At the same time John McPike was growing up and joining the army, another young man was doing likewise. Born in Oughteraugh, Leitrim, Ireland on 2 October 1799, (under-age) Charles became a boy soldier in Colchester, Essex, England at age 13 when he enlisted on 30 August 1813 for the King's Own 4th Regiment of Foot. In the nineteenth century the main recruitment area for the British Army was Ireland and in that country the people had a saying: "A man has two choices - He can starve and go to heaven or he can join the British Army and go to hell." Charles chose the latter. Charles and Isabella's descendants know that Isabella's family did not entirely approve of Charles on the grounds that he "took the King's shilling" - It would have been better in their view, to starve and go to heaven. When he was 14 years old his trade was that of labourer. His regimental number was 50. It was rumoured he was a drummer boy who led soldiers into the Battle of Waterloo but according to Mike Ryko, an expert on the Battle of Waterloo, it's not likely as Charles at 15 would've been too young; there was a minimum age of 17. During his time as a drummer boy Charles earned extra pay in lieu of beer. When in France he was for a time billeted with an inn keeper. Orders to billet soldiers were issued by the mayor of the town. In return the soldiers had to hand over their rations and pay their hosts 7½ centimes daily for their vegetables. Charles became a fully-fledged private on 27 August 1817. He served the British Army in that capacity until 31 December 1839, a total of 26 years and 346 days. During his 26 years of service Charles earned three good conduct medals. Whilst in the army Charles served in the following countries: France 3 years, West Indies 6 years 346 days, Portugal 1 year 3 months, New South Wales Australia 5 years 9 months, India 2 years 92 days. Charles also served many years moving around England between serving in Portugal and being posted to Australia. In 1830 Charles was posted to Australia to serve in or near Sydney, arriving on the 'Larkin', captained by William Campbell. The regiment went first to Paramatta as the soil was rich there and ideal for growing food, which helped them get established. While in New South Wales Charles and Isabella had four children. Their first child William died a week after his second birthday in September 1833 and his funeral and burial were held at St Phillip Anglican Church in Sydney.
In 1837 Charles was posted first to Madras and then Bangalore, India. Isabella sailed back to the Isle of Man with their three surviving children.
Aged 40, Charles was discharged to the Isle of Man in June 1840, his conduct noted as that of "a very good and efficient soldier".

In 1847, when retired soldiers were being recruited to settle in New Zealand, Charles applied to go. With their five surviving children: Charles, Sarah, Robert, Albert and Henry, the family boarded the ship Ramillies at Tilbury Port, Gravesend, London, England. On board the three-masted ship were 67 pensioners, 57 women and 123 children. This was the first Fencible ship to go to Auckland. The ship's log was kept by Dr Cunningham, the ship's doctor, and the voyage was a good one by comparison with later ships.
Three Fencible families, the Moores, McPikes and Bates, friends on the voyage, were all posted to Onehunga. Sophia Ann, John Bate's adult daughter, was to become Charles & Isabella's granddaughter Sophia Ann Bates MOORE's godmother; young Sophia was named after Miss Bates.
The ship arrived in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour on 5 August 1847 after a voyage of almost four months. They had been promised a cottage and an acre of land but no accommodation was ready for them and they had to stay for a further sixty days on board ship.
After their sixty days on board ship the Fencibles and their families were taken to the Albert Barracks and from there on 15 November 1847 they all walked the seven miles to Onehunga with their children and possessions, where once again they were housed in barracks. It was not until the following year that the Fencible families moved into their cottages in 'The Lower Settlement' of Onehunga on the edge of the Manukau Harbour. It was to be in this harbour years later that their son Charles would lose his life as a young man.
Charles was involved in a dispute with the government in March 1848. It wanted to take back his allotted land as it had been found to have springs on it. The 'Daily Southern Cross' of 18 March 1848 reported on the incident. Charles won his dispute and kept his land.

The Fencibles were never called upon to defend the settlers and after seven years, were released from any duties. It appears Charles, Isabella and their family prospered in this, their new country. The Fencibles and their families doubled Auckland's population. They built roads, schools etc. and today our ancestors, with the other families, are regarded as the pioneers that laid the foundation on which New Zealand was built. John McPike was instrumental in getting St Mary's Roman Catholic Church constructed in Onehunga and Charles Moore assisted in having St Peter's Anglican Church built, also in Onehunga. John McPike's cottage became the first school and Sophia Ann Bates the first school teacher and also first postmistress in New Zealand.

From Shirley Kendall, who has done much research about the Royal New Zealand Fencibles:

Charles Moore was a very upright citizen, very hardworking and honest. As an ancestor, you are privileged. Charles Moore would not allow the Government to put him off his land when they discovered a spring of water on three blocks which had been given to Fencibles. He stated that he had made a number of improvements to his block of land and if he was forced to give it up, he would prefer to be sent back to UK. The other two men, Filmer and Kelly, accepted a sum of money as compensation but Charles would not be budged. To me, that is not the act of a man who was only after extra money for grog. Sergeant Filmer was censured by the newspaper for misleading them about the whole business and he was spoken of as being amenable because of the extra money. I feel that he (Charles) was so passionate about the improvements he had made to his block that he would prefer to return to England rather than surrender to the Government's demands makes him unlikely to be drunken and slovenly.
I have done so much research into these old soldiers that I have learned to judge their behaviour reasonably. Quite a few were drunk every pension day, quite a few were solid citizens who worked hard to maintain their families, those who had no wives or children were often the worst at drinking. I do not think I have ever read that Charles Moore was in trouble with the police. At Howick, there were some rabble-rousing sections of the community who appeared in Court. Shouting obscenities at other people, attacking others with garden implements, and the women were really the worst at times. Lachlan McInness always seemed like a solid citizen but his wife shouted terms like 'whore', 'strumpet', etc., etc. were common from Mrs McInness.