LEWIS PATRICK PHILLIPS SON OF JOHN PHILLIPS A SOLDIER OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY.
THE CALIFORNIA SOCIETY SONS OP THE REYOLUTION, HONORS AS ONE OF ITS MOST CHERISHED MEMBERS, THE SON OF A VALIANT SOLDIER WHO SERVED THROUGH MANY CAMPAIGNS WITH THE CONTINENTAL TROOPS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA, DURING THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.
JOHN PHILLIPS WAS BORN 1759, IN HALIFAX COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND HE DIED ON NOVEMBER 20, 1839 IN JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.
A FEW YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS CHILDREN, HE COMPILED A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF HIS LIFE, OF WHICH A MOST INTERESTING PART IS NOW RETAINED BY HIS SON.
THIS MEMOIR IS WRITTEN IN BEAUTIFULLY REGULAR AND DISTINCT CHARACTERS, AND HIS OBSERVATIONS UPON THE SOCIAL LIFE OF HIS ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PROFOUNDLY RELIGIOUS COURSE OF THOUGHT PERVADING HIS WRITINGS INDICATE AN INTELLECTUAL CULTURE OF A HIGH ORDER.
OF HIS EARLY LIFE HE SAYS:
"MY FATHER DYED IN MY INFANCY, LONG BEFORE MY REMEMBRANCE; MY MOTHER BEING POOR AND NOT FURNISHED WITH THE NECESSARIES OF LIFE GAVE ME UP TO THE DISCRESION OF MY UNCLES AND GRANDMOTHER BY FATHER'S SIDE. MY GRANDMOTHER TOOK SOME PAINS IN LEARNING ME MY CREED, THE LORD'S PRAYER ETC, AND WAS VERY CAUTIOUS IN NOT ALLOWING ME TO LYE, CURSE NOR SWEAR. IT PLEASED THE LORD TO PUT IT INTO THEIR HEARTS TO GIVE ME SOME SCHOOLING."
HIS FIRST ENLISTMENT WAS IN JULY 1775, AS A PRIVATE IN CAPTAIN FORT'S COMPANY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA REGIMENT COMMANDED BY COLONEL POWELL, A.ND HIS LAST ENLISTMENT WAS ON OCTOBER 10, 1778, IN THE COMPANY OF CAPTAIN JOSEPH WOOD, IN THE NORTH CAROLINA REGIMENT COMMANDED BY COLONEL PHILIP ALSTON. HE PARTICIPATED IN MANY TOURS AND SKIRMISHES. AND IN THE BATTLES OF BRIER CREEK. GEORGIA, MARCH 3, 1779; COWPENS, SOUTH CAROLINA, JANUARY 17, 1781, AND GUILFORD, NORTH CAROLINA, MARCH l5, 1781, RECEIVING AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AT THE CLOSE OF HIS SERVICES, WHEN HE RESUMED HIS STUDIES AND POR A CONSIDERABLE TIME HE TAUGHT SCHOOL.
HIS SECOND WIFE WAS POLIY THOMPSON, WHOM HE MARRIED ON OCTOBER 3, 1824, IN JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE HE LIVED THE LIFE OF A PLANTER. AND HERE, ON OCTOBER 2, WAS BORN HIS SON LEWIS PATRICK PHILLIPS, THE YOUNGEST OF HIS THREE CHILDREN BY THIS MARRIAGE.
ON AUGUST 29, 1837, HE WAS GRANTED A PENSION BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR HIS SERVICES DURING THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION, BUT HE LIVED ONLY TWO YEARS AND THREE MONTHS THEREAFTER, DYING WHEN HIS YOUNG SON WAS BUT EIGHT YEARS OLD.
ON NOVEMBER 30, 1843, POLLY THOMPSON PHILLIPS, HIS WIDOW, RECEIVED A PENSION, AND SHE SURVIVED HIM UNTIL 1870, HER LIFE TERMINATING IN THE HOME OF HER SON IN SHELBY COUNTY ILLINOIS.
LEWIS PATRICK PHILLIPS RECEIVED AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND IN POWELL'S ACADEMY, OF NORTH CAROLINA.
AT THE COMMENCEMENT OP THE CIVIL WAR HE WAS A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE IN JOHNSTON COUNTY, AND LATER, HE WAS EXEMPT FROM MILITARY SERVICE IN THE CONPEDERATE ARMY, BY REASON OF HIS BEING THE AGENT AT STALLING'S STATION, OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL RAIL ROAD COMPANY, WHICH POSITION HE HELD UNTIL THE CLOSE OP THE WAR, ALTHOUGH HIS REPUTATION AS AN ACCOUNTANT AND MANAGER INDUCED THE CONFEDERATE MILITARY COMMANDER IN HIS VICINITY TO CALL UPON HIM FOR ASSISTANCE, AND FOR A SHORT PERIOD HE ACTED AS CLERK FOR COLONEL RADCLIFF.
IN APRIL, 1865, HE WENT TO SHELBY COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WHERE HE CONDUCTED THE OPERATIONS OF A FARM UNTIL 1870, WHEN HE ACCEPTED THE APPOINTMENT OP DEPUTY COUNTY CLERK OF MOULTRIE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WHICH POSITION HE HELD FOR SIX YEARS.
IN 1876 HE RETURNED SOUTH AND, LOCATING ON A FARM IN JOHNSON COUNTY, TEXAS, HE RAISED COTTON AND CORN DURING THE SUCCEEDING ELEVEN YEARS
IN 1887 HE CAME TO CALIFORNIA AND MADE A HOME IN DOWNEY, LOS ANGELES COUNTY, WHERE HE HAS SINCE RESIDED.
IN 1894 HE WAS ELECTED JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR DOWNEY TOWNSHIP, AND IN NOVEMBER, 1910. HE WAS RE-ELECTED FOR THE THIRD TERM OF FOUR YEARS. JUDGE PHILLIPS DURING HIS LONG LIFE HAS BEEN AN ADHERENT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, BUT THE AFFECTION OF HIS NEIGHBORS, THE GREAT REGARD OP HIS ASSOCIATES AND THE RESPECT FOR HIS CHARACTER AND ABILITIES, HAVE PLACED HIM ON THE .JUDICIAL BENCH DURING FOUR ELECTIONS IN A DISTRICT HAVING A LARGE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY.
HE HAS BEEN MARRIED FOUR TIMES AND HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH FOURTEEN CHILDREN, THOSE OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION BEING MEMBERS OP HIS FIRESIDE.
HE CARRIES HIS SEVENTY-NINE YEARS WITH A VIGOR THAT PROMISES MANY DAYS OF HAPPY ASSOCIATION WITH THE LOVED ONES OF HIS CALIFORNIA HOME.
Source: Sons of the Revolution, In the State of California, 1911-1912, Los Angeles, by Holdridge Ozro Collins; Subjects: John Phillips (1759-1839); Lewis Patrick Phillips (1831- ).
(Photo of Lewis Patrick Phillips included with above narrative.)
