Appling-Bacon County GaArchives Biographies.....Moody, George W 1814 - 1902 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shane Forrester shaneforrester@mrhs.org June 9, 2009, 2:57 pm Author: S Forrester/RS Wolfe George Moody Meets Sarah Leggett At seventeen, Sally Leggett met George Moody in the town of Holmesville, this was 10 miles north of where his folks lived. They were both in town with their parents for court week, when business and documents needed to be filed at the Courthouse. This is where George and Sally would meet for the first time. When Court week was in session; Holmesville was hopping with gatherings from all around. During court week, there would be many games and men would actually have boxing matches to see who would be the strongest to endure blows. Holmesville was where the courthouse was located in the mid 1800s until Baxley became the county seat later near the 1900s. Holmesville would be the place where the Masonic Lodge was built in the 1850s and both George and his father Isaac were members. The Moody’s lived next to the river and where hard working men. George’s mother would always remark “men living near the river have no more time to fish than those away, for it puts no corn in the barn”. Sally’s father, Benjamin Leggett would come into town to horse trade and negotiate land sales. It was then Ben made one of the counties largest land salesb1. He received one thousand dollars from James Wilcox for Lot number 163 2nd district. George was a modest strong upcoming informal Georgian who had few words to say, most of the time. George always believed that an “empty wagon always made the most noise”. At the age of 20, George thought it best to get hitched and asked Ben & Mary for their daughters hand in marriage. George applied for one of the lotteries while he was at the courthouse in Holmesville. The lottery is best described as follows: Seven times between 1805 and 1832 Georgia used a lottery system to distribute the land taken from the Cherokee or Creek Indians. These lotteries were unique to the state; no other state used a lottery system to distribute land. Lot size varied widely, even in the individual lotteries. The largest lots distributed were 490 acres in the 1805 and the 1820 land lottery. The smallest lots were the 40-acre gold lots distributed during the Gold Lottery of 1832. It cost George a quarter to do. George would receive many acres, in the thousands. The Colonel Daniel Appling Daughters of the American Revolution was gracious to mark the town where Holmesville was located. The county was once a large area of land where the pioneers would meet and make transactions. George and Sally would have many children that were very educated and prominent members of the county. Children of George Moody and Sally Leggett were: Mary Moody was born in 1831 and married Jacob Hyers. Jacob served in Clinch’s Cavalry the 4th Regiment Company G as a Private. Nancy Moody was born in 1835 and married Jasper Patterson who served in the 47th Ga. Co.F. He was unfortunately killed in action. Nancy would remarry a Dixon. Rachel Moody was born in 1838 and she married Middleton Miles who was killed in action while fighting beside Captain George Moody at Kennesaw June 27th 1864. Melvina (Malvina) Moody was born 1839 and she married Henry Abbott. Henry served in Clinch’s Cavalry 4th Regiment Company A. James Moody was born in 1841. He died at a young age. Last shown at age 9 on census. Jacob Moody was born in 1843 and married Margaret Arnold. He was appointed 1st Sergeant of the 54th Reg. Co.B. George T. Moody was born in 1844. He was a Private in the 54th Reg. Co. B. He married Catherine Dixon Isaac I. Moody was born in 1845. He was a Private 54th Reg. Co. B. He married Martha Miles. Courtney Moody was born in 1849. She married Allen Dixon a Sergeant in the 25th Reg. Co. I Sarah Moody was born in 1851 and married Ansel Byrd. Miriam Moody was born in1854 and married Aspenwall. Harriett Moody was born in1856 in married Jackson Turner. Celia Moody was born 1859 and married Elijah Aspenwall. Barkuloo (Bart) Moody born in 1863 and married Sarah Lightsey. According to the 1860 Census George owned 6 tenants (Slaves) most were children. In the year of 1871 George declared the following items that he owned for tax purposes 1 Mule 150 dollars 1 Buggy 75 dollars 40 Sheep 60 dollars 2 Colts 140 dollars Household & Kitchen Furniture 50 dollars 1 Horse Cart 20 dollars Blacksmith Tools 20 dollars 60 Head of Hogs 60 dollars 66 Cattle 396 dollars (Mark cropped and split branded M) 1 Steel Mill 11 dollars 1 Foot Gin 10 dollars 490 Acres 2000 dollars (Filed clerks office of Appling County 1871) George was in the turpentine business as well as owning a small sawmill (located behind George Moody Cemetery). He also farmed cotton. George would always made the remark that “if all of us would hoe our own cotton, wed get along better”. Another small business he owned, but not advertised, could be enjoyed by drinking the profits. George’s wife would tell George “when men are drinkin, their minds work like a pot o soap a bilin”. George had never received a pension, which has caused a bit of speculation among the family. Some say he may have never surrendered; yet I have not found any documents to prove so. George lived a wonderful life and was an informal leader in the community. The memory that is scorched in all of Georgia’s history can never be erased and George had made himself quite a legacy. R.S. Wolfe was a schoolteacher in Appling County for many years, and had written many articles for the Baxley banner, about the families of the wiregrass. You can find many of these at the Heritage Center of Appling County in Baxley, along with much other fascinating history. (Assignment: visit the Appling County Heritage Center in Baxley, Georgia) The year of 1952 came a story in the Baxley News Banner, written by R.S. Wolfe entitled “Another Moody Family Story”. Wolfe writes: Jesse and Isaac Moody from one of the Carolinas were residents here in the year 1820. Jake or Jacob was the son of Isaac. It is not known exactly where Isaac lived but some think it was close to the Appling and Wayne County line close on the riverside. At this homestead Jake lived for many years and beyond any doubt inherited it from his father. He and his wife were thrifty, accumulating many slaves, cattle and a vast acreage of timberlands. In the time of the Civil War President Lincoln issued his “Emancipation Proclamation” to become effective January 1st, 1863, meaning that all slaved would be free or emancipated. News traveled very slowly. The only way to dispatch events was by word of mouth, an occasional letter or not often newspaper, and by the time news got around it would be several weeks. Jake Moody heard that the slaves would be free. He herded them, carrying them to a relative by marriage, John J Roberson, and sold all of them for about five thousand dollars in confederate currency. Roberson not knowing about the emancipation thought he had made an exceptional trade and Moody thought he had value received, not thinking and knowing that the money had become of no value. Moody and Roberson, within a short period of time, found neither had made an even swap that was of value to either. Feelings had arisen between them and on the first meeting at Holmesville, the county seat, and probably court week, the code Duello was not in force (Dueling). But the code Fist and Skull as it was locally called, was carried out with integrity and honesty and no matter who the winner was, as in most cases, the dispute was settled once and for all: though in some cases the feeling was carried to the grave. Oh, that today mankind would have such forgiving minds. George Moody, the second son of Isaac, married and lived on the fork of Big and Sweetwater Creeks. His son Bark (or Bart) inherited the home place. Some of these lands are now in possession of his heirs. Another son settled in what is now the Red Oak Community, and three of his sons moved to Florida in their various enterprises became millionaires. Much can be said of them in the development of St. Augustine. Other information on scions of this grand sire, Jake Moody is not available in writing. He lived to be a very old man, and as a boy about eight years old, I remember seeing him tottering with a stick, crawling on all fours on steps to gain ascent to the floor. In my boyish sympathy I had a very deep feeling for him in his advanced years, 20 years over time allotment to men. He lost all of his possessions and lived among his relatives until death. His life may have not met approval of all, but in some respects he left a rich heritage to his reward (Wolfe). File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/appling/bios/moody87nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 9.3 Kb