The Service
In September 1778, the Barnstable County militia was called up in response to alarms at Dartmouth and Falmouth. Solomon Swift, a farmer in Falmouth, served as a Private in Captain Samuel Fish’s company, Colonel Nathaniel Freeman’s regiment.
This was local militia service — the Cape Cod communities defending their own coastline. While not the large-scale Continental operations that Francis Green participated in, militia service was the backbone of the Revolution, and Solomon’s willingness to serve is documented in the official record.
Solomon Swift
Solomon Swift (1745–1807) married Susannah Childs in 1769 in Falmouth. His military service is confirmed in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15, freely available on the Internet Archive. He is a direct ancestor through the Swift line.
Eligibility
Solomon’s service as a militia Private does not meet the Society of the Cincinnati requirements (Continental commissioned officer, three or more years of service). However, his documented service makes his descendants eligible for the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).