Civil War captain from Black River Falls, Wis.

William P. Moore was born in southern Indiana on September 8, 1827. He moved to Black River Falls, Jackson County, Wisconsin, in 1847 and married Alzina L. Coleman on February 16, 1851. The family had one son and two daughters. Moore was a blacksmith and mechanic. He also was elected sherriff of Jackson County and held this position until his enlistment. Moore was a member of the Black River Falls lodge of the A. F. & A. Masons.

Moore raised Co. G of the 10th Wisconsin Infantry, the Jackson County Rifles, with the assistance of C.C. Pope and others. One member of this company was his brother-in-law, Isaac Coleman. Moore was elected Captain on September 7, 1861. They started on October 8, 1861, for the front in Louisville, Kentucky. Moore was killed in a skirmish at Larkinsville, Alabama, on July 4, 1862. An anecdote in his obituary says Moore’s killer was a confederate soldier who had agreed to deliver a letter to him from his captured brother-in-law. His remains were brought home to Black River Falls where he was buried with Masonic honors.

Moore kept a diary that encompasses the period from September 7, 1861, to June 26, 1862. In it he describes the organization of the company and the history of its movements and battles in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama until the time of his death. The diary includes many observations on slavery and the effects of war.

View Capt. Moore’s diary

View accounts of Capt. Moore’s death

Learn More

Dictionary of Wisconsin History

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Moore's diary]