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A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans by
William T. Hale, published 1913 Volume VII Page 2024
The following is excerpted from this publication
with one addition in parentheses. The full story in this book contains several errors.
Joseph Philips did not secure the original 640 acres from
the Government, but rather purchased in for cash from the person who received the grant.
Joseph Philips' grandfather was not named Joseph, but rather John
Philips.
John Philips lived
in Surry County VA and never lived in NC. It was his sons who moved to NC about 1750, including Joseph Philips' father
Joseph Philips who was not a "life-long resident" of NC.
Joseph Philips and his wife Milbry Horn had a daughter Sarah who married William Williams, however
their daughter Margaret married Josiah Frederick Williams and not "Joseph Williams". Both were sons of Joseph Philips'
good friend Elisha Williams who was talked into moving to Tennessee from North Carolina by Joseph. About 1804 Elisha
and his wife Sarah Josey settled on 640 acres he purchased for his above two sons on Gallatin Road just below the present
day location of Briley Parkway.
Shortly after his marriage, in 1791, Joseph Philips started with his wife (and daughters Sarah,
Mary, and Rebecca) for the wilds of Tennessee, leaving behind the place where he was born on Swift Creek near
Tarboro NC.
They
made an overland journey with teams, following a blazed trail a large part of the way, bringing with them their household
goods, and all of their stock and nine slaves. He located in Davidson county, which he had previously visited, and which was then
very thinly populated. He bought a tract of land lying six miles north of Nashville, and began the establishment
of a home, his first step in that direction being the erection of a log cabin which he and his family
occupied until 1804, when it was burned, the fire occurring in March of that year. He then burned a kiln of brick,
and erected a substantial house, in commodious colonial style, using whip-sawed timbers in its construction.
This was the first brick house built in Davidson county. The house remained in the family until about 1915 and was still
standing in good condition until about 1963. A part of the original log barn, built about 1792, was also standing.
When
he located there Nashville was but a hamlet, and for more than half a century afterward there were
no railroads in the state. He improved a fine homestead, and with the help of his slaves was there
engaged in general farming until his death in 1818.
The Philips' Sylvan Hall Cemetery received it's first body sometime soon after
the death of Rebecca, the daughter of Joseph Philips and his wife Milbrey Horn. She was born on 16 April 1790
in Edgecombe County NC and made the trip from NC to TN with her parents. She died in July of 1792 at
two years of age. Joseph
didn't sign the purchase agreement to buy the 640 acres where she is buried until 21 December 1792, six months
after she died. So, it's not clear when she was buried there, but she is likely the first of the family
buried in the cemetery.
The wall around the cemetery has been here since about 1823.
Joseph Philips included in his 5 September 1822 Will the following
directive: "I
will and order such sum as may be necessary in the opinion of
my executors, to be expended in enclosing the family graveyard."
On 18 February 2001 Craig Kelly Adkisson mapped the cemetery, locating 48 gravesites.
However, the records only identify those buried in 28 of these gravesites.
In addition to Joseph Philips and his wife Milbrey Horn, Joseph's
good friend Elisha Williams is buried there as well along with his wife Sara Josey.
Elisha's sons Josiah and William Williams are buried there along with their wives, Margaret
"Peggy" Thomas Philips and Sara "Sally" Philips, daughters of Joseph and Milbrey. Also buried here are Joseph and Milbrey's son William
Duncan Philips and his second wife Elizabeth Dwyer.
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William Williams
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Josiah Frederick Williams
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Margaret "Peggy" Thomas Philips
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Williams Duncan Philips
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Elizabeth Dwyer
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Those
buried in the cemetery include family names, in addition to Philips, of Horn, Williams, Sumner,
Harding, McIver, Porter and possibly others. In 1903 a reunion of family members was held at the Joseph Philips home down the street from the cemetery and 175
family members attended, including the additional family names of DeMoville, Thompson, Warner, Duncan, Eldridge, Day, Eskin, Ewing, Fall, Keith, Green, Fort, McKay, Anderson and many others.
I don't have access to the full list. However, a great grandson, Wharton Jackson Green published
a book, Recollections and Reflections, in 1903 that estimated the descendants of Joseph and Milbrey
numbered about 400 at that time. Imagine how many descendants of those buried in the cemetery there are today and the number
of different family names of the descendants.
Almost 200 years have
passed since Joseph Philips died and was buried in this cemetery and in recent years the upkeep of the cemetery
has been lacking. The elderly couple, George B. and Dorothy Bess, who live in the house in front of the cemetery
have lived there for at least fifty years and have tried over the years to protect the cemetery and keep
it up, but they have gotten older. Periodically I have checked on the condition of the cemetery and made efforts
to stabilize its condition. I have personally paid to have brush removed. Lately, I have been
applying herbicides to control the growth of weeds and brush, as well as trees. When I am unable to get by the
cemetery in a timely manner, large bushes and even trees have sprouted and grown, threatening to destroy what
is left of the cemetery. I am concerned that the future of the cemetery may be in jeopardy if something
is not done to assure the continued maintenance and protection of the area. Many of the headstones are broken
and/or laying on the ground away from their original locations. In view of the above conditions,
I decided in May of 2013 to organize an informal group who are interested in the preservation of this historic cemetery
to provide for its restoration and continued maintenance.
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