According to Veteran's Administration records, Ambrose enlisted in the army in Augusta Co., VA, in 1777, for three years service. He served as a private in Capt. Thomas Bell's and Breckinridge's companies and in Col. Grayson's and Nathaniel Gist's 16th Regiment. He was promoted to Corporal in October 1778, and was with Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1778. His military record shows that he was among the sick that winter. He was taken prisoner at the siege of Charleston in 1780, escaped, and reached home 18 days before his enlistment expired.

He came to Kentucky from Greenbriar Co., VA, about 1788, and settled in Floyd Co. at the mouth of Jones Creek, which is named after him. He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1811, and was a member of the South Fork Baptist church in Malone, Morgan Co. He was one of the preachers who established the Burning Springs Association in 1813. Early records for the family are in Floyd Co., and later ones are in Morgan Co., but this does not indicate a migration - it is due to Ambrose having settled in the part of Floyd Co. that became Morgan Co.

Most of my data on the Ambrose Jones family is from an article in a Morgan Co. county history book. The article gives complete birthdates for all of his children, but very few death dates, so it is likely that the original sources include either a family bible or church baptismal records, although no mention is made of sources in the article.

The article includes as one of his children "James b. 24 Oct 1801 who married Lucinda". Other researchers have followed the same source, and usually list Lucinda as the wife of James s/o Ambrose. However, the census and marriage data is more consistent with the James who married Lucinda Brown being the son of William & Sarah (Mauzy) Jones of Bourbon Co., Kentucky. See notes for James William Jones for details.

Since the original source was probably a family bible, it is very likely that Ambrose did have a son named James born that date. What is probably incorrect is identifying him with the same James Jones who married Lucinda Brown.

There is currently no evidence other than the aforementioned citation that the Ambrose Jones clan is related to the James Wm Jones clan. But I am keeping his descendants in my database to help keep me from confusing them with my Jones group.