Webster W. Moses diaries and letters [microform]

Biographical sketch: Soldier in the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, Co. D; farmer. Of Wyanet, Ill.; Springdale Township, Redwood County, Minn.

Abstract: Primarily papers of Webster W. Moses' diaries & letters; the diary & letters of his wife, Nancy; and letters of her brothers George, Robert, & Welcome Mowry. Most of the letters and diaries were written during the Civil War.

Biog. Sketch (Full):

Webster Wiggins Moses was born 9 October 1838, in Wellington, Maine [some sources say Maine, Illinois, presumably Maine Township, Cook County], to Benjamin Shepherd Moses (1810 – ?) and Sarah Herring. He had a brother, Leonard. In 1850 his family was living in Monson, Maine, but seven years later they were in Steele, Minnesota. During the Civil War he enlisted in Company D of the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment on 18 August 1861, was promoted to corporal on 3 November 1861 and to sergeant on 22 February 1862, and was injured in service. He married Nancy Mowry (1846 – 1942) at the age of 26 on 19 March 1865 at the Wesleyan Methodist parsonage in West Bureau (present Bureau) or Wyanet, Illinois. They had seven children: Edwin Ralph (1866 – 1866), Eugene Wilfred (1867 – 1942), Annella Lois (1869 – 1880), Jessie Mae (1875 – 1936), Robert Shepherd (1878 – 1880), Webster Lloyd (1881 – 1942), and Francis Willard (1890 – 1942). Between 1870 and 1880, the family moved to Springdale Township, Redwood County, Minnesota, where he farmed; they remained there the rest of his life. He died on 17 April 1912 at the age of 73 in Le Sueur, Minnesota, and is buried in Tracy, Minnesota.

Nancy Ann Mowry was born in Putnam, Illinois, on 21 December 1846 to George Aldrich [some sources say George W.] (1804 - 1889) and Nancy Jack Mowry (1806 - 1888). She had eight brothers and sisters: Martha Aldrich (1829 - ?), Jesse (1831 - 1917), Thomas (1833 - 1899), George (1835 - 1903), Robert (1837 - 1891), Margaret Aldrich (1839 - 1898), Welcome (1842 - 1907), and Mary (1844 - 1862). She completed grade school and, at the age of 19, married Webster W. Moses (1838 – 1912) at the Wesleyan Methodist parsonage in West Bureau (present Bureau) or Wyanet, Illinois. They had seven children: Edwin Ralph (1866 – 1866), Eugene Wilfred (1867 – 1942), Annella Lois (1869 – 1880), Jessie Mae (1875 – 1936), Robert Shepherd (1878 – 1880), Webster Lloyd (1881 – 1942), and Francis Willard (1890 – 1942). Between 1870 and 1880, the family moved to Springdale Township where she helped her husband farm. In 1940 she was living with her son Francis and his family. She died 18 July 1942 in Springdale Township at the age of 95.

George Mowry was born 7 April 1835 in Thurston Bath, New York, to George Aldrich [some sources say George W.] (1804 - 1889) and Nancy Jack Mowry (1806 - 1888). He had eight brothers and sisters: Martha Aldrich (1829 - ?), Jesse (1831 - 1917), Thomas (1833 - 1899), Robert (1837 - 1891), Margaret Aldrich (1839 - 1898), Welcome (1842 - 1907), Mary (1844 - 1862), and Nancy Ann (1846 - 1942). A resident of Wyanet, he enlisted in Company D, 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, on 1 September 1861; he was mustered out with the Regiment on 29 September 1865. He never married and died in Wyanet on 5 August 1903 at the age of 68.

Robert Mowry was born 23 May 1837 in Steuben, New York, to George Aldrich [some sources say George W.] (1804 - 1889) and Nancy Jack Mowry (1806 - 1888). He had eight brothers and sisters: Martha Aldrich (1829 - ?), Jesse (1831 - 1917), Thomas (1833 - 1899), George (1835 - 1903), Margaret Aldrich (1839 - 1898), Welcome (1842 - 1907), Mary (1844 - 1862), and Nancy Ann (1846 - 1942). During the Civil War, he enlisted in Company C of the 93rd Illinois Infantry on 10 August 1862. He was later promoted to sergeant, then reduced to private. He was severely wounded in the leg in battle at Champion Hill, Mississippi, on 16 May 1863. He was mustered out 23 June 1865. He never married and died 5 March 1891 at the age of 53. He is buried in Conway, Iowa.

Welcome Mowry was born 3 April 1842 in Putnam to George Aldrich [some sources say George W.] (1804 - 1889) and Nancy Jack Mowry (1806 - 1888). He had eight brothers and sisters: Martha Aldrich (1829 - ?), Jesse (1831 - 1917), Thomas (1833 - 1899), George (1835 - 1903), Robert (1837 - 1891), Margaret Aldrich (1839 - 1898), Mary (1844 - 1862), and Nancy Ann (1846 - 1942). He was educated in the grade schools there and received his secondary education at Dover Academy. A resident of Wyanet, he enlisted in Company D, 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, on 18 August 1861. He was promoted to sergeant on 3 September 1861, reduced to private 3 November 1861, and mustered out on 27 September 1864. While in the service, he was often a scout and participated in the battles of Corinth, Coffeyville, Tupelo, Iuka, Coldwater, Holly Springs, Oxford, and Jackson, Mississippi. Following his initial enlistment, he re-enlisted, this time in the 151st Illinois Infantry. He was a sergeant in command of Brigadier General Henry Moses Judah's headquarters guards. He was discharged in February 1866. He married Lucinda Sapp on 5 September 1866 in Wyanet at the age of 24. They had three children: Lorena C. (1868 - 1943), Burdette F. (1870 - 1950), and Alzada B. (1873 - 1960). In 1867 they moved to Tama County, Iowa. In 1883 he was elected a State representative. He was an Iowa Republican elector in the 1896 presidential election, and in 1898 he was elected a railroad commissioner. He lived the remainder of his life in Tama County and died in Oneida on 14 April 1907.

Contents: Diaries of Webster W. Moses, 1862, 1864-1865 -- letters of Webster W. Moses, 1861-1865 -- diary of Nancy Mowry Moses (Mrs. W. W. Moses), January 1, 1863-May 10, 1865 -- letters of Nancy Mowry Moses (Mrs. W. W. Moses), 1861-1865 -- Civil War letters of Welcome Mowry, Robert Mowry and George Mowry, Jr., 1862-1866 -- additional Civil War letters of Webster W. Moses and Nancy Mowry Moses, 1863-1865 -- additional Moses and Mowry family correspondence, 1856-1862 -- Moses collection, undated letters -- additional documents from the Webster W. Moses collection not previously microfilmed.

Finding Aid Bibliography:

"All Illinois Quaker Records results for Welcome Mowry," Ancestry.com website: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsfn=Welcome&gsln=Mowry&gskw=Civil+War&catBucket=rstp&uidh=jc2&_83004003-n_xcl=f&msbng0=Nancy&msbns0=Mowry+Moses&msbng1=Robert&msbns1=Mowry&msbng2=George&msbns2=Mowry&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=4819&recoff=14+16+18+20+22+24+25+26+54+56+58+60+62+64+65+66&db=ilquak&ml_rpos=41 (viewed 1 Mar. 2014).

"All Results for Nancy Moses," Ancestry.com website: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?new=1&gsfn=Nancy&gsln=Moses&rank=1&gss=angs-g&mswpn__ftp=Springdale%2c+Redwood%2c+Minnesota%2c+USA&mswpn=47294&mswpn_PInfo=8-|0|1652393|0|2|3247|26|0|2496|47294|0|&msbdy=1846&gl=ROOT_CATEGORY&gst= (viewed 28 Feb. 2014).

"All Results for Webster Moses," Ancestry.com website: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=ROOT_CATEGORY&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=ms_f-2_s&gsfn=Webster&gsln=Moses&msbdy=1838&gskw=Kansas&catBucket=rstp&uidh=jc2&_83004003-n_xcl=f&mssng0=Nancy&mssns0=Moses (viewed 21 Feb. 2014).

"Nancy Ann Mowry," "Welcome Mowry," Evans Adams Dunt Quinn Family Tree, Ancestry.com website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/43018646/person/12746161063 (viewed 4 Mar. 2014).

"Results for Soldiers for the Last Name 'Mowry', State Matching 'KS', a Union Soldier," "The Civil War," U.S. National Park Service website: http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm?submitted=1&SDfName=&SDOriginState_count=1+Selected&SDOriginState=KS&SDlName=Mowry&SDsideName=U&SDfunction_count=None+Selected (viewed 3 Mar. 2014).

"Robert Mowry," Evans Adams Dunt Quinn Family Tree, Ancestry.com website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/43018646/person/1274661056 (viewed 4 Mar. 2014).

"Roster of Company C" (93rd Illinois Infantry), Illinois in the Civil War website: http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/cw93-hist-c.html (viewed 5 Mar. 2014).

"Seventh Regiment Kansas Volunteers - Cavalry: Company D," extracted from Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kansas, Vol. 1. - 1861-1865, pp. 566-72. Leavenworth, Kansas: Bulletin Co-operative Printing Company, Chicago. 1867. State Library of Kansas website: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kansas, Vol. 1. - 1861-1865. Leavenworth, Kansas: Bulletin Co-operative Printing Company, Chicago. 1867. State Library of Kansas website: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/statewide/military/civilwar/adjutant/7/d.html (viewed 5 Mar. 2014).

"U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 about Welcome Mowry," Ancestry.com website: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsfn=Welcome&gsln=Mowry&msidy=1863&msipn__ftp=Kansas&gskw=7th+Kansas+Cavalry&catBucket=rstp&uidh=jc2&msidp=5&_83004003-n_xcl=f&msbng0=Nancy&msbns0=Mowry+Moses&msbng1=George&msbns1=Mowry&msbng2=Robert&msbns2=Moses&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=3875433&db=civilwar_histdatasys&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1 (viewed 3 Mar. 2014).

"Webster W. Moses," Dalton Family Tree, Ancestry.com website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/51659139/person/13315897409

"Welcome Mowry," Evans Adams Dunt Quinn Family Tree, Ancestry.com website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/43018646/person/12644715040 (viewed 4 Mar. 2014).

"Welcome Mowry," from History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century, vol. 4, by Benjamin F. Gue, Wikisource website: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_Iowa_From_the_Earliest_Times_to_the_Beginning_of_the_Twentieth_Century/4/Welcome_Mowry (viewed 6 Mar. 2014).

Use and reproduction: Information on literary rights available from the Kansas Historical Society (Topeka).

Add'l physical form: Microfilm. Topeka, Kan. : Kansas State Historical Society, 1961; roll MS 169, lab no. 6336A; available for research or interlibrary loan to Kansas libraries.

Holder of originals: Kansas Historical Society (Topeka).