|
a.
|
Note: Benjamin Franklin Phillips Son of Wilson Hartwell Philllips and Nancy Trousdale Phillips
Benjamin Franklin, was born during the brief time Wilson and Nancy lived in Mississippi, near Corinth. He grew up in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Benjamin joined the Confederate Army on Feb. 22, 1862 and went to join his two brothers, George and John. They all served in the 9th Alabama Infantry, Co. I, under Capt. Edward Asbury O'Neal, (see below) until March 1862 when Col. O'Neal was transferred. Gen. Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox took over the 9th Alabama and took it thru the remainder of the war, fighting at Gettysburg, where they took part in the battle of the Peach Orchard and Pickett's Charge up Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863. The nickname for this unit was 'Calhoun Guards'. Benjamin was captured April 6, 1865 at the battle of the High Bridge near Amelia Court House in Virginia and was held until June 6, 1865, when he was released after taking an oath of allegiance to the United States. He appears on the roll of sick prisoners. The Confederates wre nearly starved when captured. There were supposed to be rations at Amelia's Court House but when then Confederates arrived, they found the stores consisted only of munitions. The farms and countryside had already been foraged. Benjamin was very ill when captured. He was held at Point Lookout, Maryland until released. When captured he weighed 165 lbs. When he was released he weighed 110 lbs.
The Ninth Alabama served at Chancellorsville and at Gettysburg among many other battles. By this time, Col. Cadmus M. Wilcox had taken over the 9th Alabama.
When the war was over he returned to Lauderdale County. He arrived back home on Jun 27, 1865. After he and Mary married they continued to live there until approximately 1883 when they loaded a wagon and moved to Franklin County Arkansas. Their youngest son, Kirby was born in the wagon on the trip.
While they lived in Arkansas, they had as neighbors, the Nesbitts and the McCreas. Benjamin's son Jim became acquainted with Maggie McCrea. About 1882 the family moved again, this time to Indian Territory, settling in Pottawatomie County near Benjamin's cousin William A. Trousdale. He actually lived in a community called Jefferson, which was 1 mile north of Adell. It was located at NW�, Sec 10, T6N, R3E.
William's son, Billy would become the first sheriff of Pottawatomie County in 1894. Jim and Maggie corresponded and finally Jim took a wagon and went to Arkansas and married Maggie. He brought her back to OK where their first child, Mary, was born. When Mary was just an infant, Jim and Maggie returned to Arkansas. They rented or sharecropped a farm on Arbuckle's Island near Vesta, AR. It is a very large island in the Arkansas River. Their second child, Hartwell was born there. A couple years later, Jim took his small family and went back to Pottawatomie County OK.
Arbuckle's Island is a 9000 acre plot if land, once a part of a plantation owned by Gen. Mathew Arbuckle. He never married and when he died he split it up between his nieces and nephews. He was a pioneer in settling Oklahoma. The Arbuckle Mountains are named for him.
Benjamin and Mary are buried in the Wanette cemetery.
Mary always called her husband Mr. Phillips and he called her Stumpy.
Their son Sam, told his children a story about Benjamin buying one of the first cars in Pott. County. He drove it home and was putting it in the barn. He drove it right through the back wall of the barn while shouting WHOA! Thereafter Sam did the driving.
Benjamin was very proud of his Confederate service and was photographed in his uniform several times. He attended the Confederate reunions and most of the photos were taken then, when he was older. He became Assistant Adjutant General of the Oklahoma division of United Confederate Veterans.
The town of Wanette probably has had more locations and more names than any other settlement in the state. First, in 1874, it became Clardyville, or Pleasant Prairie near the present site of the Wanette Cemetery. In 1876 the town was moved two miles north and four miles west of the present site and was named Wagoza. Then in 1877 the town was moved back to the cemetery site and called Oberlin. Later, when a more adequate water supply was needed for the cotton gin, the town was moved two miles south and one mile west to become Wanette. Construction of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1903 meant another move for the settlement. The town moved one mile north to its present location and the sale of lots began. The Pottawatomie Indian name, Wanette, means beautiful valley. When the town became Wagoza and obtained a post office, Mary Trousdale, wife of William A. Trousdale became its first postmaster (mistress). Their son, William Bell 'Billy' Trousdale was elected sheriff of Pottawatomie County in 1894 and served two terms.
About three or four miles north of Wanette is where the Trousdales settled. William A. donated the land for a post office and Trousdale became a town. There is only one building left there now but it still appears on some maps. The town withered when the railroad passed it by.
Benjamin was a farmer and raised his family in the Trousdale-Wanette area.
Edward A. O'Neal was a prominent lawyer in Florence, Alabama and performed some legal services for Jack Phillips, Benjamin's grandfather. When the Confederacy formed, he was appointed or elected captain of I Company , 9th Alabama Infantry. He served throughout the war and was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines and again at Boonesboro. He attained the rank of Colonel and was Brevet Brigadier General. After the war he resumed his law practice and was elected governor of Alabama in 1882 and served one term.
|
