Appling County GaArchives Military Records.....Moody, George W April 1862 Civilwar 54th Regiment Company B ************************************************ 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, 1:39 pm Tour Of Duty On The East Coast 1861 the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter and all attention was on the Union aggression around the coast of Savannah, Georgia. On October 1861, at the age of 47, George and his two sons swore allegiance to Governor Joe Brown, by joining the 1st Brigade of the Georgia Troops. George was elected 1st lieutenant of Company K of the 2nd Regiment. George’s two boys were: Jacob, who was only 18 years old, and Isaac who was only 14 years old. Isaac and Jacob would become privates in Company K. Later George T. Moody would be united with his brothers, when he enlisted in December of that same year, three days before his birthday. George T. was only 16 years old and was unable to serve until he was well, due to his sickness he had. At this time, Savannah was quickly changing from a social society to a major military post, due to its location and the use of the port for commerce. The city was filled with soldiers, every turn you would see new troops that would appear for the service of their statehood. News of the advancing Union had impacted the area making it a vulnerable situation for the taking. The city had become chaotic and General Lawton (Commander of the State Troops) had to call “Marshall Law” to keep the peace. He also prohibited the sell of alcoholic beverages in fear that disruption would occur. A potpourri of both aristocracy and poor would meet at the place, once inhabited by revolutionary continentals, four score and seven years ago. Things seemed quite different for George and his boys. Most men had never witness the sight of the ocean that brought their forefathers freedom from the grasps of the queen. The red clay was removed, yet not forgotten and small islands ensued the town, with the smell sulfurous mud and the goop of tidal marsh. The swamp provided a haven for mosquitoes to multiply in mass. Many soldiers found it exuberant, yet some wished to be back among the hills and valleys they had come from. On November 24th, 1861 the Union forces had landed on Hilton Head, which was 25 miles north of Savannah. The next month the Union commandeered Port Royal and two other forts in that area. There, in Savannah, George would first meet his Colonel, William Bakuloo. Barkuloo provided a smile for George due to his foreign accent of New York and aggressive behavior of trying to be the fearless leader. Barkuloo showed passion for the cause and was the most “persistent creature” ever that came out of North. George always looked over his shortcomings, due to Barkuloo big heart and the love for his men. Once Colonel Barkuloo was trying to supply his men with the equipment they needed and actually commandeered a train of supplies to get his men what they needed. He was slapped on the hand for this and George found his character amusing and out front. During that year of guarding the railroad and supply lines, the Union Soldiers on Tybee Island planned their attack on Fort Pulaski located by the mouth of the Savannah River. This would give the Union control of commerce and the weapons being shipped from England. On April 11,Th 1862 the Union launched its attack of Fort Pulaski via cannon fire from Tybee Island, less than a mile from the fort. The South had no idea that the northerners had invented a weapon that could be fired at such distance. The fort would be surrendered the next day to the Union. Colonel Olmstead (South) would be captured and later release that next year for an exchange. That month, the Confederate government applied the constriction act that ruled every man in Georgia between the ages of 18 to 35 would be drafted into the confederate army. George and Isaac did not qualify to be drafted; yet Jacob did qualify under this law. They decided to stay and fight with Jacob and in December, George T Moody would join his father and brothers. Against Governor Joe Browns wishes, the Moody boys decided to muster out of the Georgia State Troops and re-enlist under the confederate army along with other family and friends of their home. Governor Joe Brown had made many attempts to keep his State Troops, yet due to the new law he would loose some of his troops. George would have been a great candidate, yet that would allow for him to be away from the boys. Joe Brown would finally got his wishes, by the permission, from Jefferson Davis to keep a couple of brigades for his own service. Older men over 35 would be the bulk of these troops. They were later called “Joe’s Pets” by many during the war. The boys returned home on furlough for a brief while in May. George rallied all the men in the area where he lived, to join him. That December of 1862, Jasper Patterson and Middleton Miles were also to join; they were married to George’s daughters. Jacob Moody, became sergeant and company commissary officer of the 54th and Isham (Isaac) Moody a private, would become the company’s clerk of the 54th. Alan Dixon would join the 25th Regiment and his two other sons-in-laws Henry Abbott and Jacob Hyers, would join Clinch’s Cavalry. Not all would return. Many of George’s extended family would fight beside each other. This was the traditional buddy system at the time. Some of the family would be plucked out of regiments due to their talents in the field as “marksmen”. This caused problems in the regiment. Captain Eason and Lieutenant Roberson were both thrown out of the 54th because they refuse to parade the men so that sharpshooters could be selected from their ranks. George was stationed in South Carolina at James Island. Colonel Olmstead’s regiment, the First Georgia, the Fifty Fourth Georgia and the Nineteenth Georgia were on duty at Battery of Wagner previous to the assault of the 11th of July 1863 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/appling/military/civilwar/other/moody447gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb