John Finis Philips

John Finis Philips
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 7th district
In office 1875–1877
Preceded by	Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Succeeded by	Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 7th district
In office 1880–1881
Preceded by	Alfred M. Lay
Succeeded by	Theron M. Rice
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
In office 1888–1910
Nominated by	Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	Arnold Krekel
Succeeded by	Arba Seymour Van Valkenburgh
Personal details
Born	(1834-12-31)December 31, 1834 Thralls Prairie, Boone County, Missouri, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1919(1919-03-13) (aged 84) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
Resting place	Mount Washington Cemetery, Independence, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Centre College

John Finis Philips (December 31, 1834 – March 13, 1919) was a lawyer, a cavalry colonel, a U.S. Representative from Missouri, and a judge.

Birth, education, and early career

Born in Thralls Prairie, Boone County, Missouri,^[1] Philips attended the common schools, the University of Missouri, and graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1855. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1857 and commenced practice in Georgetown, Missouri.

American Civil War

Philips served as member of the Missouri Constitutional Convention in 1861. During the Civil War, he was commissioned colonel May 1, 1862 and commanded the 7th Missouri State Militia Cavalry.^[2] During the Battle of Westport he was placed in command of a brigade when his superior, Brig. Gen. Egbert Brown, was placed under arrest by Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasanton for not promptly attacking at Byram's Ford. Continuing in command after having taken the ford, Philips' brigade played a key role in the crushing victory at Mine Creek two days later. According to his diary he suffered an irritating wound to his right eye during the battle.^[3]

Post war political career

Following the war he resumed the practice of his profession at Sedalia, Missouri. He served as mayor and later as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1868. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1868 to the Forty-first Congress.

Philips was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877).

Philips was elected to the Forty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Alfred M. Lay and served from January 10, 1880, to March 3, 1881. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1880 to the Forty-seventh Congress.

He moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1881 and resumed the practice of law. He was a member of the defense team for the 1883 Gallatin, Missouri, murder trial of Frank James.

He served as commissioner of the Missouri Supreme Court 1883-1885 then as judge of the Kansas City Court of Appeals 1885-1888. He was appointed judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri by President Grover Cleveland in 1888 and served until 1910, when he retired from public life.

Death

He died at Hot Springs, Arkansas on March 13, 1919 and was interred in Mount Washington Cemetery, Independence, Missouri.^[4]

Notes

References

• United States Congress. "John Finis Philips (id: P000304)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Missouri, for the year ending December 31, 1865, Published by Emory S. Foster, Jefferson City, Missouri, 1866
• Lee, Fred. L., Gettysburg of the West: The Battle of Westport, October 21–23, 1864, Rev. Ed., Two Trails Publishing, 1996
• Moser, Arthur P., "A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present of Boone County, Missouri" http://thelibrary.org/lochist/moser/booneco.html