The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24

The bar of North Carolina has ever
been noted for the dignified and dis
tinguished men who have been life
long practitioners of that noble profess
sion.
In Eastern North Carolina some of
the abIest lawyers of the South have been
born. and among that list is the subject
OF this sketch who was born i'm Edge
eombe county ON June H. 1888. EX-
Judge Frederick Philips is son Of DIR.
James j. Philips, who was born and
reared in Edgecombe county, and was
one of the most eminent and best known
physicians of that section Of the State.
His wife was Miss Harriet a. Burt be-
fore her marriage to the father of our
subject her mother being a Sim1ls,
member of that distinguished family
from Virginia. Judge Philips springs
from one of the oldest families of bass
ern Carolina, his forefathers having SCI
tied in Edgecombe county in 1860.
The early education of our subject
was confined to the schools Of the county,
to instructions Mt home under a private
tutor and at the private schools OF the
section. He was prepared for the Unl-
versity at St James College of Mary
land. and in the fall of 1891 he entered
the University of North Carolina, gradu-
ating in 1858 with distinction. Suisse
quently he entered the law school OF
Judge Pearson, who was Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of this State. lie
obtained license TO practice law IN all
courts i'm the state in 1860 and entered
the law office Of the Hon. Robert
Bridgers of Tarboro, where he remained
until the outbreak of the Civil Way,
when he at once enlisted in the irSt
company from the county, which was
tie Edgecombe Guards, composed OF
two hundred men, and from which ccm.
pany two companies were later formed
our subject being elected as seccnd lieu
tenant of the Confederate Guards, with
II. w. Battle as captain. The company
was made n part of the Fifteenth North
Carolina Regiment under the command
of Colonel Mckinney and went immedl
ately to Yorktown. In the winter OF
1861 Lieutenant Philips was owing to
i'll health, compelled to leave the service
and return home, where he remained
until after the battles around Richmond,
when he again entered the service as
Adjtuant of the 1hirteeth North Caro-
lima Regiment commanded by Col. +. N
Parker, and which regiment was part
of General George b. Anderson's Bri-
gade, and General d. H. Hills Division.
The regiment was engaged in a number
of the most important BATTLES, among
which was the one at south Mountain
and at Bloody Lane, where our subject
was severely wounded while delivering
the message of the death of General
Anderson to Colonel Tew, the senior
Colonel of the Regiment. 1t was indeed
a hazardous undertaking, and our subject
was compelled to crawl in frot of
heavy fire from one end of the regiment
to the other to deliver the message to
his commanding officer. 1t was the last
message Colonel Tew ever received for
MS he arose to signal that he understood
the message he was Killed.
After being laid up for a member of
weeks from the wound which our subject
received in the scalp while delivering this
message he again returned to the SCI
vice and was engaged in the many bat
ties in which General d. IL. Hill of
Jackson's Corps, participated. the plin-
cipals of which were the battles of
Fredericksburg. second battle of Manas-
saS. Charlottesville and Gettysburg. In
this latter bloody engagement Adjutant
IullUS WIS Will iAdlliStuA , bllSdut II
the all night attack.
AT the battle of Kellys Ford, af-
fer the retreat of General Lee, Mr..
Phillips was wounded. having his thigh
bone broken, and was permanently dis
abled He was compelled to so on
crutches for d number Of years after
wards In the fall of 1864 he was as
signed to do Quarternaster service Mt
Richmond, but was unable to return to
service of the Confederacy, which he
loved and for which he had fought so
gallantly.
Mr.. Philips was elected and ably serv-
cd as Engrossipg Clerk Of the Legisla-
ture Of 1S64-'65 In 1866 he was APP
pointed Clerk and Master in Equity for