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COLONEL ROBERT M. MOORE
WAS born near Dunganon, County Tyrone,
Ireland, on the 29th of October, 1816, and died in the city of
Cincinnati, February 23, 1880. He received a common education in youth,
but in later years gave much time to intellectual improvement by reading
such works as stored his mind with practical information. He came to
America with Edward Patterson, to whom he had been apprenticed. They
landed in Canada, where they spent a year, then removed to Cincinnati.
He soon afterwards bought his apprentice time from his employer,
continuing to work at his trade of cabinet making for some time. He then
formed a partnership with Robert Mitchell, and they established the
house of Mitchell, Rammelsberg & Co., which developed the largest
and most successful establishment of the kind in the United States. From
this partnership he withdrew, and established an ominbus line from the
old Buckeye House at Sedamsville to the Dennison House on Fifth Street
east of Main (now the Arlington). This line continued running until it
was superseded by the Sedamsville Street Railroad.
On the breaking out of the Mexican war
Colonel Moore enlisted in Company A, First Regiment Ohio Volunteers; was
elected captain, went to Mexico, and remained with his company until the
close of the war, except a brief .period, when he was at home sick. On
his return home the members of his company presented him with a
beautiful gold-mounted sword, as a testimonial for his bravery and
kindness to his command.
At the breaking out of the late civil war
Colonel Moore again. enlisted in the service of his country in company D
of the gallant. Tenth Regiment Ohio Volunteers; and was again elected
captain. He was sent with his company to Gilmer and Braxton Counties,
Virginia—a region terribly infested with guerrillas. On leaving there
he was presented with complimentary resolutions by the citizens,
expressive of their high appreciation of the manner in which he
performed his duty as a soldier and commanding officer. Colonel Moore,.
in command of his company, participated with his regiment, then
commanded by the gallant Lytle, in the battle of Perryville, Ky., where
he was severely wounded in the leg by a rifle-ball, which he carried
through life. For gallant services in the field he was promoted to the
rank of major in 1862, and, in 1863, to that of lieutenant-colonel, in
which capacity he served until the close of the war.
After his return home he devoted much of
his time to public matters and works of charity. His labors for his
regiment did not cease with the end of service in the field ; for he
soon opened an office for the collection of claims of his men against
the government, and in this capacity he collected and turned over a
quarter of a million dollars to those to whom it was due, without a cent
of compensation or charge for his services. He became an active and
valuable member of the Horticultural and Wine-growers' Societies. His
heart ever sympathizing with the poor and lonely, he conceived the idea
of benefiting the "Street Arabs" as the "newsboys"
were derisively called, and originated and organized a "Newsboys'
Union," which soon resulted in great good to them. He was a father
to them, looking after and supplying the wants of this hitherto
neglected portion of our population. And many prosperous young men in
Cincinnati to-day remember, with emotions of gratitude, the kindness,
encouragement, and material aid they received: from Colonel R. M. Moore
in the dark hours of .their lives.
Colonel Moore held at different times
responsible positions of honor and trust both in the city and State,
having been a councilman from the Twenty -first Ward, and a staff
officer of Governor Salmon P. Chase, whilst governor of the
State.
In the Spring of 1877 he was the
Republican candidate for mayor of the city, and was elected, being
complimented by several thousand more votes than any candidate on the
ticket, and during his administration his generous and noble qualities
were constantly shown by acts of charity to those who were needy and in
distress. When the city had failed to provide for such, he supplied the
necessary aid out of his private purse.
He married the daughter of Reese E.
Price, of Price's Hill, on the ____18__ , and by his marriage came into
possession of a large interest in real estate; the estate of Mr. Price
being one of the most beautiful, finest, and largest on the western
hills. From this be received a large income annually, and no man ever
lived who was more generous with money when the object was worthy. He
and his excellent and benevolent lady—who still survives him—gave
large sums yearly for charitable purposes, and the poor ever found in
them friends indeed, on whom they could depend. Not in all this great
city can there be found any one who will say aught against the generous,
patriotic; noble-minded, and unselfish Colonel R. M.. Moore, whose
life-time was spent in doing good to his fellow-men ; and when he died,
thousands of hearts were bowed down in sincere sorrow for the true
patriot, the gallant soldier, the "newsboys'" friend.
Colonel Moore was peculiar in the
dispensations of his charities. He never sought notoriety for his noble
deeds in this direction; nor did he, as many others, give only to those
from whom he might in the future receive a corresponding benefit, but
rather sought out the lowly and those who appeared to be neglected by
others. To such he was truly the "good
Samaritan." The only question he asked was, were they
really needy? were they worthy? If so, assistance was immediately
rendered, no matter what their position in life might have been. They
were fellow-beings, made in the image of their Maker, and as such he
recognized them. To such men riches are a blessing, and they will be
remembered as true philanthropists. Concerning him it may be said :
"How few with thee inquire
the wretched out,
And court the offices of soft humanity;
Like thee reserve the raiment for the naked,
Reach out their bread to feed the crying orphan,
Or mix the pitying tear with those that weep.
Think
not the good,
The gentle deeds of mercy thou hast done
Shall die, forgotten all : the poor, the pris'ner,
The fatherless, the friendless, and the widow,
Who daily own the bounty of thy hand,
Shall cry to heav'n and pull a blessing on thee."
The veteran soldier and sailor had no
better friend than Colonel R. M. Moore. He was at all times, and
wherever he might be, active in seeking employment for those who desired
it, and ever ready to open his purse for the aid of a disabled or sick
comrade, and for the relief of the widows and orphans of deceased
soldiers, and took great interest in the establishment of the Soldiers'
and Sailors' Orphans' Home, at Xenia; and many a poor orphan yet blesses
his name for the interest he manifested in their welfare, by caring for
them and getting them into that institution. At the decoration of
soldiers' graves at Spring Grove Cemetery, a few years' since, he
secured the attendance of a large number of the orphans from the Home at
Xenia, providing for their transportation at his own expense. After the
exercises were concluded, and the children had lunched bountifully, he
formed them in line, when he made a brief speech of encouragement to
them, and then, to the astonishment of the assembled citizens, placed in
the hand of each orphan a gold dollar. The delight, the gratitude
expressed on each of those orphan countenances was a greater return and
more gratifying to him than any other consideration could possibly have
been; and as was remarked by a lady who witnessed this beautiful .act,
" It was difficult to tell who was the most pleased, the orphans or
the colonel himself."
He was one of the organizers of the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Association of Hamilton County, in which
he took a deep interest, and was its first and second commander.
Resolutions of respect were passed by the
City Council, of which he had been a member. Also, by the Horticultural
and Wine Growers' Associations. The "newsboys" also passed
resolutions of love and gratitude to their benefactor. And the Soldiers'
and Sailors' Memorial Association expressed in feeling resolutions their
appreciation of him as a brave and patriotic soldier of two wars, and as
a generous comrade.
At his funeral thousands turned out to
pay a last sad tribute of respect to his memory, among whom were the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Association, the Grand Army of the
Republic, four regiments National Guards, a large body of the police;
under command of Colonel Lewis C. Wilson, and nearly every "
newsboy" and boot-black in the city, the whole under the direction
of Colonel A. E. Jones, whom the family had requested to take charge of
the funeral ceremonies. His remains were buried in Spring Grove
Cemetery, where annually his comrades strew his grave with sweet
flowers, on decoration day, as a tribute of love and respect.
" How sleep the brave who sink
to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest!
When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mold,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than fancy's feet have ever trod."
Many a quiet tear will be shed' by the
meek and lowly over the grave of the benefactor who lived more for them
than for himself; and few men will be more missed from the busy walks of
life than "the Newsboys' Friend."
Source: In Memoriam
Cincinnati 1881, Cincinnati, A. E. Jones, Publisher, 1881.
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