Moore, Alexander, 1830-1910

An Irish immigrant who served as a U.S. Army officer from 1861-1879, Alexander Moore managed Capote Farm, a farm and ranch in Guadalupe and Gonzales Counties, Texas and Frio Ranch in Uvalde County, Texas.

From the description of Alexander Moore papers [manuscript], 1876-1898. (Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library). WorldCat record id: 310573845

Born in Ireland in 1830, Alexander Moore came to the United States prior to 1861, when he joined the 13th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Mustering out of the unit in 1862, Moore served the remainder of the Civil War as a captain and aide to Union Generals Philip Kearny and Joseph Hooker and as a general staff member. He saw action in a number of campaigns, including a notable role at the Battle of Gettysburg (1863 July 1-3). After the war, Moore was transferred to the 38th Infantry and later to the 3rd Cavalry, serving on the frontier in Indian war campaigns. He resigned from the Army in 1879.

In 1875, Moore married Mary L. Tyler, daughter of Gen. Daniel Tyler of Connecticut, a West Point graduate and Civil War veteran. Upon leaving the army, Moore moved to Guadalupe County, Texas, to oversee the development of Capote Farm, recently acquired by his father-in-law, railroad man Thomas W. Peirce, and George F. Stone of New York. Located on what was originally a six league Spanish land grant southeast of the town of Seguin, the ranch consisted of about 12,000 acres in Guadalupe County and 7,500 acres in Gonzales County. The investors spent liberally in outfitting the property for both farming and livestock activities. Under Moore’s supervision, residences and other buildings were constructed, fences installed, irrigation systems developed, and a sawmill established. By 1882, the property listed for tax assessment included almost $29,000 in horses and cattle and almost $33,000 in equipment. Daniel Tyler took an active interest in the ranch and was a part-time resident until his death in 1882 November. Moore continued to oversee the ranch and to represent the interests of the Tyler estate until the property was divided among the heirs, including his wife.

The extent of the farming activity on the property seems to have been reduced by 1884, when a large lot of the farming equipment was advertised for sale by auction, but the ranch continued to produce livestock, including purebred horses, and crops. Moore also acquired his own 14,000 acre property, the Frio Ranch, in Uvalde County, though his primary residence remained Guadalupe County. Moore continued to follow the progress of the ranch, but about 1887 the management of Capote Farm and Frio Ranch was turned over to his nephew, John Moore, who continued in that capacity until for at least ten years. Alexander Moore and his family left Texas for New York about 1887; about that time, they also traveled to Europe, where Moore had family. Moore’s interest in Capote Farm seems to have ended by the late 1890s.

Moore and his wife had one son, Daniel Tyler Moore; a second child may have died in infancy. Alexander Moore died in 1910 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

References

Brigham, Willard I. Tyler. The Tyler Genealogy: The Descendants of Job Tyler, of Andover, Massachusetts, 1619-1700 . Plainfield, New Jersey: C.B. Tyler; Tylerville, Connecticut: R.U. Tyler, 1912.

Daniel Tyler: A Memorial Volume containing his Autobiography and War Record, Some Account of his Later Years with Various Reminiscences and the Tributes of Friends . New Haven, Connecticut, 1883.

Muckelroy, Duncan Glenn. “History of El Capote Ranch.” East Texas Historical Journal 12:2 (Fall 1974): 3-21.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies . Prepared under the direction of the Secretary of War by Robert N. Scott. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880-1900.

Weinert, Willie Mae. An Authentic History of Guadalupe County . Seguin, Texas: Seguin Enterprise, 1951.

From the guide to the Alexander Moore Papers Col 13448., 1876-1898, (Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas)