Enough is Enough

By this time Moorman had consolidated his power and ruled Shelby County with near absolute authority. Eventually he went too far. In a misguided attempt to intimidate his Moderator opposition, Moorman singled out Moderator citizens by name, demanding they leave Shelby County. His roughshod tactics accomplished two things. It galvanized Moderator resistance and persuaded a majority Shelby County citizens Moorman was the problem.

Hostilities ruptured again in August 1844 when more than two hundred Moderators attacked approximately sixty Regulators near Shelbyville. The Regulators were relieved by citizens from Harrison County. The Moderators withdrew, taking shelter in a nearby meeting house. Moorman led the Regulators in a counter attack that became known as the Church Hill battle.

Sam Houston had enough. On August 15, 1844 he ordered militia under the command of Alexander Horton to end hostilities in East Texas. Horton arrested leaders on both sides, including Moorman and jailed them in St. Augustine. Moorman was subsequently released. He was tried for Bradley’s murder and acquitted. Moderators seethed at the injustice.

Houston’s intervention precipitated yet another peace treaty between Regulators and Moderators. The treaty failed to end the violence. Watt Moorman was shot in the back and killed February 14, 1850. His killer, Dr. Robert Burns was tried and acquitted, owing in part to Moorman’s loss of support among the citizenry. Treaties and peace making notwithstanding, the feud ended when both factions joined the quest for an independent Texas Republic by going to war with Mexico.

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