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8 8 The American Civil Warmatrons and men of our country,' he
commented, 'I should like to know how the
Abolitionists of the North can expect to
conquer the South.'
Moore consistently demonstrated a
strong allegiance to the nascent Confederate
republic. On New Year's Day in 1862, he
rejoiced at southern 'success in driving
from our soil the ruthless invader who is
seeking to reduce us to abject slavery.' He
predicted that a year hence 'the North will
have been taught a lesson not to be
forgotten. We have already achieved many
brilliant victories. May this prove a happy
year to our country and to all mankind.'
Later that winter he affirmed his belief that
'after much hard fighting' Confederates
would 'succeed in establishing our
independence.' He voluntarily re-enlisted
for three years in February 1862 (the
Confederate Conscription Act passed shortly
thereafter would have kept him in the army
anyway), taking care to explain his
motivation: 'I joined after long
consideration, believing that in that way I
could best serve my country. It seems to
be sacrificing much, but what should we
not be willing to sacrifice, even life itself,
for the liberty of our country.' White
southerners who betrayed the Confederacy
understandably upset him. 'Have some
very discouraging news from our homes in
Miss.,' he noted in December 1862. 'Some
are buying up & selling cotton to the
abolitionists. Hope none of my friends
or relatives are falling off so badly.'
The change of years from 1862 to 1863
put Moore in a mood to reflect on his
nation's future. The Confederacy had passed
an eventful year in 1862, believed Moore,
during which the North, 'by the strength of
numbers,' more than once seemed likely to
overrun the South. But by 'heroic endurance,
hard fighting & the favor of a just God,'
Confederates had resisted 'every attempt at
subjugation.' Although Moore hated war,
which he called the 'greatest curse that can
befall a land,' he determined to fight on to
victory. 'We trust for success for our cause
in the God of Battles,' he averred. 'We have
had evidences that He is on our side & I
hope for more signal display of His power
in our behalf.'
Promoted to corporal in April 1863,
Moore anticipated a new season of
campaigning. He had first experienced
combat at First Manassas. He had fought the
Union engineers who laid the pontoon
bridges at Fredericksburg on 11 December
1862, and later heard 'the groans of the
wounded' after the slaughter of Burnside's
attackers below Marye's Heights. During
the Chancellorsville campaign, he and the
17th Mississippi fought under Jubal Early,
delaying John Sedgwick's Union column at
Fredericksburg while Lee and Jackson
confronted Joseph Hooker in the Wilderness.
Word of Jackson's death hit Moore very hard.
'We to-day received the sad intelligence of
the death of Lieut. Gen. Jackson who expired
at Guinea' Station at 3 1/4 o'clock P.M.
yesterday,' he wrote in his diary. 'No words
can describe the sorrow with which this
intelligence will be received from the
Potomac to the Rio Grande.'
Yet Jackson's death did not undermine
Moore's morale or that of his comrades. 'The
opinion seems to prevail with us that
hostilities will be resumed with us in a few
weeks', he wrote on 12 May 1863. 'The army,
as far as I have seen is in excellent spirits.'
Moore marched into Pennsylvania with the
army in June 1863. Surviving the Battle of
Gettysburg, he travelled to northern Georgia
with James Longstreet's corps in September.
By that time he had been promoted to
lieutenant. He was killed in action at the
Battle of Chickamauga on 20 September
1863, along with 11 other members of the
17th Mississippi Infantry.