Pleasant Philips Diary (SMC 134)
Biographical Note
Pleasant Phillips (b. 1787 or 1788, d. 1860) was a landowner, farmer and physician in Russell County, Alabama in the mid-1800s. His land was in Township 16N Range 29E. Pleasant lived at the top of this square in the 1851 map. He lived next door to James Phillips, perhaps his brother. Among his local descendants are Kyle Spencer and Barnett Woodruff. Mr. Kyle and Mrs. Garrard are mentioned in the journal. Phillips mentions his slaves; in the 1840 census he is listed as having 36 slaves.
Philips (often spelled Phillips) was born in 1787 0r 1788 in North Carolina, the child of Abram Philips and Cynthia Lanier. Pleasant married Elizabeth Barnett (1792-1869) on 4 May 1819 in Rockingham, North Carolina. The 1850 census lists two children living with them, John Martin Philips, 20, and Mary, 18. The North American Family Histories adds two more children; Abram C. Phillips (1825-1899) who married Zillah Rebecca Garrard (1831- 1905) in 1849 and Emeline Melissa Phillips who married Samuel Moore Williams. The 1860 census lists his post office as Lamington and the agricultural census tells us that Philips had 500 acres of improved land, 632 of unimproved and values the farm at $7700. See the included Family Tree of the Kyle Family for all names and dates.Phillips was a doctor but also a active farmer. In a newspaper article he advocated letting slaves rest during the middle of the day so they could be more productive in the afternoon. Another article (noted by Callie McGinnes) suggested having a special cook for the slaves and feeding them nutritious food.
His death is recorded as 6 December 1860. His wife Elizabeth, who died in 1869, is buried in the Philips-Barnett Cemetery on 16N/29E. See Taproots v.16, #1, page 17 for listing of burials and directions to the cemetery.
Scope and Content
This small collection consists of one diary of Pleasant Philips covering the years 1844 through 1852.
1844-1852 1 folder (.1 l.f.)
Permission to Publish
Permission to publish material from the Pleasant Philips Diary must be obtained from the Columbus State University Archives at Columbus State University. Use of the following credit line for publication or exhibit is required:
Pleasant Philips Diary (SMC 134) Columbus State University Archives Columbus, Georgia
Folder List
Folder 1 - Diary of Pleasant Philips covering the years 1844 through 1852. The diary seems to be a farm journal, recording weather, daily events of farming and a collection of recipes for maladies for both human and animal. The majority of the diary is legible. There are 288 handwritten pages.
