Unknown County GaArchives Biographies.....Mosely, William 1796 - 1867 ************************************************ 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: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 3, 2005, 6:09 pm Author: J. H. Campbell WILLIAM MOSELY. This brother, who was quite eminent in that portion of the denomination with which he was identified, was the son of Rev. Elijah Mosely, also an eminent man in his day. They were descendants of English and Welch parentage. William was born in Elbert county, Georgia, October 21st, 1796. His opportunities for education in early life were quite limited, his schooling amounting, in all, perhaps, to not more than twelve months. Yet, by assiduous application in later years, he increased this small stock so as to enable him to write with a good degree of perspicuity and force, and to speak with great fluency and power. He professed hope in Christ, and was baptized in 1821, where or by whom is not known to the writer, though it is believed to have been in Putnam county, and by his father. It was not long after his baptism that he entered upon the work of the gospel ministry, in which his zeal and talents soon rendered him quite conspicuous. He rose, as it were, at a bound to the front rank among the ministers of that day. Nature lavished her gifts upon him. Added to a fine and portly person and a commanding presence were a rich and sonorous voice, an easy and flowing elocution. Though his education was so defective, he never seemed at a loss for a word, and, when fully under the inspiration of his subject, he was sometimes powerfully eloquent, and was generally interesting. His sermons were frequently two hours in length, and sometimes three hours, yet his audiences seldom showed weariness, and never inattention. As was the custom of the times, he made tours among the churches which usually occupied several weeks, and in which he was accompanied by some other preacher. They generally both preached daily, having two sermons without intermission in each church they visited, and sometimes having night meetings at private houses. Mr. Mosely almost invariably attracted large congregations on these tours. He and Rev. James Henderson, of Jasper county, a man of good natural ability, though not the equal of Moseley, often made such tours in company. It is said he was instrumental in bringing many to a saving knowledge of the truth, and that the churches which he served as pastor enjoyed much prosperity. His talents proved a snare to him in one respect at least. In the midst of his successful career as a preacher, he suffered himself to become involved in politics. He wrote for the papers, made "stump speeches.” ran for the Legislature several terms, and once for Congress. His career as a politician began in 1840. In 1843 he was elected to the Senate of the State Legislature. In 1846 he was run for Congress against a popular and talented man, General Hugh A. Haralson, and lacked only a few votes of being elected, though his opponent was on the strong side (the Democratic,) in the District. After this he was several times a, member of the Georgia Legislature, in one branch, or the other. He maintained a respectable stand as a statesman, and was prompt and faithful in the discharge of his duties. He seemed to have acquired quite a thirst for popular favor, which of course injured him in his character and influence as a minister of the gospel. No matter what a man's talents may be, he cannot be preacher and politician at the same time without detriment to his clerical standing. He finally "broke down" as a politician, while his influence as a minister of the gospel had been sadly impaired. Though his father was an ardent and zealous advocate of the missionary cause and kindred objects, Mosely seems, from an early period of his public career, to have taken a decided stand against all such things. And when, from 1830 to 1840, the denomination in this State separated into the missionary and anti-missionary parties, he took skies with the latter, and maintained his position to a late period of life. He seemed .honestly to believe that he and his party were "Old-side Baptists," by which title he generally designated them. Tinder this conviction, at the session of the Flint River Association at Holly Grove church, Monroe county, in 1837, he withdrew from that body, carrying fifteen churches with him, which were constituted into an Association called the Towaliga, at County Line church, July, 1838. For twenty-five years or more these two bodies have stood aloof from each other. The Flint made one or two overtures for correspondence, but the brethren of the Towaliga seem not to have been ready. It is gratifying, however, to add that negotiations for peace and Christian correspondence are now progressing and have been for a twelve-month past, with encouraging prospects of success. The Towaliga has recinded the "Thirteenth Article" of her creed, by which she had declared non-fellowship with all human institutions, as benevolent societies are generally termed by anti-mission Baptists. It will be a happy day for the Baptists of the South when these divisions shall all have been healed. Mr. Mosely removed from Putnam to Henry county, where he resided many years, and during a portion of which time he was engaged in merchandise, associating a distillery and the sale of ardent spirits with his store, which was a country stand. He seems very soon to have become convinced of the wrong of distilling and selling ardent spirits, for he promptly abandoned both, and would never afterwards even so much as drink spirits as a beverage. His merchandising proved to be an unfortunate business for him, for he lost nearly all the property he had ever made, which was not much. His circumstances were quite limited all his life. When Griffin became a thriving town he removed thither, where he remained until near the close of his life. The truth of history requires that we record one or two other facts which we would fain omit. He and his first wife, by whom he had nine children, separated and lived apart a number of years. He sued for and obtained a divorce, and immediately married again. This act was tolerated, if not approved, by a few of his friends. But the public condemned it, and none more emphatically than his brethren of the Towaliga Association and kindred bodies. He "lost caste" among them, declined re-election as moderator, (which office he had held from its organization.) and removed to Pike county, Alabama, where he soon died, March 6th, 1865. It is a source of satisfaction to add that he retained the exercise of his faculties to the last, and met death with the composure and joy of a true Christian, We trust his soul is at rest. Since the foregoing was written, the author has obtained additional particulars concerning Mr. Mosely's residence in Alabama and his death. Rev. A. N. Worthy, an eminent minister in that State, says: "From the day he landed in Troy to that of his death, I was his constant companion, and stood by him in the hour of his death, and heard the last rumbling clod that fell upon his coffin. It affords me singular pleasure to bear testimony to his calm, Christian resignation, and his entire resignation to the will of the Lord in all things. Among his last words were, 'All is well. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!' His anti-mission brethren treated him with marked coldness on account (as he believed,) of his changed views on the subject of missions." He did not think his mortal remains would be welcome in their church burying-ground, for which reason he expressed the wish that he might be interred in the private cemetery of Mrs. Murphree, a member of the Missionary Baptist church at Troy; and he was interred, according to his wish, within fifty feet of said church. A beautiful grave mound and monument were erected over his remains by the ladies of the Troy church, and an appropriate notice of his death appeared in the Minutes of the Salem, (Missionary) Baptist Association for the year 1867. It is somewhat remarkable that Mosely and Trice, who labored so long together in Georgia, should have died near each other in Alabama. Additional Comments: From: GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL BY J. H. CAMPBELL, PERRY, GEORGIA. MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by J. H. CAMPBELL, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/unknown/bios/gbs727mosely.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb