Captain Frederick Pettes Moore was born February 1st, 1883, at Rochester, New York. He was a son of Frederick Pettes Moore (Senior), and Frances Whiting Moore, now residents of 34 South Bryant Avenue, Bellevue, Pennsylvania. By profession he was a Mining Engineer, having spent one year at Cornell University, one year at the University of Pittsburgh, and two years at the University of California. After leaving the last named institution, he followed his profession in California, where he was Assistant Superintendent of the Gaston Ridge Mines in Nevada County, in Vanadium, Colorado, and in Ely and Goldfield, Nevada, where he lived about six years.

On the 22d of April, 1917, he applied for entrance to the first Officers’ Training Camp, but was informed by the Adjutant General’s office in Washington that he was accredited to the National Guard of Pennsylvania, although he had not been with that organization for about thirteen years. As a young man he had served four and a half years in Company A, 18th Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, and upon going west, had failed to get his discharge from the guard, not understanding at that time that it was necessary. As a result it was not until the month of May, 1917, that he was able to obtain his discharge from the Pennsylvania Guard, and by that time all training camps were filled. He therefore put in his application to any training camp which might be subsequently formed, and on the 3d of July, went east to his father’s home in Pennsylvania. His summons came on the 22d of August, ordering him to report at “Fort Ogelthorpe, Georgia, which he did at once, being sworn into the Service on the 27th of that month. He was commissioned Captain on the 1st of December, given a ten days’ leave of absence, and ordered to report to the 30th Infantry at Camp Greene, Charlotte, North Carolina.

On February 22, 1918, he was married to Miss Mary Atwell of New Haven, Connecticut. He sailed with his division for Europe on April 1st, 1918.

The 3d Division’s first taste of warfare was on the morning of June 1st, 1918. The Germans had started a great offensive on the 27th of May, against the French on the Aisne, and by the 1st of June had reached the Chateau Thierry-Paris road. Here the 2d Division played its part in stopping the advance, and the motorized machine gun battalion of the 3d succeeded in reaching Chateau Thierry in time to assist in the defense of the river crossing. On July 15th the enemy made a furious assault upon the allied lines and succeeded in forcing back the French on the right of the 3d Division. The Commanding General of the 3d describes a part of this action as follows:

“Although the rush of the German troops overwhelmed some of the front line positions, causing the infantry and machine guns companies to suffer, in some cases a 50 percent loss, no German soldier crossed the road from Fossoy to Crezancy, except as a prisoner of war, and by noon of the following day (July 16th) there were no Germans in the foreground of the Third Division sector except the dead.”

General Pershing has written that “On this occasion a single regiment of the 3d Division wrote one of the most brilliant pages in our military annals. It prevented the crossing at certain points on its front, while on either flank the Germans who had gained a footing pressed forward. Our men, firing in three directions, met the German attacks with counter attacks at critical points and succeeded in throwing two German divisions into complete confusion, capturing 600 prisoners.”

It was during this desperate battle that Captain Moore was killed (July 16, 1918). His company was on the left in support between Nezy and Fossoy, and he was in front observing when hit by shell fire. The 30th Infantry lost 10 officers and 250 men killed and 30 officers and 800 men wounded in this battle. Captain Moore was cited for bravery and efficiency by Major General Dickman who commanded the 3d Division at that time. He was awared post-humously the French War Cross with the palm and the American Distinguished Service Cross, each with special citation for valor. Colonel E. S. Butts said of him; “He was a fine officer and a fine man and I felt his loss very much. . . He was a very efficient and gallant soldier. Captain Moore was a brother of Edward McC. Moore, formerly of Goldfield, Nevada, but now residing at Bull creek, Texas; Mrs. Louise M. Poole, Mrs. John E. Shaw, and Albert Mott Moore, 34 South Bryant Avenue, Bellevue, Pennsylvania. The last named was also in the service; he was a Sergeant in Company F, 15th Engineers. Captain Moore’s widow, Mrs. Mary Atwell Moore, resides at 114 High Street, New Haven, Connecticut.