Philbricks and Philbrooks in the Civil War:

(Click on image to see larger version)

The Civil War Letters of Capt. Alvah Philbrook, 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry (1862-1864) Due to additional ongoing research and time constraints, this article will continue in next month’s issue, my sincerest apologies. RWP

Historical Documents and Artifacts Revolutionary War Service Record of David Philbrook (Click on image to see larger version) This document concerns David Philbrook’s service during the Revolutionary War. David Philbrook served at Valley Forge and was present during the Continental Army’s victory over British forces under command of General John Burgoyne at Saratoga1. As an eyewitness to one of the most important victories of the Revolution, David also took part in the seizure of a huge amount of war material from the British. Burgoyne surrendered himself and 5,752 men, 42 brass cannon, 7,000 muskets along with various other military supplies. Among the more dubious "items" surrendered to the Americans were "a great number of slatternly women," or military prostitutes, that were employed to improve British morale and were now bounty of the Colonial forces2. So who was this David Philbrook? He is apparently the same David Philbrook listed in Chapman’s book on page 63 (see #53-II.-Gen. 6). In the lower portion of the document (not shown in the picture), it is dated March 27, 1818 and David signs his signature attesting to his age of "seventy seven years" at the time. This also corresponds to another page in the pension records where his birth date and location as being "born in Bath" on "April 27th 1740." Vital records from Georgetown (Bath), Maine list a "David, son of William & Mary" born "May 10, 1746."3 No other David Philbrook (or Philbrick) appears in Bath during the early 1740’s vital records nor does any other "David Philbrook" appear in the Bath area during that time that connects to the Philbrook tree. Original town records of Bath were destroyed by fire on February 14, 1838, however notes from physicians and ministers were collected to assemble some of the early vital statistics4. It is a possibility that the conflicting birth dates may have come from a baptism record where the "0" in 1740 was mistaken for a "6" and May 10 was actually the baptism date of David. To further confuse matters, Chapman lists David’s wife as Hannah Crosby5 instead of Catharine McCausland as stated in David’s pension records. Assuming that this is correct, David’s lineage would be: William5, Jonathan4, William3, Thomas2, Thomas the Emigrant1. National Archives, Military Pension Records of David Philbrook – Revolutionary War Benson Bobrick, Angel in the Whirlwind, p. 280 Mary Pelham Hill (Editor), Vital Records of Georgetown Maine, p. 119 Bath Historical Society, 33 Summer St, Bath, ME 04530 Jacob Chapman, Philbrick and Philbrook Families, p. 63