Augusta. His flrst rudiments of education were obtained by walking two miles through the woods to school every day when he was six years oíd. Subsequently he attended and graduated from the Normal school at Ypsilanti. He also attended a military school at Norwich, Conn., where he got the military education that was afterwards so nseful to him. At the outbreak of the war in 1861 he was teaching school in Uniontown, Ky. Ie was known arnong the eecessionisfs of that town tbat his synipathies were with the north and that if war broke out he intended to go north, and enlist. Steps to prevent him doing so were taken by the secession leaders, but their efïorts were frustrated by his frieud, Norman Berry, who although' a southern sympathizer, let Col. Childs' into the secret that he was to be retained and helped him to get away. In the Virginia campaigu Col. Childs heard that his friend Berry was a major in a Kentucky regiment and by the aid of the pickéts a meeting was arranged between the two friends and they again saw each other. Af ter coming north in 1861 Col. Childs entered the 4th Michigan as its major uoder the first cali for three years' men and went into camp at Adrián. He afterwards became colonel of the regiment and as such took part in nearly all of the battles of the army of the Potomac. At the end of his service as colonel of the Fourth he entered the regular army and serv?d until 1868, when he resigned from the service to enter business. From that time until 1880 he was a trader in Florida, when he went to Washington and engaged in the real estáte business. He then entered the government service, first as adjuster of claims in the land office, and from there into the pension office as a member of the board of referees, which position he held at the time of his death. The foneral services were held Wednesday and his remains were buried in the Arlington ceinetary where so many of those who fought in the war of the rebellion are resting.