Philo Brown was born 6-15-1847 in Cohocton, Steuben Co, NY. When he was about 12, the family moved to Michigan where he lived for the rest of his life. On 12-15-1863 , Philo enlisted into company K of the 1st MI cavalry at Volinia. He was only 16 so he needed his father’s permission to join. Philo was described as 5’9” with a fair complexion, black eyes and brown/auburn hair. Unlike some of his older brothers, Philo could both read and write. Philo mustered in at Mt. Clemens , MI on 12-29-1863 . During 1864, the regiment was in Virginia and southern Maryland . On 3-31-1865 he was wounded by a Minie Ball at Petersburg , VA. The gun shot wound affected his left fore-arm at the middle third. He was then in the hospital at Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia , PA until he was finally discharged for disability on 8-3-1865 . In 1870, Philo was living with his brother, Abner, in Volinia, but the census says Philo had $3000 worth of real estate. On 4-21-1872 , Philo married Zelia Frances Cox (born 11-9-1852 ). They had 10 children, but only 6 of them survived to adulthood. Their children were: Charles ( 3-18-1873 to 9-9-1873 , of cholera), Alton W. ( 8-14-1874 ), Bertrum ( 10-4-1876 to 4-25-1878 , drowned), Chavlier (d. in 1878), Mertie ( 1-29-1879 to 5-5-1879 , of congestion), Lilly (Feb 1880), Wilmer E. (6-7-1882), Rose Lucinda (8-6-1884), Fay Elgin (8-3-1888) and Clair L. (2-23-1897). In 1880, Philo, Zelia, Alton , Lilly and a Russian laborer were living on a farm in Newberg twp. In a mere 8 years, they had lost four of their six children. In 1900 the family was living in Calvin twp on a farm that they owned free of a mortgage. They still lived in Calvin twp in 1910 and Wilbur and Clair were the only children still at home. In 1920, Philo and Zelia had moved in with daughter Rose and her husband Bert Lillie in Newberg twp. On 10-16-1923 , Philo died of “softening of the brain” according to the MI death record. Philo had outlived all of his siblings. He was buried in Little Fish Lake cemetery in Wakelee (according to my records). Zelia died after 1930.