Moses Graham was born March 4, 1825, in Tennessee, then moved to Arkansas with his parents when he was small. He later served in the Mexican War, enlisting in Taylor County, Arkansas. He was in First Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry; he was wounded at the Battle of Buenavista.

Moses moved to Texas at an unknown date, but he is probably the “Moss Graham” who was living in the household of George W. Reding in Montgomery County in 1850. His name first appears on the county tax list in 1851, at which time he rendered no property of any kind and one poll.

Moses married Mrs. Mary J. Pincham Folks in Montgomery County on August 26, 1852. She was born in Virginia in 1821 and married A. M. Folks in New Orleans in 1841. Albert Folks, a blacksmith in Danville, died of strychnine poisoning in 1849, possibly while he was trying to poison livestock predators.

Mary was the mother of Antoinette Folks, who was married to John D. G. Whitten, a member of the Riflemen.

On May 4, 1861, Moses was mustered into the Texas militia company of Capt. S. D. Wooldridge, the Danville Mounted Riflemen, as First Lieutenant. He is also listed on the muster rolls of September 13, 1861 and February 14, 1862.

In March of 1862, Moses joined The Second Texas Lancers under Capt. Wooldridge. This was to become Co. B 24th Regiment Texas Cavalry. He was elected First Lieutenant. At the time of first muster on April 28, 1862, he gave his age as thirty-seven. His horse was valued at $75.00 and his equipment at $20.00.√ The distance to rendezvous (Camp Carter at Hempstead) was fifty miles.

Moses rode to Arkansas with the rest of Carter's Brigade, and was dismounted there along with the others, at El Dorado. He was detailed, with seven other men, to return to Texas with the company's horses. Orders were that each detail would be in charge of ten horses. On the muster roll of August 28th, at Camp Holmes near Sulphur Springs, he is counted as “absent on detail.”

Moses carried letters for fellow cavalrymen, as can be seen by the letter which Peter B. Irvine wrote to his wife and sent "by Graham."

By October, he was back with his men and was counted present in the muster at Arkansas Post, taken on the 31st of the month.

However, by this time Moses had decided to resign due to a debilitating illness which he had had for the previous several months. Most likely, the illness was malaria or chronic diarrhea, diseases which affected many soldiers and caused many deaths.

Moses's November 1st resignation reads:

Arkansas Post Nov. the 1st 1862
To the Hon S. Cooper,
Ajutant and Inspetor General
I hereby tender my immediate and unconditional
Resignation of the office of 1st Lieut of Capt Wooldridge's
Co. B, 24th Regt Texas Cavalry
Please lay this Communication
Before the Sect of War for his action

Moses Graham

1st Lieut Co. B 24th Regt Texas Cav Dis

I have been rendered unfit for duty by continued and uninter=
rupted bad health for months past and with increasing debility
and disease of a chronic nature, without any hope of regaining
my health, I feel it due to the government I serve and to
myself that I should withdraw from the service.
Believing that my retirement will be of no injury to
the cause I have been engaged in.
For evidence of the condition
of my health, reference to Surgeon of Regiment Certificate attached.
Very respectfully,
M. Graham,
1st Lieut Co. B 24th Regt Tex Cav. Dis
Arkansas Post
Nov the 1st 1862.

Included in the file is a document signed by Captain Wooldridge, approving Moses' petition to resign.

The within resignation approved and respectfully
submitted--knowing as I have the state of
Lt. Graham's health for many years and the present
chronic nature of his affection I cannot but recommend
and approve his --requesting to retire from the service
in which [unreadable]
S. D. Wooldridge Capt Co. B 24th Tex. Cav. Dis.

The resignation request was received by the Trans-Mississippi Department in Little Rock on November 8th, and was approved by Major General Holmes by Special Order No. 79, the same day.

Head Quarters Trans-Mississippi Department
Little Rock, Ark, Nov. 8th 1862
Special Order
No. 79

Extract

VI The following named
Officers having tendered their rsignations
on account of ill health, accompanied
by surgeon's certificates of disability, the
same are accepted to take effect
from this day, subject to the approv-
al of the War Department.
(2) Lt. Moses Graham, Co. “B“ 24th Tex. Cavy.
By command of
Maj. Gen. Holmes
S. S. Anderson
A. A. Genl.

We assume Moses returned to Danville and did not serve in any other regiment after that time; however, it is possible he recovered enough to join a regiment later in the war.

After the war, he signed the amnesty oath in Houston, pledging loyalty to the Union in preparation for the restoration of his voting right. His name was copied into the list and is on file in Montgomery County.

He and Mary moved to Madison County in about 1872. They lived there until their deaths. Mary died December 10, 1903 at the age of 81. Moses died January 13, 1904 at the age of 80.

Parts of the above article were taken from the obituary of the couple, reprinted in “The Family Historian Quarterly,” Madison Co. Genealogical Society, Vol. 10 #3 p. 21. Additional information was compiled from Moses' Compiled Service Records, accessed on microfilm in the Confederate Research Center at Hillsboro, Texas.

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