John Trotwood Moore - (1858-1929)
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Tennessee
I. Biography
John Trotwood Moore contributed a lot to the history
of Tennessee in his writings and his work. His love for the natural surroundings of Tennessee is evident in his short stories and poems. The history found in his writings plainly shows his love for
the subject. Moore's poetry and stories are not only filled with history, but also a bit of personal philosophy, culture, and lessons to be learned. He has, no doubt, inspired many.
Born John Moore, Jr. in Alabama on August 26, 1858, John did not change his name until after he read the novels of Charles Dickens later in life. He then began signing his
periodical writings using the pseudonym Trotwood. Inspired by a character from a Charles Dickens novel, John removed the Jr. from his name and put Trotwood in the middle. In his
youth, Moore studied law, as did his father before him who was a judge, and passed the bar examination. Unlike his father he opted not to practice law. It was not until he moved
to Tennessee that Moore began to write. Before then he never looked upon himself as a writer, but by the time he moved, he had read so many books and poems that he developed a liking for composing literature.
II. Literary Works Moore often included history in his writings. His love for history brought him to research the life of Andrew Jackson, a man he deeply admired. Moore also studied the life of
Andrew Johnson and Sam Houston. He wrote and published articles of the three and used them in some of his fictional novels. As a resident of Tennessee Moore became State
Librarian, Historian, and Archivist. Thus he set out to improve the preserving of the state of Tennessee's history. "The Old Cotton Gin," a poem by John T. Moore, is a wonderful poem about an old cotton
gin in the South and the effects of it. His recognition of slavery as a sin is apparent in this poem. It is beautiful the way he uses a cotton gin to discuss the Civil War, the downfall of
the old South and rise of the new. In "A Summer Hymnal" Moore says to a lady: "…a little kindness and patience is the greatest thing in the world for making friends of birds, as well
as of people" (Moore, 11) this can be helpful to all people. In both these literary works Moore gives the reader a great sense of where the story takes place and the surrounding of
it. He is good at making understandable descriptions and using what he has learned from research and history in his writings. These techniques help strengthen Moore's stories
and poems. I especially admire the way he depicts the Negro in his stories such as "Old Walsh and Ole Mistis." III. Moore's Critics
As good as Moore was he is subject to criticism by other authors, historians and biographers. A few publishers who were to be involved in publishing Moore's Hearts of Hickory
novel objected to it proclaiming it contained too much history. Some of his friends had the same sentiments. Moore, however, did not play to his publisher or friends
and decided against toning down the history in the novel. Throughout his years as a prominent writer, Moore received praise for his work far more than criticisms. VI. Moore's Contributions
Moore has contributed greatly to the preserving of historical places, documents, books, and the history itself of Tennessee. Andrew Jackson's home, "The Hermitage" is
preserved thanks to John Trotwood Moore. A record of every Tennessean known to have fought in every war involving America, including Indian wars, was started because of
Moore's efforts. He has written books on such noticeable men as Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and Sam Houston. He has also included them in his fictional writings.
Although John Trotwood Moore was not born in Tennessee a lot of gratitude is owed to him from our State for his historical contributions. This essay was submitted by a student of Judith Broadbent, a college teacher in
Tennessee and Kentucky.