Confederate Story from Howard family
John Wesley Philmon was the younger brother of Elijah. John Wesley Philmon was born March 4, 1844 in Anson County, N.C., and died October 12, 1925 in Gainesville, Georgia.
The physical description of John Wesley, from his pension records of Hall County, Georgia after the Civil War, reported him to have light complexion, blue eyes and five foot 5 inches tall. He was known among his people as a very strong willed man. In a letter from Arno Belk Queen, John's grandson, who wrote to me, it was said that John refused to sign the Oath of Allegiance after the Civil War. He just placed an X instead of signing his name.
John Wesley Philmon served three years as a Private in Company E, 45th Regiment from Georgia. He was captured in Petersburg, Virginia, April 2,1865. He was released from prison with the Oath of Allegiance to the United States, subscribed to at Fort Delaware, Delaware. Released June 16, 1865. S1.0.109. At the bottom of the piece of paper it says: Name appeared above is the name of John W. Philmon, Sign: X.
In a letter dated March of 1969 from Willie Belle Philmon, who had written to a family member, Angelia Wilderman, the following excerpt is quoted. Quoting from Willie Belle's letter.
"I have heard my Aunt Tempie (born ca. 1855*) remark that she was living when Uncle John returned from prison in the later fall of 1865. He was in a northern prison camp for sometime before strife ended and did not get home until the late fall of that year. He had walked from wherever he was and was practically skin and bones when he got home, Aunt Tempie said. She was a small girl at the time. She said it was on a Saturday afternoon when he got home, and that Grandpa and other boys were in the swamp gathering corn so Uncle John had time to get cleaned up and shaved before they got there. He had a long beard on his face. Aunt Tempie never said how old she was when her mother died. Aunt Tempie and Uncle Julius were born after Grandpa and Annie returned to Georgia."
*(Writer inserted approximate date of birth of Temperance Louise Philmon. Willie Bell Philmon was born September 18, 1897 in Taylor County, Ga., and died April 15, 1975. She was the daughter of Marvin and Elizabeth Wactor Philmon.)
John Wesley Philmon married after the Civil War was ended. He married Louisa Windham on June 5, 1866 in Taylor County, Georgia and they had two children. Julius A. Philmon, born August 21, 1870 and Dora Ella Philmon, born Ca. 1874. Louisa died May 30, 1882, and John Wesley remarried. He married Julia Ella Windham, the niece of Louisa.
There is an interesting newspaper article in Gainesville, Georgia that concerns the death of John Wesley Philmon. It is stated that at his death, a wreath of white and red carnations was laid on his grave. The wreath was in white but the letters KKK were in red carnations. After the war, John Wesley Philmon worked with the Underground Railroad as part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church movement. He traveled far and wide helping free the black people from bondage and helping them secure freedom and employment in other parts of the country. Even though John Wesley served his country as a Confederate in the civil war, he fought for State's Rights, and not, as so many people would have you to believe, for the right to have slaves.
(James A Philmon, the father, was a courier during the war, taking messages.)
Story from Rodney Sans Philmon and Rochelle (children of John Wesley and Julia Ella Windham Philmon). It seems that Rochelle told Rodney the story about the things that she had discovered among her Daddy's belongings. It seemed that John's brother who served in the Civil War (this would have to be Elijah), was in the hospital, and he requested that John come to see him. When John got there, Elijah gave him a small tin box. Within this box was a piece of the flag of the Georgia 45th. The men that surrendered with Lee at Appamattox had divided up the flag into small sections so each could have a piece. Elijah must have known that he was dying, and he wanted his brother to have his piece of flag.
If you remember the history of John Wesley Philmon, then you know that he was captured and put in prison. He could not have been with his unit when they surrendered.
Rodney went on to tell me that when his Daddy died, he was about eight years old. He said there was an old trunk in the attic, and when he asked his mother about it, she said, "Those are your Daddy's things." He said that he was very curious, so he opened the old trunk. He discovered the old insulin bottles and the paraphernalia that was used for diabetics in his day and time. Around the old medicine bottles there was a red piece of cloth.
Rodney today believes that piece of cloth was part of the flag that was handed down from Elijah to John Wesley, and from John Wesley to his son Rodney Sans Philmon. He is trying with all his might to remember where that old trunk may be. He said the house was sold, but he was sure his Mom would have taken the trunk with them. He is going to do a great search throughout his Mother's things to see if he can possibly locate it. Contributed by: Barbara Parsons
Memories of Mr. J.E. Crook and his days as a Guard at Andersonville Prison.