A Civil War Biography
Young Marshall Moody
Moody was born 23 June 1822 in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He
moved to Alabama in the early 1840s settling in Marengo County where
he taught school and was a shopkeeper. He took an interest in the
judicial system and as civil war loomed Moody was clerking in the
circuit court of Marengo County.
When the war did erupt Moody gave up his clerkship to join the 11th
Alabama infantry regiment. He was named captain and commander of
Company A on 11 June 1861. The 11th was sent to Virginia and
formally enlisted in the Confederate States army on 17 June 1861.
Although the regiment spent time at Winchester, between Alexandria
and Centerville, and near Manassas it saw no action. Moody, along
with a young major and West Point graduate, Archibald Gracie,
returned to Alabama where they raised in Mobile what became the 43rd
Alabama infantry regiment. Moody was named lieutenant colonel of the
43rd on 15 May 1862. Gracie was the commander with the rank of
colonel. The 43rd saw action its first action in East Tennessee.
After Gracie was promoted to brigadier general and assigned brigade
command, Moody, on 4 November 1862, was promoted to colonel and
given command of the 43rd. He commanded the regiment during the
later stages of Braxton Bragg's Kentucky campaign, at Chickamauga,
during the siege of Chattanooga, and the siege of Knoxville. In May
1864 the 43rd was sent to join the forces of P.G.T. Beauregard
protecting Richmond. On 16 May 1864 Moody was wounded while fighting
in what became known as Second Drewry's Bluff. When he returned to
service he rejoined Gracie's command which was in the trenches at
Petersburg. When Gracie was killed by artillery on 2 December 1864
Moody took over command of the brigade. He retained command of the
brigade until surrendered at Appomattox. He was promoted to
brigadier general on 4 March 1865.
After the war Moody returned to Alabama. He established himself in
business. While on a business trip to New Orleans, Louisiana in the
fall of 1866 he contracted yellow fever. He succumbed to the fever
while still in New Orleans on 18 September 1866.
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