USA > South Carolina > Marion County > A history of Marion county, South Carolina, from its earliest times to the present, 1901 > Part 31
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Thomas, who married his first cousin, Sarah Ann Moody, daughter of Richard Moody; they had and raised a family- two sons, David and Robert, and several daughters, number and names not known. His son, David Moody, married a daughter of Peter Parley McCormic, and lives at Dillon. Robert married a daughter of Thomas Sawyer. Hugh Moody, the grand-father, has one daughter that married William Ham- ilton, as a second wife, and has several children ; Hugh was a farmer, and was a local Methodist preacher ; also a Magistrate for a number of years, and was a useful man in his community ; his influence was for good, always in favor of right and justice ; he died some twenty years ago or more. Richard Moody, the next younger brother, married Miss Harriet Edwards, daugh- ter of Rev. David S. Edwards, and had and raised four sons and four daughters; the sons were Thomas D., Richard J., Hugh and Barfield; the daughters were Martha, Sarah Ann, Helen and Sophia. Of the sons, Thomas D. married a daugh- ter of Needham Perrit; had only one child, and she is grown and married. Richard J. Moody married a daughter of Reu- ben B. Jackson, and has a family, already mentioned in or among the Jackson family. Hugh Moody, Jr., married Miss Massey Smith, a daughter of the late William H. Smith, of Buck Swamp; they have a family, how large or small is un- known. Barfield Moody, Jr., married a daughter of Bennett Perritt, and has some family. Of the daughters of Richard Moody, Sr., Martha, the oldest, married William Mckenzie, of the Maple Swamp region; they have a family, how many is not known. Sarah Ann married John Thomas Moody, as above stated. The daughter, Sophia, married John H. Ellen, of the Dothan section, who is one of the most progressive farmers in the county ; they have three children, a son in Wof- ford College; don't know the sex of the other two children. The daughter, Helen, is unmarried. The third son of Robert Moody, Salathiel, married in March,. 1843, the Widow Jane Bass, up on Catfish ; she was the widow of Bryant Bass, herein- before mentioned ; they had only two children, a son, who was idiotic and died before maturity, and a daughter, Josephine, who married Mack Martin, who has already been noticed in or among the Martin family. Charles, the fourth and youngest
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
son of Robert Moody, married a Miss Monroe, of North Caro- lina, and settled and lived and died on a part of the homestead of his grand-father, Samuel Smith, Sr .; they raised a family of three sons and one daughter; the mother died many years ago. The daughter married Milton Watson, already spoken of in or among the Watson family ; he soon died, childless ; the widow went back to her father, and remained with him until his death, a few years ago, and still remains there with her brothers-all of whom are unmarried, and names not remem- bered. Of the daughters of Robert Moody, Mary, the oldest, married a Mr. Edwards, who died soon and left her with one child, a daughter, who grew up and became the first wife of Meredith Watson; she soon died, and left two children, a son, who was imbecile and weak and soon died; the daughter mar- ried and has some family, unknown to the writer. Robert Moody's daughter, Celia, married William Bryan, in Robeson County, N. C., where they resided till both died; as to their family, the writer only knows of a son, Quincy Bryant or Bryan, who came back to this county, and married his first cousin, Miss Lizzie A. Moody, a daughter of the late Joshua T. Moody. Quincy Bryant is one of our most worthy citizens, and resides six miles below Marion; they have a family of several children, sons and daughters-a son, named Marvin, who is now a promising young man ; a daughter grown, and I think, married; know nothing of the other members of the family. Milley, another daughter, married Joseph D. Bass, who has already been noticed herein in or among the Bass family. Smithy, another daughter, married Evander Brig- man, of Marlborough, who has raised a considerable family ; one of her sons, an energetic and prosperous man, now lives at Dillon; I think Mrs. Brigman yet lives; if so, she is the sole survivor of the children of Robert Moody. Another daugh- ter, the youngest, Evaline, married Joshua T. Moody; in the latter part of his life he resided on his farm, near Ariel, nine miles below Marion; they raised only two children, Lizzie and James A. Lizzie married her cousin, M. Q. Bryant, as above stated. James A. is unmarried, though twice old enough ; is and has been for several years past merchandizing at Marion ; he conducts his business on a safe plan, buys and sells only for
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cash, is close and hoards his money ; if he makes but little, he holds on to that little with tenacity ; think he and Mrs. Bryant, his sister, still hold on to their father's lands, near Arial. Rob- ert Moody died more than sixty years ago; he made a good property, and his widow and children held on to it to the old lady's death, just before the war; their land on Buck Swamp was valuable; had about fifty negroes. The lands are now owned by Mrs. Lucy Godbold, wife of Willie A. Godbold, and is much more valuable now than when in the hands of the old lady Moody. Barfield Moody, a brother of Robert, whether older or younger is not known, was a very prominent man in this county from 1830 to 1860, when he died ; he was very popu- lar before the people, though sometimes beaten ; he was elected twice as Representative of the county in the Legislature. After the death of General Wheeler, in 1859, he was elected Clerk of the Court; but on account of his failing health, he could not per- form the duties thereof in person, and he deputed his young son, Thomas C., and placed him in as deputy, who discharged the duties of the office until the death of his father, 7th April, 1860. Barfield Moody was a Magistrate for many years, and he did not run that office as it is run in these latter days, for the money that was in it, but mostly as an arbiter among his neighbors as to their civil rights and a pacificator in their quarrels and fights-making peace many times and hindering prosecutions in the criminal courts-which is regarded as one of the first and best qualifications of a Magistrate; he was also a good surveyor, and was called to its practice often. The writer, in his extensive land law practice in the county, has had occasion to see and scrutinize his work as a surveyor ; his plats. were neat and mathematically correct, in most instances. He was a useful citizen in many ways, did a great deal of survey- ing for poor people without charge, and in suits before him as a Magistrate would often charge no costs, and especially in cases compromised or settled. Barfield Moody married Miss Sallie Crawford, a sister of James Crawford, who lived at Spring Branch, four miles above Marion-she was only a half-sister; they had and raised five sons and four daughters; the sons were William H., Evander J., Robert B., Thomas C. and Albert C .; William H. and Robert B. are dead. Of these sons, William
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
H. married a Miss Lamb, of Marlborough. Afterwards the Lamb family moved into Marion, having bought the late Craw- ford plantation, four miles above Marion, and they all lived and died there, except those who went West. The Lamb name is now extinct in the county. Barfield Moody settled on the north side of Catfish, opposite Watson's, and William H., after a while, settled on a part of the Lamb plantation, where his widow now resides. William H. and his wife had and raised several sons and daughters; the sons were Sandy, Clarence, James C., Bartow, Rhett and Theodore; the daughters were Lucy and Sue. Of the sons, Sandy went to Kershaw County, and there married; know nothing further of him. Clarence died a few years ago, unmarried. Rhett emigrated to parts unknown. James C. is unmarried, though twice old enough ; he was County Auditor for several years, and now has some State employment; he is a competent man for any business position. Bartow married, a few years ago, a Miss Cotting- ham ; they may have some family. Theodore died just as he was arriving at manhood. Miss Lucy married a Mr. McIn- tyre, of North Carolina ; both are dead, and left two children, a son and a daughter, who stay with their grand-parents in North Carolina. Miss Sue married Joseph Bruce, of Marl- borough; suppose they have some family, how many is un- known. William H. Moody died, maybe twenty years ago; he was a good citizen. Before the war he first held a Captain's commission in the Berry's Cross Roads militia company, and as hereinbefore stated, the contest for the Captaincy of said com- pany, in 1840 or 1841, was spirited and hot, but Moody was elected by thirteen votes. Afterward, when Major James R. Bethea was elected Colonel of the regiment, the Majorship of . the upper battalion became vacant, and William Moody was elected Major of the upper battalion, which position he held with credit to himself for several years; he never aspired to any other position. Evander J. Moody, the second son of Bar- field Moody, grew up, and first married Miss Florence Smith, a daughter of Samuel Smith, of Buck Swamp; she had one child, a daughter, named Florence, and died. Florence, the child, was raised by her Grand-mother Smith while she lived, and after the death of her grand-mother she went back to her
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
father, who in the meantime had married again, to the Widow Lester (twice a widow, her maiden name was Jane Tart), and remained with him until 17th May, 1871, when she married Dr. J. C. Mullins (a second wife) ; by this marriage three sons and one daughter were born-Randolph, Frank and Woods; the daughter is also named Florence, and is approaching woman- hood. Frank Mullins died a young man, unmarried. Ran- dolph has emigrated to Greenville, and is in the drug business. Woods and Florence, Jr., are with their mother, at Marion. Dr. J. C. Mullins died about three years ago. By E. J. Moody's second marriage, he had and raised two sons, Thomas E. and Cornelius G. Thomas E. grew up and married a Miss Little, daughter of Rev. Lewis H. Little; he gave promise of being an energetic and progressive man, but suddenly died soon after his marriage, childless ; his widow remained for a year or two with E. J. Moody's family, and then returned to her own people. Cornelius G. never married; he was a very steady, level-headed, straightforward young man, and gave promise of success and good citizenship; but, alas! he took sick and died some three or four years ago. The two daughters of E. J. Moody, by his last marriage, were Virginia and Maggie. Vir- ginia married Douglas McIntyre, of Marion, and has already been noticed herein in or among the McIntyre family. Maggie married Dr. D. I. Watson, now of Southport, N. C., and has already been noticed in or among the Watson family ; they have several children. E. J. Moody has been and is yet a large- hearted man, hospitable to a fault ; has been a man of affairs, farming and merchandizing all his life, and during his long- life (he is now seventy-five years of age) he has given away at his table and house enough to make a small fortune; his wife, Jane, was one of the noblest of women; she died several years ago, after which her husband kept house with his son, Cornelius (called Neill), for a while, and then broke up, and E. J. Moody since that time has been staying with children (surviving) and other relatives; he has an income sufficient for his support; he has done his part in developing the re- sources and bringing up the county to its present high position, and has nothing now to do but to ruminate on the past and to prepare for his approaching end. Robert B. Moody, the third
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
son of Barfield, grew up and early volunteered for service in the Confederate army, rose to a Lieutenantcy therein, and con- tinued to the end of the war ; he went first in Captain Stanley's company, and on its reorganization left it and went into Cap- tain Finklea's company as Lieutenant, which composed part of the Twenty-third Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers. After the war he married Miss Delilah Wyche, of Virginia, who came down into this county to teach school ; upon his mar- riage he repaired with his wife to her home in Virginia (Greenfield or Westfield), where he settled and lived for many years ; he had but one child, a daughter, who grew up, and after her mother's death married her first cousin, Dr. Rob- ert A. Bass, of Latta, S. C., and who now resides at Latta, and has three or four children ; her father, after some time, married again, a widow lady, with one child, a daughter; they went to Richmond, Va., where, in 1891, they were keeping a large hotel-whether it belonged to his wife or whether it was rented, the writer knoweth not, but rather thinks it belonged to his wife. The writer spent one day and night with them very pleasantly, in the summer of 1891 ; when he went to leave, he asked for his bill, and "Bob," as we used to call him, said it was nothing; he insisted upon paying it, but he and his wife absolutely refused it. They showed me much attention while In Richmond, got a carriage with two horses and took me with his wife over the city to various places of interest and among them the "White House of the Confederacy," where the lamented Winnie Davis, the daughter of the Confederacy, was born. We went into every room in the house, and Mrs. Moody pointed out the room in which Winnie was born-a sacred spot to every Southerner. The house was then unoccupied; the key to it was obtained from its keeper, a colored man. It is in a very eligible spot, not far from the Capitol. I suppose it has been much adorned and beautified since that time. Some four or five years after that time, "Bob" came out here to see his friends and relatives, and was sick and died at Latta, with a cancer on his lip, and he was buried here in the land of his birth. Peace be to his ashes. He had no child by the last wife. Thomas C. Moody, the fourth son of Barfield Moody, was in the Clerk's office as his father's deputy, at his
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father's death, in April, 1860-when, as a matter of course, he had to retire. Asa Godbold, the then Ordinary, became Clerk until a successor to the dead Clerk was elected and qualified; this was then existing law. An election for Clerk was ordered by the proper authorities to be held in June following. At this election the young deputy was a candidate for the office against five others, every one of whom was much more competent than "Tom," as he was called, and is so called yet; he was then twenty-three years of age, with but little education, no experi- ence in such matters, a verdant, green, country youth-could not write legibly-yet led the ticket at the election by seventy votes. One of his supporters in that election was the writer. It was thought by many that, on account of his youth and inex- perience, he would not be able to properly perform the duties of the office. This is said, not in disparagement of Mr. Moody, but it is said to his credit, as the sequel will show. He qualified and took charge of the office and held it till the next regular election, when he was again elected, and held the sec- ond term until he was ousted by reconstruction. As time rolled along, he improved, and became a very efficient Clerk and performed its duties satisfactorily. As an evidence of his ihefficiency on account of his lack of experience, I will relate an incident of what occurred in Court shortly after Mr. Moody went into office-I think, the October term, 1860. The Clerk, as required by law, made up the dockets for the Court. Judge Whitner presided; and in calling the cases on the docket the Judge mistook the letter "C" for "G," which made quite a dif- ference in the name or word. Some member of the bar spoke to the Judge and corrected the call. The Judge looked at it more critically and said, "I would never call that a 'C.'" He then spoke to the Clerk, and said to him, "Come up here, you are a young Clerk, and let me show you how to make a 'C.'" The Clerk, of course, went up to the Judge and the Judge took up his pen, and made a "C" for the Clerk's guidance. This is also related to the credit of Mr. Moody. "Tom" was again a candidate for Clerk, in 1872, and was elected, but the then powers that be counted every Democratic candidate (and all were elected) out. "Tom" kept improving as time advanced, and after the redemption of the State in 1876, he was elected
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to the lower House of the State Legislature (don't remember what year) ; he served a term in that house, and in 1884 was nominated and elected Senator from the county in the Legis- lature; he served four years, was again nominated and again elected to the Senate, in 1888, and served a second term, till 1892. The upheaval in the State that year relegated every man to the rear that did not chime in with the views of B. R. Tillman. During Mr. Moody's first term in the Senate, or just before, he married Miss Eliza Ellerbe, a daughter of Captain W. S. Ellerbe, and sister to the late Governor Ellerbe ; they had no children, and she died in 1896 or 1897; he did not marry till late in life, and he has not remarried; and lives a life of retirement and "splendid leisure," he having acquired a competency to live on; he is now sixty-four years of age. T. C. Moody is a kind-hearted man and very considerate of the poor, and after he went out of the Clerk's office kept many a poor fellow from going to jail by going on his bond for his appearance at Court ; his sympathies were not hard to arouse in favor of the distressed. Could say much more favorable to Mr. Moody, but space will not permit. Albert C. Moody, the fifth and youngest son of old Barfield Moody, grew up just in time for the war; he volunteered, went into the service early in the war and remained to the last; when he came home from the army he went to Lumberton, N. C., and there married a daughter of Sheriff King, and remained there until King's death. King was murdered, as it was said, by the Lowry gang-a gang which terrorized Robeson County for several years after the war, robbing and killing many of the citizens. The State troops were called out to suppress them, but they were of little avail. Sheriff King was a wealthy man and re- puted to have plenty of money-which, no doubt, was the inducement to his murder. Albert, with his wife, came from there to this county, and settled about six miles above Marion, on the road leading to Buck Swamp Bridge; has raised a con- siderable family of sons and daughters, some of them grown -- a daughter, who married a Mr. Hunter ; he lost a grown son by death a few years ago. Albert is a farmer, and though not very progressive, yet manages to support his family. Barfield Moody had four daughters, Sarah Ann, Lucy, Julia and Lizzie.
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The eldest, Sarah Ann, a very accomplished lady, married John Crawford, of Alabama, a relative of hers through her mother; soon after the marriage they went to Alabama; she had one child, a son, named Albert, familiarly called here "Dock ;" she died, and Albert, or "Dock," was raised by his people in Ala- bama and by those here-especially the latter part of his rais- ing ; he was intelligent and promising ; he merchandised a while at Marion, but did not succeed well; he was appointed County Auditor. It was soon discovered that he was incompetent, his habits not good, and finally he was removed or resigned his office, and was sent to the Asylum for treatment ; after staying in the Asylum for some months, he was discharged and sent home ; he was unmarried; he left for Georgia or Alabama and died in Georgia-doubtless a victim of the drink habit. A lesson for all young men who are cognizant of his case. The third daughter of old Barfield Moody, Lucy, married Captain James W. Bass ; a good woman she was, but she has already been noticed in or among the Bass family. Julia, the fourth daughter, married William P. Deer, just at the beginning of the war; he volunteered and went through the war; the fruits of the marriage were two daughters, Blanche and Lula. Blanche married Henry Berry, and lives upon the Deer home- stead ; they have two or three children, all small. Lula mar- ried her first cousin, C. G. Bass ; they have only one child, and have already been noticed in or among the Bass family. Wm. P. Deer left or disappeared some fifteen or twenty years ago, and he has not been heard of since, as the writer has been informed lately by his sister, Mrs. William Watson. Mrs. Lucy Bass and Mrs. Deer are both dead. The second daugh- ter of Barfield Moody (omitted in the order of births), Lizzie, married Major W. D. Lamb, then a citizen of the county ; they had and raised seven sons, names not remembered; their mother died some years ago; the boys grew up and one by one they emigrated to Florida ; and finally the father went and soon after died in Florida. The sons are all there. Major Lamb was a character, but space will not permit a further notice of him.
Rev. Tapley Moody, an old man sixty or seventy years ago, was the head of another branch of the Moody family in this
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county. Old "Tap," as he was called, was an excellent man, a Christian gentleman, a local Methodist preacher, and a man of no ordinary ability-if he had been educated, he, doubtless, would have been a power. The writer has heard him preach many times-he was a strong preacher. In some parts of a sermon he became truly eloquent; the confidence the people had in his piety gave effect to his sermon. He was greatly beloved by all, whether in the church or out of it-was univer- sally popular; married more couples than any other man of his day or since his time-was sent for far and near to marry people. He was a poor man, and had and raised a large family of sons and daughters-he raised them right and respectably ; don't know that I can name all of his sons; they were, as now remembered, John H., Stephen, Daniel, Tapley, Wesley and James R. Ervin ; may have been another one or two, and some daughters-three or four; don't know who his wife was, but think she was a Miss Herring. All the sons were good men and made good citizens; think they are all dead. John H., the oldest, married Miss Elizabeth Mace, already mentioned in or among the Mace family. Stephen married Miss Obeda Butler, a daughter of Elias Butler, in the Gaddy neighborhood ; they had and raised a family, don't know how many-know but one, Enos Moody, a capital citizen of Carmichael Town- ship, near Dillion; he has a family, not known of; his mother, Obeda, still lives. The name, in that family of Butlers, I think, is extinct. Daniel Moody married the Widow Mary Edwards, a daughter of the "Widow Betsy Moody," on Buck Swamp; think they are both dead. Tapley married some one not known; so did Wesley. James R. Ervin married, first, a widow, whose maiden name was Mary Crawford, a niece of Cross Roads Henry Berry's wife; she died; think she left two children ; he married again, a Miss Finklea, daughter of the late Willis Finklea, and had some family, how many not known; he is dead. Of the daughters of old Tapley Moody, one married the late Jessee Hays, of Reaves Township; she had one child, a daughter, who married some one unknown. Jessee Hays was a good citizen; he and his wife are both dead; don't know anything of the other daughters of old Tapley Moody, who was a Mason, and died in 1843 ; was at his funeral
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(Masonic) ; he was buried on the plantation of Wm. D Rob- erts, on Buck Swamp.
Another branch of the Moody family was represented by three brothers, Josiah, John W. and Joshua T. Moody. They were related to all the foregoing Moodys, but what it is, is not known. Josiah Moody went to school at Pine Hill, in 1842 and 1844-the writer went to school there at the same time; he was a genial young man and full of the spice of life; he was then grown; he afterwards married the Widow Polly Platt, widow of old Daniel Platt, who lived just below Latta; she had six or seven children. In 1854, he and Hugh Haselden built a large hotel at Marion, as Moody & Haselden; the hotel was near the depot, and is remembered by many now living. It was intended for a railroad house-was built just as the railroad was finished, but did not run long; they sold it to Philip P. Bethea. Of course, a barroom was appended to it. Bethea and Gilbert W. Mckay ran it till about the beginning of the war, when they sold it to Woodward Manning. It is not necessary to trace its history any further. John W. Moody emigrated with his family, or as many of them as would go, to Texas; know nothing further of him. John W. Moody, when quite young, went to clerking for Wyatt Fuller, at Allen's Bridge; and such was his aptitude for business that Fuller kept him until his (Fuller's) death, which, I think, occurred in the last of the forties or early fifties, and for the last two or three years of Fuller's life, he being unable to attend to it, the whole business was run by John W. Moody, and apparently with success. Moody was well up to such business and was trustworthy. In the meantime, he married Miss Shooter, . the only daughter of Benjamin Shooter. After Fuller's death and his affairs wound up, Moody's wife having died in the meantime, he, I think, went to Texas also-he dis- appeared, and have heard that he was dead; don't know if he had any children. Joshua T. Moody, the youngest brother, was well known in this county ; he was also a genial gentleman, large-hearted and liberal to a fault ; he would make any per- sonal sacrifice to accommodate a friend; honest and honorable in all his dealings, full of life and buoyancy, and of gushing hospitality ; he merchandized a while, run a barroom a while,
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