Mr. Moss has occupied his present farm probably twenty years. He is a life long resident of Morgan County, having been born at his father's old homestead, Nov. 5, 1842. William Moss, an old resident of the township, was one of its earliest pioneers. He was a native of South Carolina, and died at the advanced age of eighty-three years. The paternal grandfather of our subject was John Moss, and he came with the family to Morgan County, dying here when ninety-two years old.

William Moss, the father of our subject, was a young man when his parents removed from South Carolina to eastern Tennessee, and he was there married to Rachel Bratten, who was born and reared there. After the birth of most of their children, they emigrated in the spring of 1828 to Morgan County, settled upon a tract of wild land in township 16, range 11, and began building up a homestead, upon which they spent the remainder of their days. The mother of our subject died when the latter was four years old, and his father was married a second time to a lady who also died before her husband. Mr. Moss was a true specimen of the hardy pioneer, expert with his rifle, and old fashioned flint-lock, and brought down many a deer - sometimes five in a day - as well as other wild game.

The subject of this sketch was the younger of his mother's children, and after her death made his home with his father and stepmother. He was married in 1868 to Miss Elizabeth P. Morrison, who was born near Concord, Morgan County, Nov. 9, 1850. Her parents, Robert and Elizabeth A. (Puyer) Morrison, were among the earliest pioneers of Morgan County, and her father died in middle life. Mrs. Morrison married a second time, and again became a widow. She is still living, is seventy-two years old, and makes her home with our subject. She is an excellent old lady and highly respected by all who know her. Mrs. Moss was quite young at the time of her father's death, and supported herself until her marriage. She is now the mother of nine children, three of whom are deceased - Mattie L., Grove and an infant unnamed. The survivors are: Charles A., Ada O., Walter L., Nettie M., Oscar R. and a babe unnamed. Mr. Moss is politically a straightforward Democrat, and has held the office of Road Commissioner, besides serving in other positions of trust and responsibility.