Moore, Henry, Pvt. – Co. A, Co. M, 5th IA Cavalry, Charter Member of John W. Rollins Post 7, G.A.R.

EPSON scanner image

Private Henry Moore

Henry Moore was b. 5 Jan 1841 in Gasconade [later Osage] County, Missouri, the 6th of 7 sons of 12 known children of Thomas MOORE (b. 20 May 1800, Lancaster Co, PA; d. 25 Aug 1851, Osage Co, MO) and wife Mary Catherine BEST (b. 1801, Washington Co, PA). Thomas and Mary had married on 1 Jun 1821 in Tuscarawas [later Holmes] Co, Ohio, where both MOORE and BEST families had arrived prior to 1820.

Thomas Moore sold his property in Holmes County Ohio in 1839, to move to Gasconade County, MO.

Of the 12 children of Thomas and Mary: six: Patrick 1824, Elizabeth 1825, Nancy 1826, John 1830, Elias 1831, Mary 1832, and Hezekiah 1833 — were born in Ohio; Catherine 1837, Thomas 1839, Henry 1841, Margaret 1842, and Noah 1843 — were born in MO.

When war came, four from the Thomas Moore family fought for freedom with the Union army: Hezekiah, Henry, Thomas, and their brother-in-law, Catherine Augusta Moore’s husband George Sluthour; all four were from Fredericksburg, MO. On 28 Aug 1862, Henry (21), Hezekiah (28) enlisted in the 5th Iowa Cavalry; both were mustered in on the 13th day of Sept. The Regiment was consolidated in Aug 1864 and the brothers were transferred from Company A, 5th Iowa Cavalry to Company M of the 5th Iowa Veterans Cavalry Consolidated (but still called the 5th Iowa Cavalry. ) Henry and Hezekiah were mustered out with the Regiment on 11 Aug 1865 after almost exactly 3 years of service.

Company M of the 5th IA Cavalry was cited in official reports on at least one occasion. Here, in part:

“On the 10th of April 1863, Company H. had been upon a scout and, coming across a considerable force of the enemy near Waverly, was returning towards Fort Donelson, closely pursued by the party of rebels. Upon nearing the fort the rebels abandoned the pursuit, and were returning towards Waverly, when they were met and attacked by Company M, of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, which had also been on a scout. In the ensuing fight, the rebels were quickly defeated, with a loss of three killed and twenty-one captured, including their commander, Major Blanton, and Surgeon Smith, while the loss of Company M was one man wounded.”

Sometimes, official reports don’t tell the whole story: from a year and nine months later:

“On the 15th of December 1864 General Thomas assumed the offensive in the battle of Nashville . . . The regiment joined in the pursuit of the defeated enemy, and during the pursuit had several skirmishes, the most notable of which occurred on December 25th, at the town of Pulaski and at the bridge over Richland Creek. In these 16 encounters the regiment lost twenty men killed and wounded.”

One of those wounded was Henry Moore, for he was noted as “Accidentally wounded Dec. 15, 1864.”

During those three years, the 5th IA Cavalry/Consolidated Regiment was attached to 12 different units and the Moore brothers traveled with the regiment in or through at least five states: IA, TN, KY, GA and SC, as the regiment was involved in picket and scouting duties, skirmishes and battles at Fort Donelson, Fort Heiman, Murfreesboro, Huntsville, Nashville, Decatur, Louisville, Columbia, Pulaski, Macon, and Atlanta, among other locales. The total enrollment of the 5th IA Cavalry is given as 1,625; during service the regiment lost: 7 officers 58 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 179 enlisted men died of disease. Total lost: 246.

Henry Moore was at the Battle of Atlanta and was with General Sherman’s army. In his application for a pension, he wrote, “In the Autumn of 1864 at the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, I received injuries by the explosion of shells and overheated by the fires and heat which caused partial deafness and other problems. This was the day before the enemy evacuated Atlanta. I was then sent with the regiment to Nashville, Tn, and remained in camp, not being fit for duty, until the battle of Nashville. Then was mounted and went into battle and was wounded again and was treated for spinal disc problems.” His wound was “his fourth toe of his right foot was shot off accidentally by himself or comrades, while mounting or dismounting when he was in battle.” Hezekiah Moore’s obituary also states that he was with Gen Sherman through Atlanta & the march To The Sea. These two brothers enlisted together, fought together and were discharged together.

In October 1861, brother Thomas Moore and brother-in-law George Sluthour had enrolled in Missouri independent cavalry units (the “Curtis Horse” and “Osage County Mounted Rifles, commanded by Captain Kidd”, respectively), both precursors to the Iowa 5th. Thomas was Honorably Discharged (for disability) on 3 May 1862, after the consolidation of these independent units into the Iowa 5th Cavalry. He settled in Howell Co, MO, where he married Mary Jane Garrett and produced a family of 9 known children. Thomas died 28 Feb 1896.

Brother-in-law George Sluthour was in good health until Feb 1862. when he ruptured an artery in his lungs. Unfit for any duty, he was sent to hospital in St. Louis, MO. “He came to hospital expectorating blood, says he has chest attack within 2 weeks before coming to hospital. He lost much blood.” George was discharged 11 Apr 1862 with Certificate of Disability. However, on 28 Feb 1864 he re-joined, this time with the ‘family company’ in the 5th Iowa Cavalry. After the war he came home to wife Augusta. Six of their seven children were born by the 1870 census; and the family was living in Cedar Co, MO.

Henry had come home between battles and met Sarah Ann BURTON. Sarah Ann’s family had migrated to southern Missouri in 1856 and founded a community called “Mt. Zion” about 15 miles SE of Henry’s “West Plains”. When the war came the Burtons were “forced to Refuge” and had evacuated to Gasconade/Osage County. After the war, on 24 Mar 1867, her Methodist minister father married Sarah Ann (born 1 Mar 1847 in Maury Co, TN) and Henry.

By 1870 they lived in West Plains, Howell Twp, Howell Co, MO. Sarah Ann had borne the first 2 of their 7 children: Mary C: 1868 and Sidney Victoria 1869. Both Henry and Sarah Ann were Methodist: Henry of Methodist-Episcopal North, and Sarah of Methodist-Episcopal South. They are credited with organizing the first Sunday School in West Plains, meeting at first in a blacksmith shop!

By the 1880 census Henry is a widower, with 5 living children: Usebius “Sebe” 1875; Thomas D 1877, and Carrie 1880; (William D 1871 and Sarah Flora 1873 died as infants.) Sarah Ann Burton Moore had died 18 Mar 1880. She was buried at Mount Zion Cemetery, South Fork, Howell Co, MO. From their 5th child, Thomas D., descends the member of Laura Belle Stoddard Tent 22, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865.

Henry married again on 2 Sep 1880, to Sarah Catherine GARRETT, whose sister was Mary Jane, wife of Henry’s brother Thomas. Henry and Sarah Catherine had 7 children between 1882 and 1891: Jacob Levi, John Henry, Martha Edith, Roscoe Conklin, Arthur More, Catherine Best, and Thomas. Both Catherine B and Thomas died as infants. Henry was a charter member of the G.A.R. and his wife an ardent member of the Women’s Relief Corps.

Henry purchased 200 acres, homesteaded an adjoining 40 acres, and grew some of the finest wheat crop ever grown in South Missouri. Much of that land is now part of West Plains. The western end of West Plains is still called “the Moore Addition.” Henry established the Moore Milling Company, which became the Pease-Moore Milling Co when Clint Pease, who had owned a flour mill prior to moving to West Plains, married Henry’s daughter Sidney.

From obituaries in local newspapers at time of Henry’s death:

  • “DEATH CLAIMS ‘Uncle Henry’ MOORE, LAST UNION SOLDIER HERE”
  • “In a feature story printed in the Journal [West Plains] a year ago this month, it was stated that Mr. Moore was the only surviving veteran of the civil war in Howell county, and that he could also qualify as a ‘Three-Quarter-of-a-Century farmer [here] “
  • “He was a youth of 19 when the Civil War broke out in 1861, and in 1862 he enlisted with Company M of the 5th Iowa Cavalry serving until the end of the war. He received his honorable discharge in April 1865.”
  • “One year ago Mr. Moore was the only local G.A.R. member left to attend the annual Decoration Day program, but this year he was too frail to take part.”
  • “Among the survivors, besides the widow, the two daughters and four sons, are 30 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.”

Henry Moore died in Howell County, Missouri on Sunday 30 Jun 1940 in his 99 year of age, leaving widow Sarah Catherine G. Moore, 90. The couple would have celebrated sixty years on 2 September. Sarah Catherine lived another five years, dying on 27 Aug 1945. Both Henry and Sarah C G Moore are buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery, West Plains, Howell Co, Missouri.

Personal Memories

            I was ten years old in 1940 when my grandfather died at age 99. My mother and I were the only ones left in my family; we were still on the farm. I remember going to Grandpa Moore’s home. He was totally deaf, but could still read the paper without glasses. He was able to walk on his own. I remember he had the front bedroom. His Union army uniform was on a chair and a large American flag on a long pole was in the corner of his room. He had a beard and it was a bit messy when he ate his oatmeal!

[All military sources accessed in Feb 2015:

Family stories and records, including newspaper articles.

<ancestry.com> Civil War military databases.

<http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan.htm>

<http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil100.htm>

<http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/state/military/civilwar/book/cwbk_5c.txt>

< http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UIA0005RC>

<http://books.google.com/books?id=okAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1015&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false> ]

EPSON scanner image

Left to Right:

Standing: Uncle Sebe (Usebius) Moore; Uncle Jake Moore; Uncle John Moore; Thomas Donald Moore; Uncle Roscoe Moore;.

Seated: Sarah Catherine Garrett Moore; Henry Moore; Uncle Arthur Moore.

At Home, 415 Pennsylvania Avenue, West Plains, Howell County, Missouri. Circa 1910?

 

 

Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.