Philip "Phil" Meade (1848-1864) is the youngest son of Dr Meade and Mrs Meade, as well as the younger brother of Darcy Meade.
Biography[]
When the Civil War breaks out, Philip's older brother Darcy instantly goes out to fight for the Confederate Army. He dies in The Battle of Gettysburg. When the news reaches Atlanta, Mr and Mrs Meade are heartbroken. Philip, then 15, instantly rises from their carriage and promises to enlist too, saying he'll kill every last Yankee, but Melanie Hamilton convinces him not to, since his parents need him.
For the next few days, Melanie comforts the Meade family and says that she'd love to have a son like Phil. About a year later, Sherman invades Atlanta and the last men standing are sent as part of the Home Guard to defend Atlanta, including old men like John Wilkes and Henry Hamilton and young men like Phil Meade.
Phil does not survive the battle for Atlanta. As he is fifteen at the death of his brother (Gettysburg, 1863), he can't have been more than seventeen when he died during the siege of Atlanta in 1864, before Melanie's son is born.
Trivia[]
- While Phil is in the film, and his reaction to his brother's death is shown, his death is not mentioned.
- It is thought by fans that Melanie Hamilton's son Beau Wilkes has the middle name "Philip" for Phil, who died just before Beau was born and because Melanie wanted to have a son like Phil.