Today's DAR
Brothers Samuel and Jeruel Phillips rest, side by side, on the shady slope of quiet cemetery in a rural Connecticut cemetery. Their graves are well tended, and unlike those of so many Revolutionary War Patriots, their original headstones remain erect and in good condition. Nonetheless, it would be fair to say that their stories had gone largely forgotten – that is largely forgotten until now. That’s because members of the Roger Sherman Chapter painstakingly documented their service in order to place new official DAR grave markers at their final resting places, more than two centuries after these men took up arms to form a new nation. And especially important because the Phillips brothers were free black men who voluntarily enlisted for the fight – two Patriots of color of the thousands whose stories have been far too long left out of traditional history accounts.
Honoring the Valor of the Phillips Brothers
I was privileged to be invited to take part in the moving dedication ceremony that drew dozens of community leaders and a descendant to the New Milford Center Cemetery on October 11, the 130th anniversary of our Society’s founding and our sixth annual National DAR Day of Service. I sincerely thank the members of the Roger Sherman Chapter for affording me the honor of placing the memorial wreath during the service that honored the lives of these two men, who had two additional brothers (Reuben and Shubel Phillips) who also served as Patriots. (Two of their sisters even married Patriots!)
Limited space unfortunately means that I may share only a high-level summary of their service records: Pvt. Jeruel Phillips (1758-1815) first enlisted on July 20, 1775, with the Fourth Connecticut Regiment and reenlisted with the 19th Continental Regiment, as a result of which he would serve at the battles of White Plains and Trenton. Pvt. Samuel Phillips (1745-1828) enlisted voluntarily on Jan. 20, 1776, when Governor Trumbull issued a Proclamation to raise four regiments. He was assigned to the Camps near Boston. Both men reenlisted to serve with the Seventh Connecticut Regiment from March 31, 1777, to March 31, 1780, and served in the same company. They would see action at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth.
As moving as the ceremony was, I was equally moved to read the follow-up email sent by a Phillips descendant who attended the ceremony: “I would like to thank you and the DAR for recognizing Jeruel and Samuel. I was truly touched (even though you could not see it behind my mask) by the wonderful ceremony you organized. Even though their brother Reuben remains forever separated from his two brothers, it was satisfying to see his daughter’s headstone (Jerusha) representing her father in the background. I am a descendent of Reuben’s daughter Jerusha Phillips Bassett. On my way home I called family and friends to tell them about the ceremony. I was unable to contain my joy! I also phoned my cousin who truly wished she was able to attend the event. I saved a program for her. I truly thank Kathleen Zuris for her research and persistence. Her research serves as a proclamation that preserves the legacy of these two patriots. Yes, I appreciate everyone who contributed to yesterday’s event. Jeruel and Samuel finally received the recognition they always deserved. I know your tribute was for them, but your recognition exists as a gift to future generations to come.”
I hope that you will be inspired anew by this story to discover the burial sites of the Patriots who rest in your community or who are connected with your chapter members. Seek them out – clean their graves, place a marker if no one has yet done so, remember their sacrifice -- and invite their descendants to join DAR! This is the very foundation of our Society, i.e. to honor the men and women who achieved American independence. Please plan to hold a Patriot Memorial Service as part of your DAR calendar year, perhaps in November as our nation gives thanks for its blessings.
Grave marking ceremonies like these are also how we can gain positive coverage in our communities. Here is one story that resulted from Sunday’s ceremony: “Group honors once ‘forgotten’ Revolutionary War soldiers from New Milford”
In particular, I hope that we will together identify more Patriots of color through our new E Pluribus Unum Educational Project; more to come about that in the months ahead. Meanwhile, allow me to close by expressing my sincere gratitude to Chapter Regent Bonnie Butler and Past Curator General Jennie May Rehnberg for inviting me to participate in this moving ceremony and for the delightful reception that followed. Daughters share a special connection to one another – and a promise that stretches all the way from our Patriot ancestors to our posterity.
