Philander was just 6 years old when he witnessed his father fall from a barn roof to his death. They were share croppers in Ireland, and in his young mind, he could not remember a time without poverty and crop failures. The Lord had forced his father to try and affect repairs to the barn roof during a driving storm, and now that his father was gone, he and his mother faced debtors prison or becoming servant bound to Mr. Shaw by the debt of the land use and the unpaid debt for seed for the past 3 years.
Shaw was a wicked and selfish man, brutal in the treatment to those in his servitude. Philander was sickly in Shaw's care, and could not keep up with the chores he was assigned. Therefore he was beaten, had his food allotment reduced, and left in a cold shed without heat. He was also withheld from his mother. After a year or so of that treatment, Shaw figured that Philander was not worth the expense, so set him up for auction.
A kindly, elderly man took compassion on the child and bought his debt. Brett Sullivan was not a Lord, but a man who just inherited his wealth. He was making preparation to move to America, on land that he inherited with his wealth. He had been traveling through this section of the country purchasing the stock he would need in the new land.
Shaw came to him at the Tavern he was staying at after the sale, to get payment on the sale. Bret Sullivan had the ear of the youngster and knew Shaw had Philanders mother, so he placed a wager in from of all there in the tavern; a bet that his Red horse could outrun Shaw's thoroughbred Black three rounds around the track. Shaw lost and Bret obtained the contract for Molly Sherman.
Philander worked hard for Mr. Sullivan. His every effort was to please this kind master. The trip across the ocean was long and hard. The work never ceased, yet Philander was happier during this time than he had been since his fathers death. When the long voyage was nearly at an end, a ship of Pirates got on their tail. The ship they were on was made for cargo, not for speed and they could not outrun the Pirates. They could see the barrier Islands, and were making their way to the inlet of the Pamlico Sound when a cannon ball, fired in desperation to stop the vessel, crashed through the top deck.
Philanders mother was gone, and this time could not come back. Bret Sullivan became like his father and mother, loving him as his own son.
Philander grew straight, tall, and strong. The success of Mr. Sullivan's farm was based upon Philander and his efforts. He took a team of Mr. Sullivan's mules to deliver in Knoxville Tennessee and ran into robbers. Philander recovered the stolen money and goods and returned to the farm. Another bondservant that Mr. Sullivan had acquired and a girl child that Philander grew up with, they fell in love, and married with Bret Sullivan's blessing. Philander earned his release and made arrangement to acquire his wife's contract and the breading stock he would need to start his own farm.