Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of William Lewis Moody
  (May 19, 1828-	Jul. 17, 1920, Tombstone marker is Moody Graveyard in Midlothian,
    Chesterfield Co., VA. although his TX death certificate says buried at
    Cahill Cemetery.)

[Source - America's Successful Men of Affairs: The United States at large
 edited by Henry Hall. Volume II. The New York Tribune. 1896.]
 
 
 WILLIAM LEWIS MOODY, merchant, Galveston, Tex., born, May 19, 1828, in Essex 
 county, Va., comes from ancient fighting stock. His father, Jameson Moody, 
 who married Mary Susan, daughter of William Lankford, served in the War of 
 1812; and Lewis, William L. Moody's grandfather, as well as his maternal
 grandfather, both fought in the American Revolution. Mr. Moody attended the 
 University of Virginia, 1847-50, and in 1852, removed from Chesterfield
 county, Va., to Fairfield, Freestone county, Texas, where he practiced law 
 three years. Delicate health then led him into mercantile pursuits in 
 Fairfield, under the firm name of W. L. Moody & Bro's, in company with David
 J. and Leroy F. Moody. In 1861, he took a company of volunteers as its 
 Captain from Freestone county, and at Hopkinsville, Ky., joined the 7th Texas 
 Inf. Mr. Moody remained in active service until just after the fall of
 Vicksburg. He had been severely wounded at Jackson, Miss., while in command 
 of the regiment as Lieutenant Colonel, and being disabled, was promoted for
 gallantry, and, with the rank of Colonel, held command in Austin, Texas, at 
 the surrender of General Lee. In 1866, Colonel Moody removed from Fairfield
 to Galveston, and entered the cotton factorage business, his firm now being 
 W. L. Moody & Co , two sons being partners. He is highly regarded in his city,
 and was president of the Galveston Cotton Exchange for thirteen years. From 
 time to time, he has been connected with many local corporations. The firm of
 W. L. Moody & Co. are sole owners of The Moody Cotton Compress & Warehouse 
 Co., at Galveston, which has the finest plant of its character in the South, 
 and they are perhaps the largest receivers of consignment cotton in the South.
 In 1894-95, they handled nearly 70,000 bales. They also transact a large 
 general banking and exchange business. In 1874, Colonel Moody was elected a 
 representative to the Texas Legislature, and during the same session became 
 financial agent for Texas, for the sale of its bonds, and as such, 
 successfully negotiated the loan. In 1860, Colonel Moody married in Freestone
 county, Texas, Miss Pherabe Elizabeth Bradley, daughter of Francis Meriweather
 Bradley, planter, formerly of Alabama, and a native of Georgia. They have 
 three children, William Lewis and Frank Bradley Moody and Mary Emily, wife of
 Sealy Hutchings of Galveston.