Biographical Profile: Capt. Robert F. Moffatt, Company F, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 100th Regiment

Transcribed by Tami McConahy, 2nd great-grandniece of Corp. Thomas John Martin, Co. F. from "History of Lawrence County", Aaron L. Hazen, 1908.


History of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania by Aaron L. Hazen, 1908

Page 495

William J. Moffatt is a well known attorney-at-law, of New Castle, Pa., with offices in the L.S.& T. Building, and enjoys a prestige throughout the county. He was born in Hickory Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1867, and is a son of Capt. Robert F. and Martha E. (McCreary) Moffatt.

Capt. Robert Moffatt was born on the old Moffatt homestead in Hickory Township, in 1840, and died in 1873. In 1861, he enlisted for service in the Union Army as corporal of Company F, One Hundredth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, the old Round Head regiment, and rose through gradual promotion to the rank of Captain, being mustered out at the close of the war. He bore an honorable record for service and participated in a number of the most hotly contested engagements of the war. He was several times slightly wounded, and in the battle of Ft. Steadman received a severe wound. He also was for a time a prisoner of war, incarcerated in a Southern prison. Upon the close of the war he returned to the old homestead, but at the time of his death was living at the old McCreary homestead in Neshannock Township. For some time prior to his death he was engaged in the manufacturing business with good success. He married Martha E. McCreary, a daughter of William McCreary, a pioneer resident of Neshannock Township. For some years subsequent to her husband's death Mrs. Moffatt taught in the public schools of New Castle, in which city she still lives.

William J. Moffatt was practically reared in New Castle, and there attended and was graduated from the public and high schools. He then entered Wooster University and continued until his sophomore year, when he left that institution to take up the study of law, registering in the office of Dana & Long of New Castle. He was admitted to the bar of Lawrence County in March, 1894, since which time he has been in active practice. He is a member and vice president of the Lawrence County Bar Association. In February, 1896, Mr. Moffatt was elected city controller of New Castle, for a three-year term, but on January 1, 1898, resigned that office to enter upon the duties of office as district attorney, to which he had been elected on the Republican ticket in the fall of 1897. He served three years in a most capable manner, then retired to private practice. He has taken quite an interest in political affairs, but is not a politician in the accepted sense of the word.

In November, 1896, Mr. Moffatt was joined in marriage with Miss Susan R. Hutton, a daughter of the late Andrew Hutton, who was one of the pioneers of Lawrence County. Religiously, they are members of the First Presbyterian Church of New Castle. Fraternally, Mr. Moffatt is a member of New Castle Lodge No. 404, K. P.; and for six years was captain of New Castle Co. No. 36, Uniformed Rank, K. P., resigning that office to accept that of major of the First Battalion, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Brigade.


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