Greene-Washington County IN Archives Biographies.....Moss, William G. (Sr.) 1822 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 14, 2006, 10:12 pm Author: Goodspeed (1884) WILLIAM G. MOSS, SR., was born November 19, 1822, in Washington County, Ind., and is the fourth son in a family of fourteen children born to Aquilla and Sarah (Harrah) Moss, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. Aquilla Moss was bound out to a wheelwright by the name of William Dunlap when but a small lad, and by Mr. Dunlap he was raised to manhood, and with him he came to Kentucky when that State was yet in its infancy. He married in that State, and shortly after that event moved to Warren County, Ohio, where he lived about six years, and where his three oldest sons were born. From there he moved to the Hoosier State, locating first in Washington County, where three more children were added to their family. In 1827, he removed to Greene County and settled on "Nine Mile Prairie" in Stockton Township where he passed the greater part of his remaining years. In 1822, while in Washington County, he experienced Christianity, and shortly afterward was licensed to preach in the interests of the Regular Baptist Church. He became known over the entire community as one of the pioneer preachers of Southern Indiana, and very likely, during his lifetime, he married the majority of couples in Greene and neighboring counties. His wife, who was one of those true backwoods housewives, and who bravely aided her husband in such duties as were common at that early day, died in 1858, and in 1864 Mr. Moss died. Both are sleeping side by side in the family burying ground on the old homestead. William G. Moss was raised largely in Greene County, and it has been his home mostly through life. His schooling was limited to three months during the year by walking three miles through the snow to the old-fashioned log schoolhouse, with stick and mud chimney, puncheon for seat and a great big fire-place and greased paper for windows. In 1841, he was united in marriage with Jeannette Rector, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (McBride) Rector, who were natives respectively of Virginia and North Carolina, and came to Greene County in 1841. Previous to 1856, he filled various local political positions, but in that year he was elected Sheriff of Greene County, re-elected in 1858, and in 1860 was elected to represent his county in the Lower Branch of the State Legislature. He served in the regular and special session of that term, but in 1864 was elected the third time as County Sheriff. Mr. Moss has always followed farming, but in conjunction with this has been engaged in other labors. He and wife have had born to them a family of ten children, as follows: Joseph, Sarah M., Nathaniel (deceased), Stephen, Barney S., Rebecca A., Andrew M. (deceased), Charles M. (deceased), Mary E. and Julia R. The mother was born March 3, 1824, in Lawrence County, Ind. Mr. Moss is an old-time honored Democrat in politics, is a member of the Blue Lodge in Masonry, and Mrs. Moss belongs to the Regular Baptist Church. The name Moss came from Scotland originally, but that was previous to the Revolutionary war. Additional Comments: Stockton Township Biographies Extracted from: HISTORY OF GREENE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES, STATE OF INDIANA, FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, REMINISCENCES, NOTES, ETC. ILLUSTRATED. CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROS. & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1884. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/greene/bios/moss476nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb