Philander Childs (7 May 1829 - 2 Dec 1899)

Philander Childs was born in New York state and moved to Jennings County, Indiana about 1836 according to one source. His linage was from Massachusetts back to the Puritans. His sister Sarah married a Lewis Day who also had come from NY. In the 1850 census he is living with his widowed sister and 3 children. In 1860, he is 31 and living with the children. I'm not sure where Sarah is, but she shows up later, so she isn't dead.

Philander was in the 82nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War (1861–1865). They were with General Sherman and covered a lot of ground. He was discharged Sept. 12, 1864, about the time of the Atlanta campaign. Discharged usually meant the soldier was ill, not wounded. Family history has it "he wasn't much good after the war" but I don't know what that means exactly.

By 1866, Philander is in Miami County, Kansas along with some others from Jennings County, Indiana, his brother Daniel, his nephew Stephen Day, and, the Greens; Isaiah, his wife Mary, and a passel of kids including Jemima and Caroline. Philander and Jemima are married 1 Jul 1866 in Squiresville, Johnson Co., KS. Stephen Day married Caroline Green later.

Philander and Jemima had

1. Joseph Ezra CHILDS b: 13 Oct 1872 in Payola, Miami Co., KS
2. Charles I CHILDS b: 8 Aug 1867 in Miami Co., KS
3. Ethan Oliver CHILDS b: 28 Jan 1869 in Kansas
4. Sarah Roanna CHILDS b: 8 Nov 1870

Some of Daniel Childs' children moved to Buffalo, Wilson County, Kansas and Joseph Ezra did also. And that is where this story picks up!