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JEHU W. MOODY, of Shellsburg, was born in Carroll County, Ohio, July 11, 1841, and came with his family to Iowa in 1850, where he grew to manhood, receiving his education in the pioneer log schoolhouse in Benton County. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. B, 8th Iowa Vol. Inf. After the battle of Shiloh he was transferred to Co. K, 1st Mo. Lt. Art., in which he served until the close of the war, participating in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment.Returning home from the service, he engaged in business at Shellsburg, and on the 9th of December, 1865, was united in marriage with Adelaide Van Camp, daughter of Joseph Van Camp. On the 6th of May, 1867, accompanied by his wife and one child, he started with a camping outfit for the Rocky Mountains. The journey was quite pleasant until he reached Plum Creek, about 200 miles west of the Missouri River. The party now consisted of over thirty wagons, a large number of horses, about thirty men and as many women and children. While encamped on the creek they were attacked by Indians, who took about 130 horses. They were followed and all but twenty-seven horses were recaptured. One of the party was wounded with an arrow, from the effects of which he died. Arriving near Denver, Colo., they remained one year. Mr. Moody with his family then went to California, where he engaged a short time in farming and then dealt in horses. In 1871 he gathered together a drove of horses and returned to Colorado, where he remained until 1876, during which time he sold his horses and traded in cattle; he then returned to Shellsburg. While in Colorado he was engaged for a time in freighting. He sold hay at $100 a ton at Central City, in 1871. It is said it was the first time that hay ever reached that price. In 1885 Mr. Moody went to Wyoming Territory and gathered up over 200 head of horses belonging to his father-in-law, Mr. Van Camp, and returned with them to Shellsburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Moody are the parents of nine children — Eva, born in Shellsburg, Iowa; Charles, in Boulder County, Colo.; Joseph, in California; Albert, in Boulder County, Colo.; Millby, in Colorado; Clarence, Craig, Daisy and Maud, in Shellsburg. Mr. Moody is a plain-spoken, good-hearted neighbor and a sincere friend.
Alexander Moody, deceased, one of the pioneers of 1850, was born in one of the Southern States. He was united in marriage with Elizabeth White, a native of Virginia, after which he settled in Carroll County, Ohio, where they continued to reside until 1850, when the family emigrated to Iowa, by way of the Ohio and Missippi Rivers to Dubuque, thence overland to Benton County, locating on section 11, Canton Township, where Mr. Moody entered forty acres of land, purchasing forty more. Mr. Moody's cash resources, when arriving in the county, consisted of $40. He used $17 of this amount in the purchase of a cow, but the cow died the following day. He endured all the hardships and privations of a pioneer life, and was occupied in tilling the soil until his death, which occurred in 1864. Mrs. Moody survives him and is now seventy-six years of age. They reared a family of ten children, all living at this writing. They are William, Sarah J., James, Jehu W., John, David M., Elizabeth, Martin, Anderson and George. Mr. Moody was a good neighbor, always doing unto others as he would be done by, and would often neglect his own work to accomodate some friend or neighbor.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 204.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on January 28th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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