Description
“An Old Case” It Originated In Platte County and Was Settled in Kansas - A curious case which originated in Platte County, and which is well known to the people of St. Joseph, was, according to The Times decided in the United States Court at Leavenworth yesterday, whereby J. H. Phillips, better known as J. H. Mayo, was given $600 that had been held in bank, and which was drawn from the government by another man, who represented himself as Phillips. This man’s name was Spratt. Young Phillips’ mother married a man named Mayo after her husband had run away to Kansas and joined about 100 other negroes at Capt. W. D. Mathew’s underground railroad station in Leavenworth. She bore a child soon after which was given its stepfather’s name. The persons interested are all colored except the Mr. Larkin and Mr. Hunt of Platte County, who at the breaking out of the war owned the people that were litigants in the suit.
Phillips, who belonged to the Hunts, married a woman known as Mary, who belonged to the Larkin estate, and the wedding took place at the house.
Phillips was known as "Little Bill" because there were three “Bills” on the Hunt plantation. One was Bill Hunt, one of the white family, one was Bill Jackson and the other Bill Phillips. Phillips came to Leavenworth in 1861, and stayed until August, 1862, when Capt. Mathews raised what was then called the First Kansas Colored Troops and afterward known as the 79th United States Colored Troops. Phillips enlisted In Company D, and remained until January 13, 1863, when the company consolidated under the name of Company “F” at Fort Scott. Phillips served until the fall of 1863, and died at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Spratt Hunt ran off at the age of 16. He had a sister who was told that Spratt had enlisted in the same company under the name of Phillips. Application was made for the back pay and bounty due Phillip’s heirs and $450 was paid by the government. After this Mrs. Mayo and her boy put in their claim for the back pay, bounty and pension and made their claim good, and Mayo drew $1,200, but this was not the entire amount. The woman named Spratt, who claimed to be Phillips' sister, pushed her claim and as a result this trial was brought about. About $600 of the money was stopped by the courts until the rightful owner could be obtained. It was found from the rolls that but one Phillips had enlisted in the company named.Date(s) of Creation
6/14/1894
