He was born on August 26, 1840 at Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York, United States, the son of Dr. John Henry and Lucena (Woodward) Philip, and a descendant of the distinguished colonial Dutch family of Philipse. The final letters of the name were dropped by some branches of the family after the Revolution.
After attending Kinderhook Academy he was appointed midshipman, and graduated from the Naval Academy on June 1, 1861.
Despite his youth, his Civil War service was entirely as executive, or second in command, first in the sloop Marion in the Gulf, and then in the Sonoma in the James River. From his promotion to the rank of lieutenant in July 1862, until the close of 1864 he was in the Chippewa, Pawnee, and in the monitor Montauk on the southeast coast blockade, where he was frequently in action and where he was wounded, July 16, 1863, in an engagement with shore batteries in the Stono River. He was executive of the Wachusett during an Oriental cruise, 1865-67, and was transferred from her to be executive of the Hartford, flagship of the China Squadron.
After two years in the Richmond of the European Squadron he was again in the Hartford, 1872-73. He was made commander in December 1874 and was for two years thereafter on leave as captain of the Pacific mail liner City of New York, which he took through Magellan to the west coast. He then commanded the Adams, 1876-77, and the Tuscarora and Ranger, 1877-83, in survey work on the west coast of Mexico and Central America.
Then followed his first extended shore duty as lighthouse inspector, 12th District, 1884-87, and as commander of the receiving ship Independence, Mare Island, 1887-90. He was promoted to the rank of captain on March 31, 1889, spent a year in the Atlanta, became construction inspector of the cruiser New York, and commanded her until August 1894. In 1894-97 he was captain of the Boston navy yard, and afterward commanded the Texas from October 1897, through the Spanish-American War.
He joined the Santiago blockade, and was next to the Brooklyn at the west end of the blockading line on July 3, 1898, when the Spanish fleet emerged. Collision with the Brooklyn, when she made her much-discussed eastward turn at the opening of the battle, was averted by Philip's "quick appreciation and instant seamanlike action, " to quote Admiral Mahan, in backing and shifting course. When his crew shouted as one of their salvos hit a Spanish ship, Philip uttered his characteristic words, "Don't cheer, men, those poor devils are dying. " He was made commodore on August 10, 1898, and rear admiral March 3, 1899.
From January 1899, until his death he was commandant of the Brooklyn navy yard. His death occurred suddenly in 1900 from heart failure.
John Woodward Philip served with distinction in American Civil War, Spanish–American War and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Early in the hostilities he devoted himself energetically to making muchneeded repairs, especially improvements in the rate of fire of the turret guns in the ship, the results of which were demonstrated effectively at Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Besides, he participated in construction of a Sailors' Rest building near the Brooklyn navy yard. Two destroyers have been named USS Philip in his honor.
Extremely shy in feminine society, he was a very genial soul, overflowing with humor, trenchant in speech, one of the best loved men in the navy.
In 1882 he was married at San Francisco to Mrs. Josepha Francesca (Tate) Cowan. He had a son, John Woodward Philip, and a stepson, Barrett Philip.
