EDMONSON PHILLIPS - 1847 ~ 1938
Son of Lafayette Phillips and Elizabeth Cogar
Husband of Rebbecca J. Kilingsworth

Sergeant Edmondson Phillips

Tells of Seventh U.S. Cavalry's Last Stand

Source: War Veterans of Upshur County by Nathaniel JackMcClain Printing Co. Parsons West Virginia - 1988
 

Veteran of Five Wars Served for 34 Years in Regular Army.

 Fighting Indians in the West was all in a day's work for Sergeant Edmondson Phillips, 89,of Alton, who served in the Regular Army of the United States for 34 years, sing service in the Civil War, Indian campaigns, Spanish-American War, Boxer Rebellion and Philippine Insurrection. Sgt. Phillips began his military activities March 3, 1864, when he enlisted in the Union Army at the Court house house at the age of 17 years.

He was assigned to Co. M of the 3rd West Virginia Cavalry. Although the war was near its end, Sgt. Phillips saw much service in the Valley of Virginia during Hunter's Raid at Lynchburg, VA, the 3rd Cavalry engaged in its first major conflict. At Moorefield,

Sgt. Phillips and several of his men narrowly escaped capture, by the Confederates and were forced to hide for an entire day while a large force the Southern army passed through the town. When peace was established after the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, Sgt. Phillips and his men were mustered out of the service June 2,1865, at Wheeling.

Seven years later he re-enlisted in the infantry on March 18, 1872, and was sent to the West where he became involved in one of the most famous episodes of American History. The American Government was experiencing great difficulty with the Indians at that time and sent a small army to subdue the savages. The force was placed under the command of General George Armstrong Custer, and Sgt. Phillips was one of the soldiers under the famous officer. Fortunately for Sgt. Phillips. Custer divided his force into four separate groups and set out in search of tribesmen. Sgt. Phillips was a member of the force under the command of a Col. Gibbons. Some days after the division of the army, rumors were rampant concerning the activities of the Indians and other divisions of the army. One night word arrived at the camp of Col. Gibbons that the 7th Cavalry under General Custer had met disaster. Sgt. Phillips stated that little was thought of the matter, but the three regiments under Gibbons were ordered to fall in and they set out in search of the cavalry regiment.

Discovers Bodies

They marched for several hours and from time to time heard the call of bugles. Feeling that something was amiss, the regiments continued their march and as the morning sun appeared over the plains, they found the missing 7th Cavalry. "Them was a heavy fog that morning," said Sgt. Phillips. "As it began to rise, the first thing I saw was a bright red object. I investigated and found that it was the skull of a soldier who has been scalped. The blood on his head made it glisten like a red mirror in the early morning sunlight. As the mists cleared we saw the bodies of men lying about. Some of them were warm, others had tiny sparks of life left in their bodies. In one spot we counted 37 soldiers. They lay in perfect formation, just as they had fallen in battle. Each man was in his proper place. A short distance away we found the remainder of the command. They were lying on top of a small hill." It was here that Custer had made his last stand. He was surrounded by the bodies of his men.

All Scalped

"Every soldier we saw had been scalped and mutilated in some manner with the single exception of the Commanding Officer, General Caster. The only mark on his body was a small hole in the back of his head where either a rifle ball or pistol ball had penetrated. Close by was the body of Tom Custer, brother of the general. The Indians had not only scalped him, but had cut his heart from his body and tramped it in the earth." We at once set out in search of the Indians who were still close by. The regiments were deployed as skirmishers and we advanced over the plains in a mile-long line, making an imposing array as our rifle barrels and bayonets glistened in the sun. "Our advance took us through an Indian village, the largest I had ever seen. In the distance we could see Indians riding to the call of bugles. They marched out and counter-marched in cavalry formations exactly as regular troops in celebration of their victory. They fell back as we advanced, however, and did not attempt to fight. In a short time we came to another hill and there was another part of the army surround. The Indians left as they saw our approach, and the besieged soldiers ran down the hill to greet us. They had been standing off their foes for three days without food or water. Many of them were so overjoyed they wept. We had little food with us, but divided what we had with the rescued troops."

Is Wounded

The remainder of the Indian Campaigns were uneventful, but in 1898 the United States declared war on Spain and Sgt. Phillips was sent to Cuba. From there he went to China where the Boxers, a patriotic Chinese organization, were conducting a campaign of extermination against all foreigners. He was a member of the force which rescued the besieged nationals in the Legation at Peiping. When the Philippine insurrection broke out, Sgt. Phillips was sent to the Philippine Islands and fought against the famous Aguinaldo. It was during this campaign that Sgt. Phillips received his first wound, an injury to his hand, and the mark can std be seen. The Philippine Insurrection wrote finis to the long years of military service for Sgt. Phillips. He had passed the age limit, and when the World War began was too old to again don his uniform for active service.

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