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Major Moore’s exploits furnished the foundation for the
famous New England ballad entitled, “The Sword of Bunker
Hill.”
Young Moore left the farm at 16 and became an apprentice
in a boot shop in Boston. He
responded to the call to arms issued by President Lincoln and
enlisted in July, 1861, in Company A, sixteenth Main Volunteers.
It
was to be a “short war” and enlistment was only for 12
months. Young Moore
duly received his discharge and promptly re-enlisted.
Left
for West
He fought in many bitter
engagements, but suffered no permanent injury from wounds. Back
to Boston at the close of the Civil war he learned the barber
trade and opened a shop. The
call of the West kept ringing in his ears.
He sold his place of business and removed to Red Wing,
Minn. in 1869.
Stories of the wild region,
Montana, fired his imagination. He decided to come to the
mountains. He
started for Montana in 1872, and arrived at Helena in 1873.
In 1876 he came to Butte and had resided here ever since.
He followed carpenter and
lumber work in this city until he retired in 1915.
He was foreman of the Western Lumber company, which was
the property of ex-Mayor W. B. Thompson, for 14 years.
Mr. Moore brought together and trained the first cornet
band in Butte in 1877.
Masonic
Lodge
His only organization
affiliations were the Masonic lodge and the G. A. R.
He joined King Solomon lodge, A. F. and A. M. in Helena
in 1875, and continuously maintained his membership.
He was one of the early members
of the G. A. R. and has held many offices in Lincoln post.
Mr. Moore is survived by his
son, Raymond C., and his daughter, Mrs. Mary Ethel Flynn, both
of Butte, a daughter, Mrs. Mary Caswell, of Akron, Ohio, several
grand and great-grandchildren.
A telegram notifying Mrs.
Caswell of her father’s death was sent yesterday morning.
Arrangements for the funeral will not be announced until
Mrs. Caswell is heard from
A
FineType
Nelson Moore was regarded by his associates as a fine
type of American citizenship.
Of herculean build and unusual strength and courage, he
was extremely considerate of the feelings of others, generous
and kindly almost to a fault.
He had a rare fund of New England humor and was temperate
and industrious in his habits throughout his long life.
He enjoyed good health—except for annoying attacks of
dizziness during the past year—throughout his long life.
His only infirmity was
a slight deafness. His
only dissipation was to bake huge pot of pork and beans, which
he did religiously each week until recently, and gather about
him for the old army feast, the comrades of the G. A. R.
Nelson Moore’s death
is a sad blow to the rapidly diminishing little band of Civil
war veterans in Butte. He
was one of the half dozen who could be relied on to attend the
post functions with regularity and to perform such work as falls
to committees.
To an accident
sustained while on kitchen police, Mr. Moore probably owed
escape from a fate that overtook most of his regiment at
Fredricksburg. The
day before the battle he stepped in a ditch while carrying a
rail. The rail dropped across his back and fractured one of the
vertebra. On the day
following, his regiment was practically wiped out before
Fredricksburg. The
company went into action with nearly 100 men, of whom only about
25 escaped slaughter.
At the last election
of the post he was chosen chaplain.
The total membership of Lincoln post is 17, but of these
only six attend the meetings.
The post will take appropriate action, it was stated
yesterday, regarding the death of their old comrade.
The entertainment of
the ladies of G. A. R., which was set for this evening at
Patriotic hall, courthouse, has been postponed as a mark of
respect to the memory of the dead soldier.
The
Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana
3/4/1926
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