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that he was admitted to a hospital at Camp Winder, Richmond, Virginia, on
4 August 1864; and that he was furloughed on 15 August 1864, with a destination
of Hickory Station, North Carolina. Here was a man who was twice wounded, had
served his full three year period of enlistment, and now stood accused of being
absent without leave, that is, of being a deserter, for which he could have
been shot on sight. No wonder he wanted to be “gone to the Yankees.”
Jesse Miller was planning to cross from North Carolina into eastern
Tennessee, where Unionist sentiment was strong. History records that Andrew
Johnson, who was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, but settled in Greenville,
at the eastern edge of Tennessee, was strongly opposed to secession. Even
during the Civil War he refused to give up his seat in the United States
Senate. Abraham Lincoln appointed him military governor of occupied
Tennessee, and later selected him as his vice-presidential running mate.
Jesse Miller must have been a nephew of Riley Miller, who married Rachel
Allred, sister of Delilah. The name of “Riley” does appear in the family tree
of the Miller family of Stony Fork, Blue Ridge, Watauga County.
ANCESTRY OF STEPHEN PHILLIPS
Our family had long been unaware of the ancestry of Stephen Phillips, who
married Delilah Allred on 13 April 1819 in Randolph County. Stephen appears on
the 1820 tax list, and in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 census, for Randolph County.
He was 52 years old in 1850, a farmer, born in North Carolina.
Our Stephen was not the son of John and Diannah Phillips of Rowan County, nor
was the Jas. Philips who appears in the 1810 census for Randolph County. After
the death of John Phillips (whose will is dated 8 November 1800), Dianah
(Diannah) Phillips married Ase (Asa) Messer, on 2 August 1803, in Rowan County.
Asa Messer is found in the 1820 census for Jackson County, Tennessee, listed
consecutively with Stephen Philips and Elijah Philips. On the very next page
is James Philips. These are the three sons of Diannah, named in John's will.
Extensive research on this unrelated Phillips family is posted HERE
The break in the case came when Tim Walls, believed to be my fourth cousin once
removed (more on this later), searched the Apprentice Bonds and Bastardy Bonds
of the Randolph County Court and placed his abstracts on file in the Randolph
Room at the Asheboro Public Library. Stephen Phillips was an orphan. Born in
December 1797, he appeared in court on 2 November 1813, at which time he was
apprenticed to John Patterson, brother of James Patterson, who later married
Martha Ann (Patsey) Allred, sister of Delilah. James and Martha were the
“Respected uncle and aunt” to whom Joseph Harmon Phillips wrote on 14 May 1857.
Also appearing in Randolph County Court were Jean Phillips, orphan, born 1798
or 1799, apprenticed on 6 November 1812 to George Swaringen (Swearingen);
Sally Phillips, orphan, born 1806 or 1807, apprenticed on 3 May 1813
to Obidiah William (Obadiah Williams); and Elmsly Phillips, orphan, born
17 September 1801, apprenticed 8 August 1815 to Benj. (Benjamin) Williams.
These four orphans, rather obviously, were siblings. They appeared in court
between 6 November 1912 and 8 August 1815. Their father must have been alive
in 1810 and, if the ages recorded by the court are correct, should be listed
in the 1810 census with a boy 10-14, a boy 5-9, a girl 10-14, and a girl 5-9.
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