Person:Phillip Magee (1)

Phillip Magee, son of John and Sarah _____ Magee, was born about 1767 in Duplin County, North Carolina. His birth date is based upon a few considerations. First, he is almost certainly one of the two polls (males +16) assessed in the household of his father John Magee on the 1784 tax return for Sampson County, NC (NC Arch Microfilm Roll S.50.10, 1784 Sampson County return, p 4). Since there are no extant post-1784 tax returns for Sampson County until the year 1815, we are unable to determine the first appearance in the returns under his own name. Second, a birth date of "about 1767" dovetails nicely with the 1787 date of his marriage (see Bounty Land application below), making him about twenty years of age at that time. Third, he first appears in the public records of Sampson County as a witness to a 13 May 1788 deed from his brother Solomon Magee to James White (Sampson Co NC DB 8, 206).

The next year, on 11 Aug 1789, his father John Magee gave him two tracts of land. Specifically, “in consideration of the natural love and affection which he has and beareth unto the said Phillip Magee his son,” John gave two tracts of land on the east side of Great Coharie Creek, containing 150 and 200 acres, respectively, with the provision that Phillip would take possesion of said land after John’s decease. The deed was proved at November Court 1789 and recorded 6 Dec 1789 (Sampson Co NC DB 8, 313-15). Deeds of this nature are sometimes proved and recorded after the death of the grantor, but this does not appear to have been the case, in this instance.

Phillip Magee held this 350 acres from his father for seven years until, as Phillip Magee “Junior” (to distinguish him from his older cousin of same name) he sold the same land on 15 March 1796 to Owen Holmes for £100 (Sampson Co NC DB 10, 129-30) in anticipation of his removal to South Carolina. Phillip appears to have needed cash in anticipation of his move, which he raised by the sale of two slaves, Sally and Pink, on 19 Feb 1796 and 4 March 1796, respectively (Sampson Co NC DB 10, 310; DB 10, 539). By 1800, he had removed to Chesterfield District, South Carolina, where he was enumerated in the 1800 Federal Census as “Philip McGee,” with 4 males -10, 1 male 10-16, 1 male 26-44, 3 females -10, 2 females 10-15, 1 female 26-44. His brother Jacob Magee was enumerated three “doors” down. Whereas I have record of land patents in Chesterfield for both of his brothers Jacob and John, I have no similar patent for Phillip, and no other record of him of any kind in South Carolina.

By 1810, Phillip had removed to Mississippi with his brothers, where he was enumerated on the 1810 Mississippi Territorial Census in Amite County with 1 male +21, 2 males -21, 1 female +21, 2 females -21. His brother Jacob was enumerated “next door,” and his other brother John was enumerated close by, along with his nephews Henry, Daniel and Willis Magee. When Marion County was formed off of Amite County in 1811, Phillip's property fell into Marion. His first mention in Marion County records was the recording of his brand in Marion County on 9 June 1812, a “swallow fork in the right ear, a crop and slit in the left.” His brother Jacob recorded a very similar brand on the same date, a “swallow fork in the right ear a slit and a half moon in the left” (Russ Williams, Marion County Mississippi Misc Records, 75).

I find Phillip living in Covington County, Mississippi at the time of the 1820 Census, his household including 1 male 10-16, 1 male 18-26, 1 male +45, 1 female 26-45. His sons Robert (age 26-45) and Solomon (age 16-26) were enumerated within a few households. Phillip Magee would die in Covington County, Mississippi on 1 Feb 1826, as shown in the 12 April 1857 Bounty Land application of his widow Mary Butler Magee in Simpson County, Mississippi. This Bounty Land application, which was rejected, was submitted by Mary under the Congressional Act of 3 March 1855, which extended eligibility for bounty land to any veterans or their heirs who served fourteen days or marched at least twelve hundred miles in any war. Mary’s application appears to have been rejected because she could not prove the service. While I am on the topic of ostensible military service for this Philip Magee, he did not serve in the Revolutionary War. The service in the North Carolina militia during the Revolution as claimed by several DAR applicants belongs to his cousin of the same name. I may note two other items: (1) The present Phillip’s birth around 1767 renders him likely too young to have performed any military service during the American Revolution. (2) Mary Butler Magee, in her Bounty Land application, claimed service for her husband during the War of 1812, but not for the American Revolution. Here is a transcript of Mary’s Bounty Land application, for interested descendants: Application no. 274452, Phillip Magee, Bounty Land Application Files, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15, National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Square brackets are mine.]

               "The State of Mississippi, Simpson County---On this 12th day of April AD 1857,
               personally appeared before me S.E. Mangum a member of the Board of Police for the
               county and state aforesaid Mary Magee aged 84 years a resident of Simpson County
               and state of Mississippi, who after being duly sworn according to law, upon her
               oath, declares, that she is the widow of Philip Magee deceased, who is the 
               identical Philip Magee who was a Teamster in the Regiment, no. [number] not
               recollected of the Mississippi Militia employed by Colwell (or Culwell) Waggon
               Master---Solomon Ford home Quarter Master Regiment commanded by Colonel George H.
               Nixon in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day
               of June AD 1812. She states that her said husband was employed as Teamster under
               the officers aforesaid in the war aforesaid from Marion County Mississippi, and
               that he entered into said service, on or about the month of September AD 1813,
               precise day not recollected, and that he entered into said employment or service
               as Teamster at Fordsville on Pearl River in said Marion County Mississippi and
               made a trip or tour  under the officers as aforesaid into the Creek Indian Nation
               (now the state of Alabama) about which time the Creek indians were committing 
               their depradations on the settlers---and which was about the time of the massacre
               of the whites by said Creek indians at Fort Mims---She states that her said
               husband was in said service or employment for at least 14 days precise time not
               recollected and was honorably discharged at same Fort---in the state of Alabama
               on or about the fall of the year 1813 precise day not recollected, and she
               further states that she was married to the said Philip Magee in Samson [sic]
               County and state of North Carolina on the 15th day of June AD 1787 by Daniel Core
               a Justice of the Peace and that her name before marriage was Mary Butler---and
               that her said husband Philip Magee died at his residence in Covington County and
               state of Mississippi on the 1st day of February AD 1826---and that she is now a
               widow. And she further states that she knows of no private or publick record of
               her marriage that she can procure by which to establish the same. She makes this
               declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she may be
               entitled under the Act of Congress approved the 3rd of March AD 1855—and the Act
               14th May 1856---and she further states that she has not received any Bounty Land
               warrant under any of the acts of Congress whatever [...]."

Robert Magee and Willis Magee (her son and grandson, though they are not identified as such in the record). witnessed her affidavit, “residents of Simpson County, Mississippi.”

Submitted by: Bevin Creel

1. ↑ Estimated from his marriage date.
2. ↑ Application no. 274452, Phillip Magee, Bounty Land Application Files, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15, National Archives Building,Washington, DC.