Anniversary of the Civil War

One hundred and fifty years ago the Civil War started in South Carolina at Fort Sumter.

Some of the Moore family had migrated to the south, from Moores Mills, New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1850's.  They were looking for a better climate for some sickly members of the family.  They found work quickly because of their expertise in the lumber milling business.

Several of the women members were prolific writers.  Most of the letters were sent up to New Brunswick, Canada to relatives.  Those relatives saved all the letters.

In a letter written from Vicksburg, Mississippi on June 28th, 1864, mention was made of our great great grandfather and his family.

"Uncle Rashe (Horatio Moore) sent his family to Marion, Mississippi, the first year of the war.  He was then living in Mobile.  George and Adelade were living there in Marion.  Uncle Rashe stayed in Mobile, Mary and the children lived with Adelade.  George was then employed by a Mr. Henderson, Uncle Williams' partner in a mill.  They lived there a year or more.  Aunt Mary then commenced housekeeping by herself in the village of Marion.  George moved then a few miles to another mill, his employer Mr. McClavin.  He was living there at the time of his death which occurred one year ago last April."

Uncle Rashe "belonged to a home Co. nearly ever since the war commenced, composed of foreigners and called the British Guards.  Foreigners up to last fall were exempt but a law was about being passed to take them all."  "His family will remain at Citronelle, Alabama with Aunt Emily who has a very large and commodious house and have everything around them comfortable.  They have between two and three hundred chickens, cows, and hogs, and plenty of corn, but very little flour is to be had in the whole country, although we have a little hard biscuit two or three times a week and those that did not have a supply of sugar and molasses on hand never saw the article.  Sugar, $7.00 per lb.; molasses, $35 per gallon, and everything nearly in the same proportion.  I suppose, to speak with surety, not half of the people in the Confederacy have anything in the world but corn bread and meat, and about half of that half just  bread, and thankful that they get even that." 

Horatio never did fight in the Civil War but he and his family lived in the midst of it all.  In a letter dated December 12, 1869 he is mentioned again.  This is after the war and everything has quieted down and life is back to normal. 
 "We had such a good time; it was such a grand treat to hear Rashe sing and Kitty accompany his voice with the piano.  Everything about them seems so nice and comfortable.  Mary keeps only a black boy for help this winter, tho' the family is pretty large - their own four juveniles and May.  The girls all go to the same school and pay $5.00 each for Nan, Bess and May.  Prof. Lamus gives Kitty her tuition.  Rashe is giving them private lessons in vocal music two evenings in a week."

Even though the family was only in the south about 10 years before the civil war they were strongly for the confederacy.  In some of letters they were asking relatives up in Canada what they thought of the war.  Unfortunately we have no letters from Canada to the south to hear their replies.