Thomas Moore Patrick

Background

Thomas P. Moore was born in 1797, in Charlotte County, Virginia, but removed in early childhood to Mercer County, Kentucky.

Education

The first record of him in Kentucky history is that of his enlistment during the War of 1812.

From August until October 1812 he was a private in the company of Capt. George Trotter of the 16t Regiment of Kentucky Light Dragoons. His service in this war is often confused with that of Major T. P. Moore of the Virginia troops. After the war he attended Transylvania University and studied law with Judge John Green.

Career

In 1819 and 1820 he served in the state House of Representatives from Mercer County. The Journal of the House of Representatives of Kentucky shows that in his first term he was a member of the committee on grievances, and, in his second, of that on courts of justice.

From March 1823 until March 1829 he was a member of the federal House of Representatives, where his most important committee assignment was that on manufactures which he was holding at the close of his services.

He was named minister plenipotentiary to Colombia on March 13, 1829, to succeed William Henry Harrison. He ingratiated himself with Bolivar and in the first few weeks of his ministry obtained important commercial concessions for the United States. After the withdrawal of Ecuador and Venezuela, he remained at Bogot and exerted himself to bring about a reunion of the three states. When these efforts failed he asked to be recalled in 1832 but at Jackson's request stayed for another year. In the Black Hawk War, as in the War of 1812, he has been credited with a military record belonging to some one else. As a matter of fact he did not return from New Granada until June 1833 and then plunged at once into a campaign for election to Congress against Robert P. Letcher. He was given the certificate of election, but Letcher brought a contest before Congress on the grounds of fraud and that body ordered a new election, in which Moore was defeated. He remained in private life until the war with Mexico.

In March 1847 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 3rd Regiment, United States Infantry, and in April was given the same command in the 3rd Regiment, United States Dragoons. He was honorably mustered out July 31, 1848. Returning to Kentucky he was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1849 and served on the committee on miscellaneous provisions. This was his last public service. He died of paralysis on July 21, 1853, at Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

Achievements

• Thomas Patrick Moore was a noted politician, who was not an active legislator, but as a pronounced partisan of Jackson he achieved considerable prominence.

Politics

Thomas Moore was elected as a Jackson Republican to the Eighteenth Congress and reelected as a Jacksonian candidate to the Nineteenth, and Twentieth Congresses (March 4, 1823 – March 4, 1829).

Connections

Thomas P. Moore was married three times and was survived by three children.