Wm. L. Moody came to Texas from Virginia in 1852. He organized and was captain of Company G, 7th Texas Infantry, the first Freestone County unit to go into battle in the Civil War. He was captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, in February 1862. After being exchanged, he soon won promotion to colonel for bravery on the battlefield and was commended for personally leading and rallying men in hand-to-hand combat in thick woods. Wounded, he returned to Texas, where he served until the war ended. In 1866 he moved to Galveston and became a leader in financial business, philanthropic work, and civic affairs.