My Genealogy Hound

MOSES A. PHILLIPS. The history of Johnson County is best told in the lives of its citizens, and it therefore gives us pleasure to place on the pages of this volume an outline of the life of an old soldier and a prominent and successful farmer of township 46, range 28. He is the owner altogether of a tract of two hundred and thirty acres on sections 25, 26 and 27, which bears evidence of the care which has been bestowed upon it and also of the thrift of the owner. Mr. Phillips located upon this tract in 1870, and is therefore widely known throughout this locality, in whose development he has taken a prominent part.

William Phillips, the father of our subject, was a native of New Jersey, whence he emigrated to Guernsey County, Ohio, where he was residing at the time of his decease, when threescore years and ten. He was married in his native state to Miss Sarah Acre, who also passed away in the Buckeye State, being at that time eighty-four years of age. To them was granted a family of eleven sons and daughters, of whom Elizabeth was the eldest; she married Peter Dennis, and lives in Cambridge, Ohio. Mary J., who is also a resident of that city, is the wife of John Moffatt; William H. lives in Osage County, Kan.; Louisa married George Vansickle, and is now deceased; Sarah is the wife of Moses Ogg, a resident of Zanesville, Ohio; Moses, of this sketch, was the sixth in order of birth; Evaline is now Mrs. John Dixon, of Cambridge; Cora L. is living in that city and the other members of the family died in infancy.

Moses A. Phillips was born in or near Cambridge, Ohio, March 7, 1844. He worked very hard when a boy and had very limited privileges for obtaining an education. Just when he should and could have been in school, the war broke out and most of the schoolhouses were closed. Young Phillips was an enthusiastic patriot, and although not of age, enlisted, October 15, 1861, in the Sixty-second Ohio Infantry, joining Company G. His regiment went into camp at Columbus, whence they were ordered to report for duty at Camp Goddard, Zanesville. Two months later they were sent, by way of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, to Virginia, from which state they made their way to Cumberland, Md., and then took up the line of march south under Colonel Pond.

Early in 1862 the Sixty-second Ohio was ordered by David Todd, the Governor of Ohio, to report to General Rosecrans, then Commmander of the Army of West Virginia. That same day they broke camp and went, via the Central Ohio Road, to Bellaire, and January 18 took transportation on the Baltimore & Ohio Road, arriving at Cumberland, Md., the next afternoon. January 20 they joined forces with Brigadier-General Lander, then went into camp on Patterson Creek. February 3 they went by the way of the Baltimore & Ohio Road to Paw Paw Tunnel, and subsequently to Cacapon Creek, where they remained in camp until March 10, when they were ordered to Martin’s Ferry. The regiment started the succeeding day for Winchester, Va., arriving there on the 15th, and on the 18th were at Strasburg. They bivouaced there one night, then returned to Winchester.

March 22 the regiment to which our subject belonged were placed on picket duty on the march from Winchester to Charleston, but on the 23d were relieved and ordered to the front, where they were attacked by Stonewall Jackson. They were then under the command of General Shields, and the Ohio regiment, together with an Illinois brigade, held the center, and after severe fighting they were ordered to support a battery. The conflict was a victory for the Union forces, for when the regiment was ordered forward on the “double quick,” they found the enemy flying toward the Shenandoah, leaving on the field large numbers of their dead and wounded. By this time our hero had become accustomed to the whizz of the bullets and the shriek of shot and shell, and on the next morning resumed march with his regiment. They bivouaced while passing Strasburg, and on the 25th moved forward, meeting and skirmishing with some of Jackson’s troops, and causing them, as on previous occasions, to retreat.

Mr. Phillips’ regiment returned to Edenburg and were in camp there until April 17, when they moved forward to New Market. Leaving that section of country May 12, they started out on what proved to be a very bold march. They crossed the range of Shenandoah Mountain, via Swift’s Gap, and on the 13th marched to Ft. Royal, the next day to Chester Gap, and on the 15th to Great Cross Roads, on the following day having a skirmish with the enemy. Marching on again to Warrenton, they arrived there on the 19th, and the following day found them at Catlett Station. On the 21st they arrived at Falmouth. The regiment had at this time participated in seven battles and extended marches, and on the 23d were reviewed by President Lincoln and Generals Shields and McDowell. On the 24th they received orders to return to the Shenandoah, reaching Catlett the next day; they went thence to Haymarket, and arrived at Ft. Royal May 30. They left the following day and were kept on the march until June 4, experiencing during that time the usual hardships incident to army life. They reached Columbia Bridge that date, and, pressing forward, by a forced march reached a point three miles from Port Republic. The Ohio regiment was in advance, and on meeting with Stonewall Jackson’s troops were repulsed with heavy loss. They returned to Columbia Bridge, thence to Ft. Royal, where they went in camp and remained until June 20. They then crossed the mountains, and June 24 arrived at Whire River, later arriving, on the 28th of the month, at Bristol Station, on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad. The same day they left by steamer for Fortress Monroe, Va., thence went to Harrison’s Landing, on the James River, arriving July 2, where they were stationed doing scouting and picket duty. In July they had several skirmishes with the enemy, and on the 24th were assigned to a position on the extreme left, under General MacClellan, being in active service from July 30 to August 5.

On the 16th of August began the famous retreat down the peninsula to Yorktown and Fortress Monroe. September 2 they were at Suffolk, and on the 2ist at Blackwater, whence they returned to camp at Suffolk. They made another march on the 24th of October, and after a severe encounter with the Confederates returned to Suffolk without accomplishing much. December 1 occurred another engagement, in which several soldiers of the enemy were killed. On the 4th another attack was made, and on the 31st of December they were at Norfolk, on the United States Military Railroad.

On the 4th of January, 1863, the Ohio regiment was at Beaufort, N. C, thence were ordered to Newbern, and from there went to Port Royal, S. C., arriving there on the 31st of January. They remained on the boat, however, and disembarked at St. Helena Island, S. C., February 28, returning by a steamer to Coal Island April 3. Three days later they were at Morris Island, where they had an engagement and captured fourteen of the enemy’s guns, besides other implements of war. They assaulted Ft. Wagner, July 18, 1863, and lost heavily. The regiment then took part in the siege of Ft. Charleston, which lasted from July 10 to October 31. On the 2d of November they returned to St. Helena Island, and in January, 1864, the greater part of the regiment re-enlisted, when our subject, who also entered the service again as a veteran volunteer, was given a thirty-days furlough and returned home.

Mr. Phillips rejoined his regiment February 22, at Washington, D. C., and March 25 was at Camp Grant, three days later going into camp one mile and a-half from Fairfax. Without following this important command through the various details and severe experiences of subsequent months, it is sufficient to say that the Sixty-second Ohio was among the noted regiments of the Union army and made a record to be proud of. The regiment took part in the prominent battles which decided the issues of the war up to the surrender of Lee, and was under the following commands, which also shows the great scope of its fighting: Generals Brooks, McDowell, Keys, Dix, Peck, Foster, Hunter, Gilmore, Burney, Gibbon, Ord, Butler, MacClellan, Meade and Grant. On the 8th of November, when voting for President, one hundred and seventy-six votes were cast in this regiment for Lincoln and seventy-five for MacClellan.

Our subject was with his regiment nearly all the time and in active service. The extent of his army experiences may best be shown by mentioning the battles in which he took part, not including, however, the skirmishes through which his regiment passed. They were Harrison Landing, Va., July 4, 1862.; Blackwater, December 13, 1862; Harrison Landing, S. C., July 10, 1863; Ft. Wagner and other engagements in that vicinity in 1863; Bermuda Hundred, Va., January 16 and 17, 1864; Strawberry Plains, August 14, 1864; Deep Black River, Va., August 16, 1864; Darbytown Road, October 13, 1864; Hatcher’s Farm, November 18, 1864; Ft. Gregg, Va., April 2, 1865; Rice Station, Va., April 6, 1865; and Appomattox, April 9, 1865. He was wounded January 10, 1864, near Petersburg. February 17 of the following year he was appointed Corporal of his company, and April 9 was taken prisoner, but was soon paroled.

Our subject after the close of the war returned to Cambridge a physical wreck after his long continued and hard service. He lived in Cambridge until the spring of the following year, when he moved to Illinois and located on a farm in Douglas County. He later removed to Johnson County, Kan., locating on an estate near Olathe, where he was married, and subsequently moved to a farm six miles north of this city. There he resided for two years, when he came to his present home.

Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Melvina E. Ferguson, a native of Missouri, whose mother is still living in Hoi den. To them were born six children, namely: Minnie May; Walter F., who married Laura Masters; Mary E., Viola N., Nellie V. and Eula A. In politics Mr. Phillips is a strong Republican, and belongs to Winfield Scott Post No. 63, at Holden. He is honored as an old soldier, good citizen, prominent farmer and an upright man.