Fairfield in Freestone County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Colonel Wm. L. Moody

(1828-1920)

Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025

1. Colonel Wm. L. Moody Marker

Inscription. Came to Texas from Virginia, 1852. Organized and was captain of Co. G, 7th Texas Infantry, the first Freestone County unit to go into battle in the Civil War.

Captured at Fort Donelson, Tenn. Feb. 1862. Exchanged, soon won promotion to colonel for bravery on battlefield. Commended for personally leading and rallying men in hand-to-hand combat in thick woods.

Wounded and returned to Texas, where he served till war ended.

In 1866 moved to Galveston. Became leader in financial business, philanthropic and civic affairs.

Erected 1964 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 9894.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1862.

Location. 31° 43.36′ N, 96° 8.711′ W. Marker is in Fairfield, Texas, in Freestone County. It is at the intersection of East Commerce Street (U.S. 84) and Oak Street, on the right when traveling east on East Commerce Street. The marker is located at the entrance to the Moody Reunion Fairgrounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 839 E Commerce St, Fairfield TX 75840, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: W.L. Moody Confederate Reunion Grounds (here, next to this marker); Fairfield Female College (approx. ¼ mile away); James Bonner Rogers (approx. 0.6 miles away);

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David Hall Love (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Fridolin (Fred) Fischer Home (approx. ¾ mile away); 1881 Freestone County Jail (approx. 0.8 miles away); Carter Log House (approx. 0.8 miles away); Butler Church Bell (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairfield.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Old Freestone Jail (was approx. 0.8 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . William Lewis Moody: A Pioneer in Texas Business and Politics. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

MOODY, WILLIAM LEWIS (1828–1920).William Lewis Moody, entrepreneur, was born on May 19, 1828, in Essex County, Virginia. The son of Jameson and Mary Susan (Lankford) Moody, he was raised in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Moody was orphaned at fifteen. He attended law school at the University of Virginia and graduated after three years in 1851. In 1852 he moved to Texas and settled at Fairfield in Freestone County. After three years of practicing law, he was joined by his brothers and went into the mercantile and cotton business as W. L. Moody and Brothers. Moody married
Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025

2. Colonel Wm. L. Moody Marker
Pherabe Elizabeth Bradley on December 1, 1860. They were the parents of six children. One was still born and two daughters died in infancy. His two sons, William Lewis Moody, Jr., and Frank Bradley Moody, were in business with him. William Lewis Moody, Jr., would become one of the most significant financiers in Texas during the first half of the twentieth century. His surviving daughter, Mary Emily Moody, married Sealy Hutchings of Galveston. The Moodys lived in Fairfield until 1866, when they moved to Galveston where they lived for the remainder of their lives. With the coming of the Civil War, Moody was an ardent secessionist. In the summer of 1861 he organized Company G of the Seventh Texas Infantry and served as captain of the company. His unit, under the command of Moody's friend John Gregg, was captured at the fall of Fort Donelson. After months in prison camp, Moody was exchanged in September 1862 and participated in the reorganization of the Seventh Texas Infantry, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. He fought through the spring 1863 campaigns in Mississippi and was commended for bravery at the battle of Raymond on May
Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025

3. The view of the entrance to the Moody Reunion Fairgrounds
12. On July 10 he was seriously wounded in fighting near Jackson, Mississippi. He was sent back to Texas to convalesce, promoted to colonel, and spent the remainder of the Civil War in Austin.

(Submitted on May 1, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 1, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.