Charles L. Phillips
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Charles L. Phillips (October 16, 1856 – March 3, 1937) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I, he was a
Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...
specialist who joined the Coast Artillery Corps when it was created as a separate branch. Phillips served from 1881 to 1920 and attained the rank of brigadier general. Phillips was a native of Gardner, Illinois, and was raised and educated in
Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College and Thomas College. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the populatio ...
. He attended Colby College from 1874 to 1877, when he began attendance at the United States Military Academy (West Point). He graduated in 1881 and received his commission as a
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
, then served at posts in the western United States, including Fort Canby, Washington and
Fort Snelling Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anth ...
, Minnesota. When the Coast Artillery Corps was separated from the Field Artillery Branch, Phillips transferred to the Coast Artillery. He commanded Coast Artillery posts on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, as well as posts in the Philippines. At the start of World War I, Phillips commanded the 51st Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the 26th Division, and the 52nd Field Artillery Brigade, a subordinate command of the 27th Division. He also served as acting commander of the 27th Division on several occasions. In March 1918, he reverted from his temporary rank of brigadier general to his permanent rank of colonel and commanded the Coast Defenses of Puget Sound until retiring in 1920. Legislation passed in 1930 allowed the general officers of World War I to retire at their highest rank, and Phillips was promoted to brigadier general on the retired list. In retirement, Phillips was a resident of El Centro, California. He died in El Centro on March 3, 1937, and was buried at
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...
.


Early life

Charles Leonard Phillips was born in Gardner, Illinois on October 16, 1856, the son of Jairus P. Phillips and Ellen M. (Webster) Phillips. He was raised and educated in
Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College and Thomas College. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the populatio ...
, and graduated from Waterville Classical Institute in 1874. He attended Colby College from 1874 to 1877, and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In 1877, Phillips performed well on the competitive examination for appointment to the United States Military Academy that was given by U.S. Representative
Stephen Lindsey Stephen Decatur Lindsey (March 3, 1828 – April 26, 1884) was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from Maine. Born in Norridgewock, Maine, Lindsey attended the common schools as a child and attended Broomfield Academy. He studied l ...
; he received the appointment and graduated in 1881 ranked 13th of 53. The top two or three West Point graduates usually chose to serve in the Corps of Engineers; Phillips's ranking enabled him to obtain assignment to the second choice of most top students, the
Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...
.


Start of career

Phillips's first assignment was with the
4th Field Artillery Regiment The 4th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1907. History The 4th Field Artillery Regiment was first activated in 1907 from numbered companies of artillery. It was first orga ...
at Fort Canby, Washington, where he remained until October 1881, when he was posted to Fort Warren, Massachusetts. In September 1882, Phillips was posted to
Fort Snelling Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anth ...
, Minnesota. In June 1885, he was assigned as professor of military science and tactics at the University of Maine, where he remained until July 1888. While in this posting, he commanded the college's state militia unit, the Coburn Guards. He was promoted to first lieutenant in December 1887. In addition, in 1888, he received his B.A. degree from Colby College as in course, making him a graduate of the class of 1878. Also in 1888, Phillips received the honorary degree of C.E. from the University of Maine. In addition to leading the Coburn Cadets, Phillips also worked with several other militia units to improve their training and readiness, including the
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Guards of Bangor and Frye Light Guards of Lewiston. When he left the University of Maine, the Lewiston Guards showed their appreciation for Phillips's efforts by presenting him a dress sword and belt. From September 1888 to November 1890, Phillips was a student at the Field Artillery School. From November 1890 to July 1892, he commanded Battery A, 4th Field Artillery, first at Fort Barrancas, Florida, then at
Fort McPherson Fort McPherson was a U.S. Army military base located in Atlanta, Georgia, bordering the northern edge of the city of East Point, Georgia. It was the headquarters for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Southeast Region; the U.S. Ar ...
, Georgia. From July 1892 to July 1896, he was professor of military science and tactics at Cornell College, in
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. From July 1896 to May 1899, he served as
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
of the post at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and secretary of the Field Artillery School. During the Spanish–American War, his administrative duties included serving as recorder of the boards that made promotion recommendations for Artillery officers during the army's wartime expansion. He was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in March 1899. Phillips performed garrison staff duty at Fort Monroe until June 1900, when he was assigned to Fort Hancock, New Jersey. When the Coast Artillery was created as a separate branch in 1901, Phillips was assigned to the new organization. As a Coast Artillery expert, he was commended throughout the rest of his career for developing and improving Coast Artillery firing procedures and fire control methods. From August 1903 to August 1905, he commanded the post at
Fort Dade The current Egmont Key Light dates from 1858. It is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still used for its original purpose. The lighthouse When the first Egmont Key Light was built in 1848, it was the only lighthouse on the Gulf coast ...
, Florida. Phillips was promoted to
major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
in June 1905.


Continued career

Phillips commanded
Key West Barracks Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 NAS Key West is an air- ...
and of the Coast Artillery District of Key West from August 1905 to August 1906. He performed garrison duty at Fort McKinley, Maine from August 1906 to June 1907. He assumed command at Fort McKinley in June 1907 and remained in this position until October 1909. Phillips was promoted to
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in July 1908. From October 1909 to October 1910, he commanded the post at Fort Schuyler, New York. From October 1910 to February 1911, Phillips commanded Fort Totten and the Eastern Coast Artillery District of New York. From February 1911 to April 1913, he commanded
Fort Screven Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island located in Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, Georgia, Savannah, United States. Though the name "Tybee Island" is used for bo ...
, Georgia and the Coast Defenses of
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
. He was promoted to colonel in March 1911. From April to October 1913 Phillips commanded the Coast Defenses of San Francisco. From October 1913 to February 1917, he commanded the Coast Defenses of Manila Bay and Subic Bay in the Philippines. After returning to the United States, he was assigned to Fort Adams, Rhode Island, where he commanded the Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay until May 1917, and the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
Coast Artillery District until August 1917.


Later career

With the army expanding for World War I, Phillips was promoted to temporary brigadier general in August 1917. He commanded the 51st Artillery Brigade, a unit of the 26th Division during its initial organization and training in Boston. He was then posted to Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina and named to command the 27th Division's 52nd Artillery Brigade, which he led until March 1918. While in command of this brigade, Phillips also acted as commander of the 27th Division on several occasions. In March 1918, Phillips was found physically unfit for overseas service and reverted to his permanent rank of colonel. He was then assigned to command the Coast Defenses of Puget Sound, Washington. He requested retirement in June 1920, a few months before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64.


Retirement and death

In 1920, Colby College awarded Phillips the honorary degree of LL.D. In retirement, he resided with his daughter Cali in El Centro, California. Among his activities were leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America, including vice president of the Imperial–Yuma Council and chairman of the El Centro District. Legislation passed in 1930 permitted World War I's general officers to retire at their highest rank, and Phillips was promoted to brigadier general on the retired list. Phillips died in El Centro on March 3, 1937. He was buried at
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is a federal military cemetery in the city of San Diego, California. It is located on the grounds of the former Army coastal artillery station Fort Rosecrans and is administered by the United States Department o ...
.


Family

In 1881, Phillips married Harriet Wallace Foster. She died in 1888, and in 1890, he married Katherine Tiernon (d. 1926), the daughter of Brigadier General John L. Tiernon. With his first wife, Phillips was the father of daughter Mary, who was married first to George G. Hay (d. 1920), then to Benjamin Brewster. With his second wife, Phillips was the father of daughter Cali, who was married to Major Ralph C. Harrison.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Charles L. 1856 births 1937 deaths People from Gardner, Illinois People from Waterville, Maine People from El Centro, California United States Military Academy alumni Colby College alumni United States Army generals American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Coast Artillery Corps personnel Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery 19th-century United States Army personnel Military personnel from Illinois