Philander Martin Salisbury, 1812–1850

Capt. Philander Martin Salisbury was born on 12 December 1812 in Randolph, Orange Co., Vermont. He was the son of Belcher Salisbury and Nancy Lamson. Philander was first married to Eliza Irene Huntington on 26 September 1834 in St. Louis. Eliza was born about 1815 in Vermont. In their 1834 marriage record, Eliza Irene Huntington was said to have been “recently from Vermont.” She died on 30 September 1841 at the age of 26 in St. Louis.

Philander served in the Mexican War of 1846–1848. He was a first lieutenant in the Native American Rangers, one of the companies in the St. Louis Legion in 1842. The legion was formed from the earlier St. Louis Grays of 1832. He was later the captain of the Native American Rangers during the Mexican War.

On 23 May 1846, the legion marched through St. Louis to board the steamer Convoy, which then went from the St. Louis wharf to Jefferson Barracks to take on three German troops. It left there to sail to New Orleans where they took another ship to the Rio Grande to join Gen. Zachary Taylor in the fight on the Mexican front.

Philander Martin Salisbury and Eliza Irene Huntington had the following children:

• Julia Elizabeth Salisbury, was born on 18 May 1837 in St. Louis and died on 10 June 1917 in Salisbury, Chariton Co., Missouri. Julia married Thomas Conway Doxey as her first husband in October 1860 in Salisbury. Thomas served in the 35th regiment Missouri Militia in April 1864 during the Civil War. Julia married Col. Charles Hugh Woodson, her second husband, on 14 March 1867 in Salisbury. Charles served in the Civil War in Missouri.
• Laura Ellen Salisbury, was born on 4 November 1839 in St. Louis and died on 24 January 1920 in Norwood Park, Cook Co., Illinois. Laura married John Ernest Weber on 21 August 1861 in St. Louis.

Philander married Mary Bright Douglass as his second wife on 3 July 1843 in St. Louis. Mary was born on 10 January 1819 in Virginia and died on 19 February 1903 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Philander Martin Salisbury and Mary Bright Douglass had the following children:

• Belcher Douglass Salisbury was born on 11 October 1844 in St. Charles, Missouri, and died on 12 December 1847 in St. Charles.
• Frances Lowry “Fannie” Salisbury, was born in March 1848 in St. Louis and died on 4 October 1903 in Kansas City, Missouri. Frances married Jay Howard Coatsworth on 13 October 1870 in Mexico, Missouri.
• Philander Martin Salisbury Jr. was born on 8 August 1849 and died on 16 August 1850 in St. Louis.

Philander Sr. died on 2 Jun 1850 at the age of thirty-seven in St. Charles, but he was interred in St. Louis at Bellefontaine Cemetery. His obituary indicates that members of the St. Louis Grays and the Native American Rangers attended his funeral. Philander’s brother, Judge Lucius Salisbury, was the founder of Salisbury, Missouri, located in Chariton County.

Written by Ted Steele
January 2020
© 2020, St. Louis Genealogical Society