Thomas Peter Cumings Phillips
Private, Company F 6th Alabama Infantry
Regiment
Submitted by:
Verna Smith Bice
jbice@brazosport.cc.tx.us
Thomas Peter Cumings Phillips was born March 08, 1830 in Randolph Co.,Georgia to Isham Phillips and Mary Polly Smith. He married Miss Huldy
Sutton on March 07, 1852 in Barbour County.
Huldy is the daughter of Jesse Sutton and Mary Elizabeth Bryant and she was born August 27,
1831. Thomas served as (Private, Company F 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment) . Thomas died and was buried on October 23, 1923 and is
buried Elam Baptist Church Cemetery, SW of Clio, in Barbour County.
Thomas’s two nephews
Nathan Richard and Isham James Lunsford Phillips also served from Barbour County.
The Sixth Alabama Infantry Regiment
The Sixth Infantry organized at Montgomery, May 6, 1861, with twelve companies, and
about 1400 men. It was first ordered to Corinth, and from there went to Virginia. Reaching
Manassas Junction, it was brigaded under Gen. Ewell. It was on the field, but not actively
engaged in the first Manassas, and passed the fall and winter in that vicinity. General Rodes
succeeded Ewell in command of the brigade. In the spring it moved to
Yorktown with the army, and there re-organized, and re-enlisted for the war. It was on the
field at Williamsburg, but not under fire. At Seven Pines the regiment took a prominent part,
suffering terribly,
losing 102 killed, and 282 wounded out of about 650 engaged; while the brigade lost 1296
out of about 2500. Its mutilated columns again took a conspicuous part at Mechanicsville,
Cold Harbor and Malvern Hill, and suffered very severely. It was in the advance in the
movement across the Potomac, and lost slightly at Boonsboro; but at Sharpsburg was
severely cut up, the loss being 52 killed and 104 wounded. The regiment
was present, but did not take part at Fredericksburg. With its brigade companions - the
Third, Fifth, Twelfth , and Twenty-sixth - Col. O'Neal commanding them, the regiment was in the
victorious wave of battle at Chancellorsville, and again its ranks were thinned by its
losses. It shared the perils
of the Pennsylvania campaign, when Gen. Battle led the brigade, and in the fierce shock on
the rocky slopes of Gettysburg it suffered frightfully. Having wintered near Orange
Courthouse, the regiment was at the Wilderness, where it lost considerably; and was badly
mutilated at Spottsylvania. It took part in the Valley campaign of Gen.
Early, and suffered severely at Winchester; and lost a number captured at Cedar Creek.
Moving back to Petersburg, it was placed in Fort Mahone, and was almost continuously
under fire till its colors were folded at Appomatox; its number present being about 80 men
under Lieut. Col. Culver. Of 2109 names on its rolls, nearly 400 perished in battle, 243
died of disease in the service, and 675 were discharged or transferred.
SOURCES:
Willis Brewer's Alabama: Her History, Resources: War Record, and Public
Men From 1540 to 1872 1850 & 1860 Barbour Co. Census; Sutton Family History: 1907
Confederate Soldiers Census;
Marriage Records 1838 - 1859 Barbour Co., AL by Helen S. Foley;
Mrs. Ruby Rolland Rozzel -family historian; The 6th Infan. Rolls.
