Moses Ayers McCoid

Moses Ayers McCoid (November 5, 1840 – May 19, 1904) was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a three-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa’s 1st congressional district in southeastern Iowa. He was born near Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio, where he attended the local public schools. Seeking higher education, he enrolled at Washington College in Washington, Pennsylvania, an institution that later became Washington and Jefferson College, receiving a classical education that prepared him for the study of law and public service.

After completing his collegiate studies, McCoid moved west to Iowa and settled in Fairfield, Jefferson County. There he read law in the office of James F. Wilson, an influential Iowa attorney who would later serve as both a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator. Under Wilson’s tutelage, McCoid was admitted to the bar in 1861 and commenced the practice of law in Fairfield. His legal training was soon interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War, which drew him into military service at a young age.

On May 6, 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War, McCoid enlisted as a private in Company E of the 2nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Serving with the Union Army, he participated in several major engagements in the Western Theater, including the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Bear Creek, Resaca, and actions along the Oostanaula River. Over the course of his service he rose through the ranks, first being promoted to second lieutenant and later serving as adjutant of the regiment, responsibilities that reflected both his leadership and administrative abilities. His wartime experience helped shape his later public career and standing in Iowa.

Following the close of the war, McCoid returned to Fairfield and resumed the practice of law. He quickly became active in local and regional legal affairs and in Republican Party politics during the Reconstruction era. His professional reputation led to his selection as district attorney of the sixth judicial district of Iowa, a post he held in 1867 and again in 1871. In this capacity he was responsible for prosecuting cases on behalf of the state, further solidifying his public profile and legal expertise.

McCoid’s growing prominence in Iowa Republican circles led to his election to the Iowa Senate, where he served from 1872 to 1879. As a state senator, he participated in legislative deliberations during a period of economic development and political realignment in the postwar Midwest. His service in the Iowa Senate provided him with legislative experience and a broader constituency, positioning him for national office.

In 1878, McCoid was elected as a Republican to represent Iowa’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He entered Congress on March 4, 1879, and was re-elected twice, serving in the Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh, and Forty-eighth Congresses. His tenure in the House, which lasted until March 3, 1885, coincided with a significant period in American history marked by the aftermath of Reconstruction, industrial expansion, and debates over economic and civil policies. As a member of the House of Representatives, Moses Ayers McCoid participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the chamber, and represented the interests of his southeastern Iowa constituents. A loyal member of the Republican Party, he sought renomination in 1884 but was unsuccessful, losing the Republican nomination to John S. Woolson. Woolson was subsequently defeated in the general election by Democrat Benton Jay Hall, ending Republican control of the district for that term.

After leaving Congress in 1885, McCoid returned once more to Fairfield and resumed the practice of law, remaining a respected figure in his community. He continued to be identified with the Republican Party and with the generation of Civil War veterans who had moved into public life, although he did not again hold major public office. Moses Ayers McCoid died in Fairfield, Iowa, on May 19, 1904. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield, closing a life that spanned from the antebellum era through the Civil War and into the early twentieth century, marked by military service, legal practice, and three terms in the United States Congress.