Edmund Moody

Ancestor Number

A079137 »

Date of Birth

September 18. 1755

Place of Birth

Albemarle County, Virginia

Date of Death

September 10, 1839

Place of Death

Morgan County, Illinois

Spouse(s)

Sarah Hamilton

Children

Elzadie, Sarah Sally, William, Sally

Service during theAmerican Revolution

Served with Captain Thompson and Colonel Lewis

State of Service

Virginia

Donor

Sally Napier Bueno

In October 1777, Edmund Moody took the oath of allegiance required of free male inhabitants by the Virginia General Assembly.

The following spring, he enlisted at Charlottesville to serve in the company commanded by Captain Roger Thompson in the regiment commanded by Colonel Charles Lewis in the Continental Line of Virginia troops. The company assembled at the old courthouse in Albemarle County and marched to a town called Hanover to join the regiment. From Hanover the regiment marched to Williamsburg, crossed the James River and encamped opposite Hog Island until late August or early September. Captain Thompson’s company was then ordered deal with some issues with American Indians along the Holston River. Upon arrival, Thompson’s company found that those problems had been settled and marched back to Albermarle County where they were discharged in the winter of 1778–1779.

Around October 1, 1779, Moody was called to serve a two-month tour of duty.

Fluvanna County had been formed out of Albemarle County in 1777 and he had marched from the new county during the two-month stint. His commanding officer was Captain Richard Napier. Moody marched to Williamsburg where he joined a regiment commanded by Colonel Joseph Cabell. After he served the two months, they returned to Fluvanna County where most were dismissed; however, Moody was called upon to complete another two months of guarding British prisoners of war in Albemarle County.

In Moody gives two different accounts about his final 18 months of service in two separate sworn depositions for a Revolutionary War Pension (given in his 70s). In the first version, he claims that he was drafted in the Army for 18 months in the company commanded by Captain Samuel Woodson in the regiment commanded by Colonel Carrington, which was in the line of Baron von Steuben. Von Steuben’s troops were driven from Chesterfield by the British, then marched to Norfolk where they remained in garrison until ordered to join the main army under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette against Cornwallis. Moody served in this company until October 20, 1781, a few days after the surrender of Cornwallis. He was then discharged at Little York.

In the second version Moody was at Chesterfield only about two days when he was detailed from his company and ordered to assist acquisitioning, ordnance, stores and provisions from Westover on the James River. This service lasted six months after which he hired a substitute, Joseph Moody, to fulfill his remaining six months. Moody paid Joseph 25 pounds, and a suit of clothes and returned home. After having been home a short time Moody found his name on the militia roll again and was required to perform another tour of duty. During the final tour of duty Private Moody was commanded by Captain Robert Sharp. The militia was organized in Albemarle County where they marched to Yorktown and joined the army 20 to 30 days before the surrender of Cornwallis. During the siege of Yorktown, Moody was employed “ditching.” Shortly after the surrender of Cornwallis, his company was ordered to Winchester to guard the provisions turned over by the British. While in route to this duty he fell ill and returned home once he recovered.

Edmund Moody married his first wife, whose name is unknown, after the war. Around 1784 the couple moved to Tennessee and lived one year on the Holston River. They then settled in Cumberland County, Kentucky, until 1830. Five children were known to be born to this marriage: John, born 1780; Sally, born 1785 (who married Joshua Davis); Nancy; William, born 1786; and Stephen. When Moody’s first wife died, he wasted no time marrying his second wife Sarah Hamilton. He was 65, she was 19. He had six more children with Nancy over a 10-year period and by about 1830 the new family had moved to Morgan County, Illinois. He applied for the pension on December 12, 1831, as an impoverished elderly man who could no longer earn his living as a farmer. Moody died on September 19, 1838, dying in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois.