All families have their legend and stories and the Philbr_k Family is no exception. The following is from "A Brief History of the Town of Thorndike, Maine" which was published in 1919:

North from the old Quaker church on Files hill, three brothers settled in that vicinity. George Files, Samuel and Joseph. George Files who located on the very top of the hill, was the father of the late Solomon and Jonathan Files. The farm now occupied by James Cates was taken up by Gideon Philbrick at the earliest period of settlement. His son Nathan remained on the farm until quite aged. Nathan used to relate the fact that on an afternoon in the fall of 1813 he remembered as a small boy of his father requesting the family to come out of doors. Sounds were coming on the soft, gentle breeze from the coast, denoting that something unusual was being enacted in the distance. Low, distinct, successive rolls of thunder were heard which proved to be from the guns of the American and British vessels, Enterprise and Boxer, in their memorable engagement*.

Gideon Philbrick above is Gideon Philbrick6, son of Michael and Mary Philbrook found on page 24 of Jacob Chapman’s book.

*For more on this battle see: http://www.imaginemaine.com/directories/Archives/SeaFight.html

This photograph is of Captain Caleb Philbrick* of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry. Caleb served from the earliest days of the Civil War until the final review of troops in Washington, D.C. in 1865. First serving with the 6th Massachusetts, Caleb first saw action at Baltimore, MD on April 19, 1861 when a mob of rock-throwing secessionists attacked his unit on their march to defend Washington, D.C. Three of his comrades were killed along with 12 civilians in the melee. Caleb and many of his fellow soldiers joined the 33rd Massachusetts after their 3-month enlistment with the 6th Massachusetts was up. Caleb would latter see action at Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and the Battle of Atlanta.

*CALEB⁹ PHILBRICK (CALVIN⁸, WILLIAM⁷ PHILBROOK, JONATHAN⁶, JOHN⁵, ELIAS⁴, JOHN³, JOHN² PHILBRICK, THOMAS¹) was born February 26, 1835 in Somersworth, Strafford Co., New Hampshire¹, and died June 17, 1913 in Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts1. He married (1) SARAH ELIZABETH WEBSTER¹ December 24, 1865 in Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts¹, daughter of SAMUEL WEBSTER and RUTH YOUNG. She was born 1840 in Sandwich, New Hampshire¹, and died August 06, 1903 in Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts¹. He married (2) RACHEL R. KITCHEN¹ June 06, 1906 in Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts¹, daughter of JOHN KITCHEN and MARY MARTIN. She was born Abt. 1834 in Nova Scotia². Caleb and Sarah are both buried at Lowell Cem., Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts³ after dying of Arterio Sclerosis.³ Eye Color: Blue³ Occupation: 1862, Clerk3 Residence: Bet. 1865 - 1913, Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts³


Children of CALEB PHILBRICK and SARAH WEBSTER are:
i. ANNIE GERTRUDE¹⁰ PHILBRICK³, b. September 13, 1872, Lowell, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts³.
ii. CARRIE LOUISE PHILBRICK³, b. December 10, 1876, Lowell, MIddlesex Co., Massachusetts³.

Endnotes

1. National Archives - Military Pension Records for Caleb Philbrick (1835-1913).
2. National Archives - Military Pension Records for Caleb Philbrick (1835-1913), Age in 1914: "80."
3. National Archives - Military Pension Records for Caleb Philbrick (1835-1913).

Photograph** courtesy of U.S. Army Military History Institute/Mass. MOLLUS Collection, Carlisle, PA

**Thanks to PPFA member Marilyn Ponchak for her kind donation to acquire a copy of this photograph from USAMHI!

JOSEPH⁸ PHILBRICK (STEPHEN GILMAN⁷ PHILBROOK, JONATHAN⁶, JOHN5, ELIAS⁴, JOHN³, JOHN² PHILBRICK, THOMAS¹) was born March 24, 1807 in Kensington, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire, and died May 15, 1884 in Tamworth, Carroll Co., New Hampshire. He married Susan LAWRENCE. She was born December 22, 1812, and died March 07, 1905 in Tamworth, Carroll Co., New Hampshire.
(See Jacob Chapman’s book, page 129.)

Special thanks to Betty S. Perkins of South Tamworth, New Hampshire for these photographs.