Named after his maternal grandfather, Littleberry Moore and Governor James K. Polk (elected president 1844), his nickname was 'Mac'. In his early years he was very headstrong and a family story tells of his determination of having a portion of his toes cut off by his brother James rather than move his foot from the chopping block. He joined the 43 TENN Inf. Co. K, 5 East TENN Vols. - Gillespie's Regiment, and was mustered in at Ooltewah in November 1862. He served the Confederacy with pride and was part of the defenders at the siege at Vicksburg in July 1863. During the Battle of Black River (West Point, Mississippi), his right arm thrown out of place at the elbow. It was never properly set and troubled him the remainder of his life. Taken prisoner by the Union forces and sent home; captured again in Dallas (Hamilton County) on October 27, 1863, and sent as a prisoner of war to Nashville. Paroled on November 5, 1863, after signing an Oath of Allegiance. After the war he farmed in the Ooltewah Valley but because the records of land transactions were burned in the James County Courthouse fire, the total amount of land he owned is unknown. It is known that he owned 40 acres of land in Ooltewah; which passed to his daughter Anna Mae at the time of his wife’s death. That land was bounded by Mrs. Sylar’s and William Fitzgerald’s property. As a farmer he owned a horse, cows, and hogs. His daughter Cleopatara and her daughter Zepher were living in his home. In 1904, he applied for a pension for service in the Confederate Army, claiming his war injury; the application is #5973. That pension application was rejected with the notation " took oath too soon - #1 only proof." The witnesses for his pension H. J. Humphrey and S. McGhee stated "was a good soldier ready and willing for duty when able."

Copyright 2001.
Used with permission of Phebe Morgan
phebem@home.com