Pocahontas County History Preservation, Digitization, Community

Isaac Moore, p. 467, Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County by William T. Price (1901)

One of the sacred duties resting on the living is to preserve memories of worthy citizens now deceased, and heed the lessons illustrated, that may stimulate and encourage useful endeavors to have similar aims in our own lives.

"For as the light
Not only serves to show but render us
Mutually profitable; so our lives,
In acts exemplary, not only win
Ourselves good names, but do to others give
Matter for virtuous deeds by which we live."

The aim of this article is to perform such a service with reference to Squire Isaac Moore, whose name appears in the first records of our county, and was associated with its history for forty years.

He was born March 2, 1800, at the "Bridger place" four or five miles east of Edray. He grew up familiar with many of the privations of pioneer life, but was happily exempt from the risks and perils that were such features of the times a few years previously from Indian raids.

The surroundings of his home were picturesque: the river with its rapid waters of crystal purity, the overhanging hills that bordered the wooded valley where the log home stood, made a scene that would attract notice anywhere. It was only one place among hundreds to be found in a vast expansive region to which Homer's famous line about Ithaca would apply:

"A rough wild nurse land, whose crops were men."

Here Mr Moore lived and toiled until early manhood. The greatest sorrow of his young life was when he saw his brother Andrew buried. He was killed by falling from a tree near the sugar camp, while members of the family were stirring off a kettle of sugar. In 1820 Robert Moore, his father, moved his family to Edray and built near the noted Drinnon Spring. Soon after this change Isaac Moore married Miss Catherine Gilliland, daughter of Squire John Gilliland, whose residence was on top of the mountain overlooking Millpoint.

The young people soon settled in the woods near the old home. Not a tree was cut before Mr Moore began to clear out a place for a house, garden, and grain patch. Three times a day the young wife would go to the Drinnon spring, nearly a mile away, to attend the milking, churning, and getting things for table use.

Mr Moore was fond of books and was anxious to become a good scholar. He diligently improved his opportunities, and with such assistance as he received from an old field school teacher he mastered what was called the three "R's"--Rithmetic, Reading, and Riting. Fortunately for him Colonel John Baxter, a near neighbor, had what is believed to have been the largest and best collection of books in the county, probably as many as one hundred volumes—history, travel, fiction, and poetry. He had the use of these books at will, and thus his taste for reading was in a measure gratified until he could procure ample reading elsewhere.

For a good many winters young Moore taught school in a house near the present residence of George Baxter. It was of the pioneer style, built of unhewn logs, chinked and daubed, roofed with boards, kept in place by press poles, one end taken up by the chimney of sticks and clay. A window extended the entire length of one side, lighted with greased paper, a substitute for glass.

The Barlows, Moores, Baxters, Duncans, Smiths, and Duffields were the chief patrons of the school during the years of his service. To promote order and discipline the young teacher cut a haw switch of portentious length and placed it in view of the whole school, and for a time the effect appeared salutary. One day, however, just as play time was over and the scholars were gathering in, the teacher was arranging a backlog, and while in a stooping position one of the scholars took down the switch and dealt the teacher a stinging blow across the shoulder and side of the head. He skipped out of the door and ran at the top of his speed through the woods with the teacher in hot pursuit. In about a half mile the fugitive was overtaken, and the first impulse was to punish him by wearing out the switch. The recreant scholar seemed so sorry and plead so piteously that the teacher relented and agreed to let him off that time. He became a good boy and gave no more trouble.

At the first term of the Pocahontas Court Mr Moore was appointed a captain of the 127th Regiment of Virginia Militia. He served as magistrate for many years, and was high Sheriff when his time came as senior member of the court. He was one of the main business agents of his neighborhood in drawing up wills, deeds, writings, and articles of agreement, in all which he excelled. Important changes in the public roads suggested by him were made, and new roads were projected. At his request a largely attended meeting was held to consider reforms in the schools. So much was he interested in educational affairs that at this meeting a Board of Education was organized to supervise the schools in the Edray district, and have them taught by such teachers as were examined and approved by the Board. He led a spirited controversy in the effort to have silent schools in place of the noisy vocal schools. His point was carried and silent schools became the rule. This occurred about the year 1846.

In politics Mr Moore was a Henry Clay Whig. Among his last votes, perhaps his very last, he cast for the ordnance of secession. During the summer and fall of 1861 Edray swarmed with soldiers on the march or in the camp. Mr Moore contracted camp fever late in the season. About the time he had convalesced enough to move about, he was seized by measles of a malignant type, from which he died December, 5, 1861, in the 62d year of his age.

Some years previously he avowed his faith in Christ. Until lately the writer of this tribute had a letter written to him while at College by Mr Moore, giving information of the great change that had come over his mind, and of his new desires and heavenly hopes. In that letter, too, he expressed a regret that he had not borne the cross from his youth, and permitted so many years to pass away unmindful of his duty to Christ as an open follower. He was a conscientious person from his youth to old age. He had the substance, if not the form. To the writer and many others his name is precious, and will be for years to come.

His memory long will live alone
In all their hearts as mournful light,
That broods above the fallen sun
And dwells in heaven half the night.