Tribute to William Hogan Moody Written by his friend and comrade George S. Nichols I have been requested by an old friend to write what I now about Hogan Moody as a Confederate soldier. No mortal man can his true history as a Confederate Soldier for he was the bravest of the brave, none better. The writer of these lines ate, slept, and fought with Hogan Moody for four long years and never saw him fail or flinch from any duty he was ever called on to do. The writer owes his life to this brave man had it not been for him I would have been here to pen these lines. I can scarcely say the lines for tears that are flowing from my eyes. I owed him a debt of gratitude that I never could pay. May his soul be at rest and I hope when it comes my time to answer to the last roll call, may I meet him on the other shore, for I known he will be there to meet his old friend and comrade, George Nichols. Hogan Moody enlisted in the Williamson Grays, Capt. James P. Hanner’s Company, in April 1861 at Franklin, TN. The Company was ordered to Camp Cheatham in Robertson County in June 1861 and the First Tennessee Regiment was formed with George Maney as Colonel and Frank Sevier as Lieutenant Colonel and Abe Looney Major. The Williamson Grays took the name of Company D, First Tennessee Regiment. The regiment went from there to Northeastern Virginia and served under General R.E. Lee until November 1861, was then transferred to the army of the Valley under Stonewall Jackson at Winchester, VA. Was with Jackson in that march to Bath on the Potomac River, from there to Romney, VA, on the southern branch of the Potomac River. After leaving Bath, Jan. 3rd, 1862, the command was halted a place called the Cross Roads for a few days and it was that place that the officers told the men General Jackson was crazy and for the soldiers to play off sick and go back to Winchester about forty miles from where we were camping and a great many did as they were told. I think there were nine men that belonged to Hogan Moody’s mess and five went back. Hogan Moody, Lige Baugh, John Watson and the writer of these lines remained and tugged it out to Romney, VA. It was called the winter campaign in the valley 1861 and 1862 under Jackosn, the hardest march any soldiers ever went through during the war. And Hogan Moody never missed a march or a Battle, was never absent in that campaign. We fell back from Romney in February 1862 and left for Tennessee that month, joined Albert Johnston at Shiloh. The left wing got there before the battle. The right wing got there the next Monday, the day that our Army fell back and was the Breckenridge and Morgan, covered the retreat to Corinth. From Corinth we went to Tupelo, Miss. And then from Tupelo to Chattanooga, to Ky. And fought the battle of Perryville October, 8, 1862, and Hogan Moody was there. From there the command went to Murfreesboro and Hogan Moody was there in the Battle of Murfreesboro. We fell back to Chattanooga in July 1863 and fought the Battle of Chickamauga Sept. 19th and 20th, 1863 and Hogan Moody was there. The first days fight at Chickamauga, two companies of our regiment, Company D and Company I, were ordered to support a battery belonging to General Forrest’s Command. The Yankees charged the battery and the command was ordered to fall back behind the battery. Dr. Ridley told the men to stay where they were and if he could get ten men to stay with him that they could hold the place. Hogan Moody told him that he was one that would stay there until every tree was shot away. They flanked the two companies and they had to fall back but saved the battery. One piece was taken off by hand and Hogan Moody helped take it off. After the battle the army advanced on Chattanooga. Cheatham’s Division was the right and Maney’s Brigade moved on the Shallow Ford Road to Missionary Ridge and at the foot of the Ridge was halted for a few minutes. In the meantime, General Cheatham rode up and ordered General Maney to take the ridge. The First Tennessee was formed in the line of battle and Company D and Company K was thrown out as skirmishers. Capt. Atkeison commanded Company D and Capt. Flourney commanded Company K. The regiment advanced as the skirmish line advanced. Col. Feilds was with the skirmish line and there was one yankee we took particular notice of. He was on a gray horse behind a tree. He had shot two of our company, John and Teat Holt. He then turned to run Col. Feilds and Hogan Moody and the writer of these lines were ahead of him and Col. Feilds ordered us to shoot him. We both fired but do not know whether we hit him or not for we had no time to look after wounded or dead Yankees. Col. Feilds then ordered the regiment to advance and we drove General Wilder’s Brigade off the ridge. First fought the 17th Indiana Mounted Infantry. The command remained in front of Chattanooga a few weeks and was ordered to Sweetwater, East Tennessee, remained there a few weeks and then Gen. Longstreet relieved us and wed were ordered back to Chattanooga Nov. 1st, 1863 and 25th Nov. 1863 the Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought. Maney’s Brigade was in Gen. Walker’s Division but fought under Gen. Cleburne on the extreme right and fought Gen. Sherman. The place is called Sherman Heights. It was never taken. Our brigade left about 7 o’clock that night and Hogan Moody was there in the front line and the writer of these lines was with him, and so was Lige Baugh and Judge Pollard. Baugh and Pollard were wounded. Our Company lost 9, killed and wounded, in that battle. Our army fell back to Dalton, GA. On the retreat our brigade had a fight at Cat Creek with General Caterhan’s Division of Sherman Corps and Hogan Moody was there. The army went into winter quarters at Dalton and at the place Hogan Moody’s career as an Inf. Soldier ended. Several of the Williamson Grays after serving for nearly three years in the First Tennessee Regiment concluded to join Forrest’s Cavalry and on the 19th of Dec. 1863 took French leave and joined Gen. Forrest at Oxford, Miss. Jan. 1st, 1864, the Soldiers who left the First Regiment joined Capt. Robt. Damron’s Company 19th Tennessee Regiment Cavalry, General Bell’s Brigade, General Buford’s Division, and the first fight the regiment got into was at West Point, Miss., Feb. 1864. Forrest whipped Gen. W.S. Smith and drove them back to Memphis. Hogan Moody was courier that day for Ben. Bell’s Brigade and the writer was captured but made his escape. The next battle was Paducah, KY in March 1864 and the next, Fort Pillow April 1864. In that battle Hogan Moody was wounded. He was the first man to scale the works on the north side of the Fort. Bell’s brigade was on that side of the fort and Gen. McCullough’s Brigade was on the south side. The next battle was Tishomingo Creek, fought June 10th, 1864, and the next battle under General Forrest was the battle Harrisburg, fought July 14th, 1864. In that battle Hogan Moody was again wounded. Then Forrest moved into Middle Tennessee, Sept. 1864, took Athens, Ala. and Sulphur Trestle and then onto Pulaski and Columbia, Tenn. He then went back to West Tennessee and destroyed transports at Johnsonville November 1864, then joined General Hood’s army at Florence, Ala. Hogan Moody was in all the all the battles and marches up to that time at Corinth, Miss., when Gen. Forrest was on his way from Johnsonville to join Hood’s army his company was ordered down on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad to watch the Yankees if they should try to get in Hood’s rear. After Hood’s retreat and the surrender of Gen. Lee and Gen. Johnston, Forrest surrendered his command at Gainesville, Ala. May 9th, 1865. At that time we belonged to Jackson’s Division, Bell’s Brigade. Hogan Moody was paroled at Corinth, Miss. May 1865. Well done faithful soldier, you helped do al that mortal man could do for your country. You were true to the last. You have answered the last roll and look for us on the other shore for it won’t be long before we all will be there. Peace to your soul my dear departed friend and may Heaven’s richest blessings ever be with your wife and little ones. Geo. S. Nichols Commentaries After the Battle of Tishomingo Creek a part of Col. Newsom’s Regiment was ordered down to McNairy County to drive Col. Felin Hurst’s Regiment out of the country. Hogan Moody’s Company was from that county, Capt. Damron. The command found the Home made yankees between Corinth and Purdy. In that fight Geo. Nichols was shot all to pieces and Capt. Damron ordered the men to fall back and leave Nichols to be killed or bleed to death. Hogan Moody told them that he would never leave him for he know that George Nichols would never leave him. “Throw him up before me, I will take him out or die, ” and he carried him off. And his dear friend has left and George Nichols is spared to pen these lines to his memory. Made with Xara
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