Thomas Moody was a participant at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

On 1 May 1784 the NC legislature recorded that they
"Received from his Excellency the Governor, the following message:
 To the Honorable the General Assembly:
   Gentlemen:
   I lay before you a Petition from the widow of Thomas Moody deceased
praying a gratuity, & c. You have also herewith a Recommendatory letter
from General Greene on the subject--Alex Martin"1
   At the same time received the letter and petition referred to in the
above message, which being read, were referred to the Committee of Propositions
and Grievances."
   The letter from Nathaniel Greene referred to above stated:2

      				"Halifax Septemr 2d 1783
Sir
   The bearer of this Thomas Moody, and old Gentleman represents his great
sufferings by the enemy when they were in the neighborhood of Guilford. He
was in our army in that action & piloted the Artillery, & no doubt was
much exposed.  If anything can be done for him in his distressed situation,
it will be relieving the unfortunate & rewarding the fidelity of an honest
old man.  Your Excellency is the best judge of the probability of interesting
the assembly in his affairs and will advise the old Gentleman accordingly.
I shall be happy if anything I can say will promote his wishes, as I 
believe him to be an object of public charity & meriting some attention.
		I have the honor to be,
	          With great respect
                     Your Excellencys
	                most obedient
                           humble servant
	                      Nath Greene"

On 14 May 1784 John Butler, chairman of the Committee of Propositions
and Grievances reported to the legislature regarding the petition of Mary
Moody. They recommended the petition be rejected, feeling it was more
properly the jurisdiction of the County Court or County Wardens.

The legislature decided to reject the report of the Committee stating:
   "Resolved, That this report be rejected; that the Treasurers or either
of them to pay the said Mary Moody, the sum of fifty pounds out of any
public monies they may now have in their hands to be applied towards the
relief of herself and her children, as a reward for the spirited and
extraordinary services of the husband of the said Mary in his lifetime
rendered to this Country on a variety of occasions, and particularly at
the battle of Guilford Court House in which he was engaged, he being then
of the age of seventy years and upwards."3
   On 14 May 1784, the Senate received a Resolve allowing Mary Moody the
sum of fifty pounds.4 The Clerk of the House was ordered to issue
a certificate to Mary Moody for the allowance made to her.5
   The claim went either unpaid, or partially paid, for on 1 Dec. 1789,
"The committee of claims to who was referred the memorial of Hans Hamilton,
late Sheriff of Guilford county, report That the matters set forth in the
said memorial in their opinion are fact, and the certificates contained therein 
are genuine, and have never been...paid off by any holder of public money,
except by the said Hans Hamilton, and by him taken up in part of the taxes of
said county...Your Committee are therefore of opinion, that the Treasurer
should be directed by the General Assembly to pass the certificates
mentioned in said memorial..."  One of these was "in the name of Mary
Moody for fifteen pounds, dated in May, 1784."6


1. Walter Clark, Ed., The State Records of North Carolina, (Goldsboro:
   NC: Nash Brothers Book & Job Printers, 1901), XIX:534.
2. Letter from Nathaniel Greene to Alexander Martin, 2 Sep. 1783,
   G.P.10, Alexander Martin, p. 43, North Carolina State Archives.
3. Clark, State Records, XIX:596-597.
4. Clark, State Records, XIX:600.
5. Clark, State Records, XIX:639.
6. Clark, State Records, XXI:641.