Wilmington journal., 1866-12-13
6 SprinSfeIds." +"
This name will recall to few now living

the precious memories which once clustered
around it. It will therefore be necessary to
state that this was the name of the resi-
dence of one branch of the Moore family,
so long and tavorably known in North Car
olina, and particularly in this part of the
State. This family was one of the first to
seat themselves on the Cape Fear river, on
the West bank of which, in the county OF
Brunswick, "Springfelds" is situated, some
20 miles from Wilmington. The Moores
are of Irish origin, but those who settled
here, came from South Carolina early in
the last century Some Of them had held
offices of distinction, civil and military, III
that colony, both under the Proprietary y
and the "Regal governments, and hence
brought with them the prestige of great
names and much wealth A further descrip-
ton of this family we deem unnecessary,
as it is remembered by many, and has
vet honorable cadets among lis. Some
within the last few years have added fresh
Iaurels to ali honored name, and one, alas,
of the brightest promise, is commemorated
But what supersedes the necessity Of any
further description from us is, that few
wears since one of North Carolina's living
ornaments, and native son of the Cape
Fear, dedicated a great occasion to the
commemoration of the ilustrious dead Of
this region, and he has left nothing to be
said, and still less to beregretted, in what he
did say, either in the matter or the manner
We allude - the Grafton Of the Hon Geo
Davis at the commcncemCnta at Chapel Hill
June, 1856. It was graceful and eloquent
tributeto the virtues Of noble race 1t WAS
a pious and patriotic duty to collect for one
urn the heroic ashes which would other
wise have soon been scattered by the
winds of time. We are rcioiced to know
that this sacred Office was assigned to one
who was eminently qualified fer it, and
whose delight i'll perpetnatlnG the virtues
and achievements of such u race, was only
surpassed by that of his hearers at the fe-
icitous manner in which it was done.
Tradition has preserved the memory of
many scenes at :: Springfields,' to describe
which would require the powers of some of
those who were chief figures i'll the ta-
bleaux there presented. OF one thing our
readers may be assured, we shall ascribe to
the persons spoken of no moro Of talent OF
virtue than was attributed to them by their
contemporaries. Judge Maurice Moore was
the first of that name who owned "Spring-
fields" and this ownership continued from
1850 to 1777. He possessed an ample es-
tate, derived chiefly from the direct trade
with the West Indies, then enjoyed by the
Cape Fear region, and from the loss of
which this country has never recovered
He also received salary as one of the
Judges of the highest court in the Colony.
Surrounded by men of the same liberal
spirit as himself, and with means no less
ample, hospitality was universally prac
ticed. Race horses, stag and fox hounds
and guns were all imported from England.
Race courses, billiard tables and musical
instruments were among the attractions of
no means its greatest attractions
The fascinating manners the ma
gical powers of conversations, the YER
satility of intellect glancing g from grave
to gay" which characterized the master of
Springfelds;" these constituted the great
attraction. 4 Library, selected with much
care, and which, by frequent comnunica-
ton with Charleston, was from time to
time increased by the latest and best Eng
Gsh works, kept the owner abreast with the
current literature of the day And no doubt
can exist on this point, if we will but recur
to the few articles of a political character,
furnished by the pen of Judge Moore, and
some of which have been preserved on ac-
count of the pungency an elegance of their
style, no less than the weight and strength
of their political matter. His celebrated
letter addressed to Governor Tryon may
be cited in proof of the enlarged views and
patriotic spirit of the writer, no less than of
the racy and piquant style in which they
are conveyed. It has been greatly regret
ted that SO few of these spirit-stirring es
says from his pen have been preserved
" The Cape Fear Mercury, - in which they
appeared, was, of course, of limited circula-
ton, and like everything Of that day, has
long since disappeared, and we doubt if
single copy could now be found, but we
have heard that there were many of his po-
litical essays published in that journal,
marked by as much power of. thought and
as many graces of style as the letter 10
Gov. Tryon, but which are not now to be
procured.
We shall continue this subject in future
numbers, and show that the walls of ''Spring-
fields" heard much reasonable matter before
the Revolution of 1776, from the lips of
such rebels as Quincy, of Boston, Hill,
Pennington, DR.. Eustis, Harnett and others
of Wilmington, while the guests of Moore.
'The late gallant Col. A. d. Moore.
IT has not been unusual for many, both
in our own State and in others, to attempt
to treat with ridicule that sentiment of Vir-
ginians, which would make them claim for
themselves descent from noble and gentle