Phillip Antony Caro was my GGGUncle, brother of Joseph E. Caro, the Keeper of the Archives. Phillip A. had a son named Phillip Taylor Caro and other sons too. At the time the Jackson Guards were put together Phillip Antony was 57 years old. He married Mary Ann Weaver from Baltimore in 1839. Her point of origin is important and you'll see in a few. I don't know if you remember when you were stationed here the old Bayou Chico Drawbridge on Barrancas Avenue and there was a Red House next to the bridge. It was Perry's Seafood until Ivan took it away. Anyway. Phillip A was the bridge tender and the red house was theirs. He and their sons were also bar pilots. At one time Phillip had a little coastal steamer he ran from Pensacola to Mobile. That's how the sticky situatio for Phillip started.
The written 'report' in the archives at the Historical Society and a few other places are where I gathered this little piece of info. When ol Farragut was heading to Mobile, he stopped here to buy a loaf of bread or something. The dang mate or some crew member was a cousin to Mary Ann of Baltimore. He told Farragut that Phillip A knew the way into Mobile Bay. Sooo, guess who they comshawed to come do their dirty work? At that point, Pensacola was already lost and they didn't want any more problems so Phillip A went with Farragut to guide him over the bar into the bay of Mobile.
Now, I haven't searched the OR's or Naval records but this is what has been 'deemed to be fact' by the hysterical society and they are some picky people I can tell you. Very picky.
After the war, Phillip redeemed himself because he had the only steamer that could run folks back n forth to Mobile. A few years after that he became a full time bridge tender and his sons continued to guide the ships into the port.
Pam