Sampson County NcArchives Military Records..... Moseley, Capt. Abner Alexander Civilwar ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Robert Fortner rfortner@centurylink.net August 22, 2017, 7:18 pm WILMINGTON MORNING STAR (WILMINGTON, North Carolina) 28 Mar. 1915, Sun. Page 7- CAPTAIN A. A. MOSELEY Death of Gallant Confederate Soldier and Some Reminiscences of His Career at and Below Wilmington. In Destitute Circumstances. Another Confederate veteran laid at rest. And so they pass, as did Capt. Abner Alexander Moseley, of the Confederate States Army, on Saturday at 2 o'clock a.m. February 20, 1915. 'Tis a painful duty to chronicle the passing of these 'old landmarks," who are now so few and far between, but his friends and relatives should find solace in the fact that a brave and fearless official has gone to his reward. He fought the battle well in both war and peace, and calm. The subject of this sketch was a native born North Carolinian, and was born in Clinton, Sampson County, on December 18, 1835, during the administration of President Jackson, and so far as I am impartially to judge he was a man in character and was very similar to this famous North Carolina general. He was of strong will. He knew no fear and combativeness was easily aroused. His father and mother were Matthew and Dorcas Moseley of Sampson County, N.C. and his mother was a Garland of Virginia. Governor Moseley of Florida, was his uncle, and I am informed that he committed his first acts of war, while visiting relatives there, when he was a very young man, against Chief "Billy Bowlegs" who hastily took refuge in the Everglades. When South Carolina seceded in 1860, and Major Anderson left Fort Moultrie with instructions from President not to surrender Fort Sumter to the Confederacy, a white heat was on, and Capt. Moseley, then a young man of twenty five years was one of the first men of Sampson County, to offer his services to his country, and he and three other friends of what was known as the Sampson Rangers the first company raised in Sampson to defend the Confederacy--put off for Charleston to help reduce Fort Sumter. They arrived just too late to be on the job, but hurriedly returned home and formed the famous Company, known as "The Sampson Rangers" the first company formed in Sampson county. Shortly after the organization of this company in April, 1861, they were ordered to or went to Southport, then Smithville, leaving Clinton on May 6. If any of the friends of Capt. Moseley who accompanied him to Charleston, are still living we would like to hear from them. Moseley was first sergeant of the Sampson Rangers and was later promoted to captain of Company 3, 36th N.C. Regiment, about the latter part of 1862 he was promoted to captain of heavy artillery, and remained at Fort Caswell until the fort was evacuated and blown up, which was the same day of the landing of the Federals under General Butler and the most fearful hand to hand encounter occurred which resulted in the fall of Fort Fisher late in the night of January 15, 1865. He was intimately associated during the war with Major J. M. Stevenson and Col. Hedrick and with Generals Whiting And Bragg. The 36th N. C. Regiment was called together in the early part of the year 1863 and divided, and Major Steven going to Fort Fisher and Capt. A. A. Moseley remaining at Fort Caswell in charge of heavy artillery. The Union felt was loath, to banter the guns of the formidable fort, but when occasional duel would occur, Captain Moseley was always, happy in throwing shell at the enemy. He was there during all the trying days of the blockade and helped to hold the enemy at bay while these daring little vessels would steal out to sea and run the risk of destruction for the promise of wealth, 'while lay in the in the probability of their success.' Many were the interesting stories which Captain 'Moseley could relate of things that occurred during the four years of service in and around Fort Caswell and Smithville, but memory is too poor to depend upon to relate them here. One, however, was the daring adventure of a party from the Union fleet, whole stole past the forts at night in a small boat and went up to Smithville and captured as a prisoner an, officer of the Confederacy, into the town of Smithville, and escaped with him in safety to the fleet again. And we have often heard him speak of the baskets of toothsome good things, sent over to the fort by that good lady, Miss Kate Stuart. How much they were enjoyed! Captain Moseley had good quarters built for his men on the beaches over at Caswell and there, organized a fishing crew, to supply the soldiers with nice fresh fish to eat. Among other things needed were some hogs to eat at the refuge from the quarters. To this end there was brought in old piney woods rooter from the Green swamp, beyond Lockwoods Folly river. She was confined in a pen for several days to get acquainted with her new home and on being given her liberty, she had heard so much about running the blockade, she immediately put to sea and was last seen dodging the fleet that lay just outside. Captain Moseley was a fine conversationalist and loved to recount his many war experiences, with his old comrades and young men as well. It will not long now until the ro-- will be called to last one of their noble old Confederate heroes and the Lost Cause will be championed no more by any of those who stood in the ranks of battle! Are we doing our duty by the few that remain? Of the three States that were last to surrender North And South Carolina and Virginia. North Carolina appropriates $500,000 and South Carolina, I am sorry to say, only $250,000 for the support of the remnant of the Lost Cause. After the evacuation of Fort Caswell Moseley's company retreated to the defense of Wilmington, N. C. Halting at Fort Brunswick and shelling the gun boats, attempting to come up the Cape Fear river. He also fought the Federalists at Sugar Loaf Hills, and gained a battle there over a blockade runner the Federalists were after. We are told that one shell in this fight killed 12 Federals. And Moseley's men afterwards wrecked the blockade runner. This was about February 25, 1865. The next stand was made at Brunswick River Bridge where, with Adams' Battery, and others, Moseley defended the bridge for the passage of the soldiers into Wilmington. The next and last battle around Wilmington was found on the Brunswick causeway, leading into Wilmington. Here Captain Moseley was active in holding the enemy at bay till superior forces compelled him to evacuate Wilmington, when he went on to join Lee's army in the last struggle of the Confederacy, and then surrendered at Appomattox. Truly he was first in battle, going to Charleston to help capture Fort Sumter and evacuating and blowing up Caswell the last Confederate Fort to fall, and with his chief among the last to surrender. Capt Moseley merchandised in Clinton before the war and was with Birdsey & Robinson for a season after the war. On December 8, 1869, he married the widow of Nicholas F. Dixon, who was the daughter of Dr. Charles Duffy, of Catharine Lake, Onslow county N. C. To them was born two children, a son, Charles Duffy, November 3, 1870; a daughter, Heppy, January 6, 1875. The son attained the age of manhood and died August 6, 1896. After his marriage and a few years residence in Wilmington, he moved to his wife's plantation on Topsail Sound. He was appointed justice of the peace and held this office until he removed in 1886 to his wife's estate at Little River South Carolina. Here he was appointed justice of the peace and held this office very efficiently till he died. His widow survives him one year his junior. Peace be to his ashes. We hereto append a list of the Sampson Rangers as it left the county on or about the 6th of May for Smithville: Captain, F. J. Faison, first lieutenant R. A. Moseley; second lieutenant, Jas. C. Holmes; third lieutenant, G. W. Marsh; first sergeant, A. A. Moseley; second sergeant, J. B. Underwood; third sergeant, Robert J. Murphy; fourth sergeant Richard P. Paddison; fifth sergeant, Albert Robinson; first corporal, G. F. Williams; third corporal, Thomas Fryar; fourth corporal Thomas A. Bunting; ensign, L. R. Millard; first drummer, Thomas M. Clarkson; second drummer, John R. Paddison. Privates: George W. Armstrong, John Armstrong, James M. Armstrong, W. E. Bass, H. K. Bennett, Bradley Benton, H. K. Benton, S. J. Blount, Sylvester Boon, Abram Boykin, R. M. Bradshaw, A. H. Brewer, Fred Burkhardt, George Butler, H. R. Caison, F. M. Carroll, J. M. Chesnutt, O. B. Cobb, Glaston Cox, S. M. Crumpler, J. B. Currie, Wm. S. Devane, G. M. Draughon, J. D. Duncan, Thomas J. Emmerson, E. L. Faison, W. L. Faison, Henry Fryar, Thomas H. Graves, W. G. Hill, A. R. Herring, W. P. Hines, W. S. Hines, A. R. Hobbs, Judson Hobbs, J. H. Hubbard, W. I. Ingram, W. H. Johnson, Chester Kelly, I. B. Kelly, J. M. Kelly, L. D. King, J. B. Lane, A. F. Lawhon, A. A. Lewis, W. A. Mathis, Redin McKinze, J. W. Merritt, W. J. Moore, C. C. Newton, M. H. Oates, Owen Page, Cornelius Partrick, Wm. Pennington, James Peterson, Lewis Pipkin, G. W. Rackley, J. R. Register, W. J. Rhodes, N. R. Robinson, T. M. Robinson, W. W. Rogers, H. S. Royal, Martin Royal, C. H. Smith, James M. Smith, W. F. Smith, G. B. Smith, W. W. Sellars, S. N. Stirneck, N. L. Spell, David Stevens, Mike Sutton, J. M. Thrallkill, Cierco Turner, J. J. Vann, S. J. Watson, J. A. Weeks, Henry Williamson, L. M. White, J. M. Pugh, J. C. Howard. 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