From A
Biographical History of Central Kansas, Vol. II, p. 773
published by The Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago & New York, 1902
C. C. MOLL
C C Moll, deceased, was a practical and progressive farmer of Rockville township, Rice county, and one of the honored veterans of the Civil war, coming from a land which has furnished many a worthy citizen to the new world. His birth occurred in Cologne, Prussia, Germany, July 19, 1844. The parents were also natives of that locality. Where they were reared, educated and married. Crossing the Atlantic, they located in New York city, where the father, A C Moll, was successfully engaged in the jewelry business, acting as a diamond-setter for Tiffany & Company. He and his wife were visiting in Europe at the time of the birth of our subject. He was a man of good education and liberal culture, and had gained through travel the extensive and accurate knowledge which only travel can bring. His wife bore the maiden name of Maria Filtz, and was a lady of refinement and culture. Mr Moll spent some time in Rio Janeiro, Brazil. His wife died in Prussia during the infancy of our subject, after which Mr Moll returned to New York city and also resided in Newark, New Jersey, following his chosen occupation. Hi was widely known as a diamond expert. By his second marriage he had three sons and one daughter. A prominent Mason, he exemplified in his life the beneficent spirit of the fraternity. He was also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was honored and respected by all who knew him. His death occurred when he was fifty-six years of age.
C C Moll, whose name introduces this record, spent his boyhood in New York city and in Newark, New Jersey, and acquired a good education in the schools of the east. At the inauguration of the Civil war his patriotic spirit was aroused, and in October, 1861, he joined the Ninth New Jersey Volunteers, serving until the following year. He participated in the battles of Roanoke Island, Newbern, North Carolina, Antietam and Kingston, North Carolina. He was three times wounded and was twice captured by the Rebels. On the first occasion he succeeded in making his escape and when again captured was rescued by the Third New Jersey Cavalry. After being discharged he re-enlisted, in 1863, as a member of Company I, Thirty-fifth New Jersey Volunteers, with which he served until July, 1865. During that period he participated in the battle of Resaca, the Meridian Raid, pursing the troops of General Forrest, and then joined General Sherman’s army. At Resaca he was wounded by a gunshot in the arm and shoulder and was confined in several hospitals, being in a field hospital and afterward at Chickamauga and at Nashville. He was also in Pennsylvania, and at Jeffersonville, Indiana. On the 6th of November, 1864, he was appointed assistant provost marshal, with office in the state of Kentucky, under Colonel W H Sidell, and was made chief orderly of the government detective force there, acting in that capacity until June 12, 1865. On the 1st of August of the same year he accepted the position of postmaster at Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained until 1871.
In that year Mr Moll came to Kansas and secured a homestead claim on section 30, Rockville township, Rice county, where he resided for six years. In 1898 he came to the farm of one hundred and sixty acres he last occupied, constituting one of the valuable farming properties in the county. All the equipments and accessories of a model farm are here found, including a fine residence, which stands upon a natural building site, pastures, wind-mills, barns and highly cultivated fields. He is successfully engaged in stock-raising, feeding most of his crops to his stock.
In 1866 Mr Moll was united in marriage to Miss Kate Murphy, a native of Ireland who was reared and educated in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a daughter of John and Kate (Lennen) Murphy, who also were natives of the Emerald Isle. Seven children were born to this marriage, namely: W C, of San Francisco, California; J C, of Little River, Kansas; Mrs Lizzie Hamilton, who is also living in Little River; E L, who is employed in the freight department of the Big Four Railroad Company at Louisville, Kentucky; and J T, J T R and Kate, who are at home with their parents. The children have been provided with good educational privileges to fit them for life’s practical and responsible duties and the family is one of prominence in the community, its members, occupying a prominent position in social circles. The cause of education found in Mr Moll a warm friend, and he withheld his support from no movement or measure calculated to promote the public good. He died at his home in Rockville township, April 19, 1902, of Bright’s disease, leaving the example of a noble life.