Person:William Moore (300)

Glimpses of Soldiers' Lives: John C. Moore and William Savage Moore

Twin brothers John C. and William Savage Moore joined the Parker Light Artillery of the Confederate army on March 14th, 1862, at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. They were just sixteen years old, and did not have their mother’s consent to enlist.

The young soldiers left with the regiment to join the Army of Virginia and prepare for the Second Battle of Manassas. But their mother, Maria Moore, had other plans. She soon wrote to the regiment’s surgeon, claiming that the boys were, as he paraphrased, "in every aspect unfit to do military duty." Perhaps fearing that her statement alone would not hold much weight with the commanding officers, she had her doctor put in a word as well. "I have been the family physician of Mrs. Moore Sr. for 8 years and I am convinced that they are unable to perform active service," he wrote. He claimed they were "very sickly and delicately constituted" and recommended they be discharged.

In the end, it was the boys’ young age, rather than their constitutions, that brought them home. The two were discharged as minors on October 8th, 1862.

Perhaps still smarting from being charged as sickly and delicate, William confirmed the robustness of his constitution once and for all two years later, when, now legally of age, he reenlisted. William joined the First Richmond Howitzers, a Virginia Light Artillery Battery, on July 1st, 1864.

Over the next year, William Moore proved his mettle, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant of the 15th Virginia Infantry’s I Company on March 27th, 1865. Just a few days later, while the regiment fought to stave off the Siege of Petersburg, he was promoted again, to Captain.

Petersburg fell on April 2nd. William was wounded in the left arm, and taken prisoner the next day. By April 6th, he was confined in the hospital at Washington, D.C. There he signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and was released. His mother was surely overjoyed to have him home again.

Compiled by: Ann Tyler Moses, Liljenquist Family Fellow, 2012. (Library of Congress)

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Historical Data Systems. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles [database online]. (Ancestry.com , 2009).

   Enlisted in the Virginia Richmond "Parker" Light Artillery Battery on 14 Mar 1862.
   Mustered out on 10 Dec 1862.
   Enlisted in Company 1st, Virginia 1st Co. Howitzers Light Artillery Battery on 01 Jul 1864.
   Promoted to Full 2nd Lieutenant on 27 Mar 1865.
   Promoted to Full Captain on 01 Apr 1865.
   Mustered out on 27 Mar 1865.
   Commissioned an officer in Company I, Virginia 15th Infantry Regiment on 27 Mar 1865.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 United States. Passport applications, 1795-1925. (Washington, D.C. : National Archives).

   National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 566612 / MLR Number A1 508; NARA Series: M1372; Roll #: 267; ; .

3. ↑ Henrico, Virginia, United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   Census Place: Eastern Division, Henrico, Virginia; Roll: M653_1353; Page: 800; Image: 362; Family History Library Film: 805353.

4. ↑ United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432).

   Census Place: My District, Henrico, Virginia; Roll: M432_951; Page: 455B; Image: 442.