Genealogy Wylie » Richard Phillips (1754-1834)

Personal data Richard Phillips 

• He was born on September 4, 1754 in Smithfield, Providence, Rhode Island.
• (Bullet ) in REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
• He died on November 18, 1834 in Dublin, Cheshire, New Hampshire, he was 80 years old.
• A child of Joshua Phillips and Freelove Payne
• This information was last updated on March 26, 2023.

Household of Richard Phillips

He is married to Olive Evans.

They got married on July 11, 1779 at Hubbardston, Worcester, Massachusetts, he was 24 years old.

Notes about Richard Phillips

----------- Following copied from 150 year celebration of Nelson, NH(1767-1917)----------

Born in Smithfield, RI, 4 Sep 1754. Brother of James and Gideon.

His pension declaration verified 9 Aug 1832, shows the following, viz:

At the outbreak of the war was a resident of Hubbardston, MA. In thespring of 1776, enlisted from there in a company commanded by Lt Marine(illegible) and took part in the Siege of Boston. When the American Armytook possession of Dorchester Heights in March, 1776 (See Samuel Felt),his company was one of those that marched in the night time and was thesecond to reach the top. He was there when the British evacuated thecity, and was dismissed there at the expiration of his term of service.

In June, 1776, volunteered from Hubbardston for six months' service inCaptain Flint's Company. Marched to New Haven, CT, and there took shipfor NY and joined the army under General Washington. The British werethen on Long Island. After the battle of Long Island retreated northwardas far as White Plains and from there to Phillips Manor, where wasdischarged at the expiration of service.

In the summer of 1777 volunteered from Smithfield, RI in Captain SamuelDay's Company for the RI campaign, and was discharged at Tiverton after amonth's service.

In Dec 1777, volunteered from Smithfield, RI as a Marine aboard thePrivateer "Providence" under Captain Abraham Whipple. They sailedsupposedly for Boston, but instead of that went to France withdispatches. Was at Nantes and Brest. Returned first to Portsmouth, NHand from there went to Boston, where he was discharged the last of Nov1778. In the course of the cruise they took a number of prizes, but henever received his share of the prize money.

The Providence was the most successful of all the ships of its class andbecame famous in song and story. The following are three of the numerousstanzas of a chantey, called "The Yankee Privateer" which, quite likely,Phillips used to sing:

Come listen, and I'll tell you
How first I went to sea,
To fight against the British
And earn our Liberty.
We shipped with Cap'n Whipple,
Who never knew a fear,
The Captain of the Providence,
The Yankee Privateer.

(Chorus)
We sailed and we sailed,
And we made good cheer.
There were many pretty men
On the Yankee Privateer.

* * * * * *
For ten nights we followed
And ere the moon rose,
Each night a prize we'd taken
Beneath the Lion's nose.
When the British looked to see
Why their ships should disappear,
They found they had in convoy
A Yankee Privateer.

(Chorus-repeat above)

Then we each manned a ship,
And our sails we unfurled.
And we bore the Stars and Stripes
O'er the oceans of the world.
From the proud flag of Britain
We swept the seas clear.
And we earned our Independence
On the Yankee Privateer.

(Chorus-repeat above)

From Smithfield moved to Rutland, MA and from there to Packersfield about1780, where he located in the Roxbury District. Died in Dublin, NH 18Nov 1834.

In his pension application he was vouched for by Gideon Newcomb ofRoxbuy, and John Snow of Dublin.

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Timeline Richard Phillips

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