←Henry Miller

Wallace Moore

Born Sep 11, 1845 Died Feb 24, 1916

Red Church Cemetery, Tivoli; Medium height obelisk with engraving on three sides, two rows west from north entrance of the cemetery (in Section E, Plot 67) with American flag and marker—north of Joseph Moore marker.

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First Wife: Harriet Sipperley Moore, Born 1846 Died 1882

Second Wife: Mariah Sipperley Moore, Born 1843 Died 1921


Restaurateur & Union Veteran

Of all the things that matter in life, we tend to focus on professions, homes, families, and lessons learned. If all goes well, we will leave this world with reputations intact, varied opportunities, many children, and the knowledge we have made a difference not only in our daily lives. Some even contribute to the survival of a united country and freedoms for all. Wallace Moore did just that, joining the Union Army as a young man, returning to Tivoli, also known then as Madalin, and living a long and respected life. The village shut down on the day of his funeral, and residents gathered, spilling out into the streets outside the event, which was described as one of the largest funerals for a laid-to-rest Civil War veteran in the county of recent memory at the time.¹

Wallace Moore was born September 11, 1845 to John H. and Serena Smith Moore and christened when he was nine years old at Tivoli’s Trinity Episcopal Church on October 25, 1855, brother to seven siblings. He enlisted with Company C of the 128th Infantry Regiment out of Hudson. Upon his return to Tivoli, he married Harriet Sipperley (1846-1882) of Germantown, and they had one daughter and three sons. When Harriet died, Wallace married her older sister Mariah Sipperley (1843-1921) the following year, and they had a son and a daughter, remaining husband and wife until Wallace’s death in 1916.

According to a Poughkeepsie Journal article in 1950, Wallace “first had a fish market and then a confectionary store in Tivoli…his business is still operated by a son.”² This aligns with a report from 1889 that “Mr.  Wallace Moore…opened a restaurant at Lower Tivoli.”³ Moore was involved in many town doings, and even was involved with a dispute of the Tivoli election results, part of a suit to have the state attorney general review election results due to the winner’s alleged ineligibility because he was not an actual Tivoli resident. 

As the years wind on, we find Wallace at the center of events to celebrate fallen comrades: “The old veterans held a meeting at Wallace Moor’s [sic] on Saturday evening to make arrangements for Decoration Day. A good speaker has been engaged, and teams provided to carry people from the village to the old Red Church where the service will be held,” stated the news also noting “Col. J. L. de Peyster is expected in town on Tuesday to make his arrangements for Decoration Day.”⁴ Another report stated Wallace was present at Company C’s 128th Regiment’s annual reunion “held in the M. E. Church at Madalin on Friday evening, which was the 49th anniversary of the second assault on the Confederate works of Port Hudson, in which the company and the regiment to which it belonged took an active part.”⁵ The bonds between veterans remained strong throughout their lives; “George W. Minkler and Wallace Moore of Tivoli have been visiting in town.”⁶

Time finally caught up to Wallace, and he passed away February 1916, at his home in Madalin. “Hamilton-Sleight Post of this city, represented  by 25 members, attended the services and held their rights jointly with Monumental Lodge, F. & A. M. of which Mr. Moore was a member. The Sons of Veterans of Murray Camp acted as escorts and as a firing squad, combining with the band music and with the G. A. & R. and Masonic services, to make the ceremony one of the most impressive held over a G. A. R. Man in this county in years.”⁷

Moore’s funeral was covered in the news for several days: “Mr. Moore was 73 years old and a member of Company C, 128th Regiment and a member of the Hamilton-Sleight Post. He was also a member of the Monumental Lodge of Masons. He conducted a restaurant in Madalin for many years and he was very well known in upper Dutchess County. He always attended the reunions of his regiment in Poughkeepsie and he was noted for his patriotism. In the Civil War he fought at Cedar Creek and took part in all of the engagements in which his regiment fought.”⁸ The bands, the crowds, the speeches, and the gun salute seem a fitting end to a life well lived. 

Notes

  1. “Band Played at Funeral.” Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 29 Feb., 1916. 

  2. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal’s 1950 reprint of a 1908 photograph of the gathered Civil War’s Union veterans: “When Taps Were Sounded for a GAR Comrade in Tivoli.” 

  3. Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 27 Feb. 1889. 

  4. “TIVOLI.” Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 22 May 1901. pg. 2. retrieved 2 Jul. 2024. Newspapers.com

  5. “Reunion of Co. C. 128th Regt.” Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 17 Jun. 1912. pg. 3. retrieved 24 Apr. 2024. Newspapers.com.

  6. Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 20 Aug. 1915. pg. 6. retrieved 2 Jul. 2024. Newspapers.com.

  7. “Band Played at Funeral.” Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Poughkeepsie, NY. 29 Feb., 1916. 

  8. Ibid.