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happened when I was between 3 and 4 years old, are distinctly remembered; and I
can arrive at the date by my age and other circumstances with accuracy, and would
not hesitate to detail them upon oath. There are some circumstances in the early
history of a child which makes lasting impressions. This is the experience of
almost every person for instance, a child at 4 years of age can distinctly
remember the conflagration of its fathers dwelling the death of a father, mother
or some near relative the execution of a murderer & c. & c. Such things would
make a deep and lasting impression upon the young mind; but not more so than the
enlistment of Gabriel Philips the circumstance of his father and Anthony Bewly
endeavoring to obtain his release, on account of his being but a mere boy the
fact of a file of men, armed soldiers, going to Old Philips' Barn and forcibly
taking Gabriel off the distress of the family the constant talk of the family
on this subject; and their joy upon his return home after an absence of near 4
years. It will not do to say that Robert Philips cannot remember these things; or
that he as an intelligent man cannot detail them with accuracy, or arrive at dates
by his own age and other circumstances nor will it do to discredit his statements
of events, especially when we consider that they are interwoven with and form a
part of the history of the Philips family; and especially when we consider that his
statements are corroborated by the history of the country, and by Anthony Bewly
dec'd. as detailed by our present state Senator Jacob M Bewly Esq. Whose affidavit
is herewith enclosed, and which we will now consider.
It appears that the said Jacob M Bewly was a Justice of the peace some 20 odd years
ago for Greene county Tennessee, and that his father Anthony Bewly came before him,
and made oath to an affidavit as follows that he was personally acquainted with
the said Gabriel Philips in Loudon county Va. during the revolutionary war and
that he positively knew of Gabriel's enlistment in said county into the Continental
army for the term of during the war that the said Anthony Bewly and the said
Gabriel's father immediately went to see Gabriel's officers to obtain his release
on account of Gabriel's minority and failed, and that Gabriel marched to the seat
of war, and was absent several years with the American army as a private and
believes that his father also stated that Gabriel was taken prisoner at the
surrender of Charleston S.C. The said Jacob M Bewly now makes oath that his said
father did swear to these things before him.
It will be perceived that this evidence strongly corroborates that of Robert
Philips.
The evidence of Robt Philips and of Jacob M Bewly is the best and only evidence
that can be obtained, unless something can be found amongst the military records
at Washington or Richmond or in London among the list of Prisoners taken at
Charleston, but to my mind the evidence now adduced ought to be satisfactory of the
enlistment and service. This evidence is positive, historical and circumstantial.
and shows a service of more than two years.
Mr. Edwards (Commissioner) in his letter of May 25, 1846, states that Philips'
named is not found upon the list with those of the Virginia line who received
depreciation Certificates.
Now it can be proven, that about the year 1809, Gabriel Philips went to Georgia,
some 250 miles, to obtain the evidence of Josiah Perry a fellow soldier, in order
to establish his service with a view of applying to the Government of the U.S. or
Virginia for bounty land, monthly or other pay, and that he failed from the fact
that Perry was dead that Philips then returned home to Hawkins co. Tennessee and
died in 1810 before he could complete the evidence of his service, and that no
further attempt was made until about the year 1824 when the aforesaid Anthony Bewly
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