Sunday, January 29, 2017

David W. Hamilton -- a man of strict integrity!

Capt. David W. Hamilton is one of my great great grandmother Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan's younger brothers. Here I posted some of great grandfather John Hamilton Morgan's journal entries about his Uncle David's 1892 visit to Washington D. C.  for a G. A. R. gathering

Sketch of His Life and Services held in Memory of Him.
[February 28, 1896]


The funeral services of Capt. David W. Hamilton were held in the First M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] church Friday afternoon conducted by his old friend, Rev. James B. Lathrop, assisted by the pastor, Rev., J. W. Duncan. The deceased was raised here, and his life’s record is such that it will be a continual inspiration to those who knew him to lead a higher and better life.

In 1863 he had charge of Camp Morton where several thousand Rebel prisoners were confined, and upon leaving that position he turned over to his successor $14,000 belonging to prisoners and intrusted to his care by their relatives and friends.

If he had not been a man of strict integrity he might have kept this fund. This is an instance that shows his fine sense of honor and reveals his true character. He was a member of the First M.E. church, “Pap” Thomas Post, No. 5. G. A. R., and Greensburg Lodge, No. 36, F & A. M--The G. A. R. and Masonic fraternities held ritualistic services in the church and at the grave. Both orders were well represented, showing their high esteem of a comrade and brother. The following sketch appeared in the Indianapolis Journal which we reproduce for the benefit of our readers:

Capt. David W. Hamilton died at noon yesterday at St. Vincent’s Hospital, after an illness of several years. Captain Hamilton was born in Kentucky, February 1, 1828 but early in life the family emigrated to this State, settling in Decatur county, where the boy grew to manhood. At Greensburg, with his elder brother, John T. Hamilton, he learned the trade of a saddler and harness maker. From early youth he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was very popular there in the days of 1850 to 1861. In politics he was a Whig of unwavering fidelity, and become a Republican of unyielding conviction, supporting John C. Fremont with all the zeal of his ardent nature.


When Sumter fell in 1861 Captain Hamilton was one of the first men to place his name [illegible] Morgan’s roll. His company [illegible] organization, April 22, 1861, Company B of the Seventh Regiment of Indiana Volunteers. As first sergeant he served in that company in the three months’ service. In the movement from Webster on Phillippi, Va., on June 2, 1861, with Lient Rickets, of his company, he was detalled to lead the advance guard of the direct column, and, probably the only time during the long war, two men carried a lantern at the front, as the night was so dark and rainy and the mud so deep that the commanding officer deemed it necessary to find the road. These two officers carried the light within two or three miles of the objective point when it became so fine a target the outpost pickets of the enemy that it brought the column to a halt. Upon the reorganization of the Seventh Regiment for the three years’ service, he was elected as first lieutenant of Company E, and on the promotion of Capt. Ira Grover, became its captain.

Contracting diseases that made it impossible for him to march, he was transferred to the invalid corps, and was soon after appointed to the command of Camp Morton in 1863, where he had charge of the rebel prisoners therein. He gave complete satisfaction to the government as a pains-taking commander. When the term of his enlistment expired he was mustered out of the service, and in a few months, believing his disabilities would permit it, he again entered the service and was commissioned a captain in the Fifty-first Indiana. Before leaving the service he was commissioned a major of that regiment, but was not mustered with that rank before he retired finally from the service. He was a member of Encampment No. 80, of the Union Veteran Legion of Indianapolis; a command of “Pap” Thomas Post, G. A. R. [Grand Army of the Republic] of Greensburg, and a Mason of the lodge at the same place. His remains were taken to his old home at Greensburg last night. Captain Hamilton lived a bachelor’s life until a few years ago, when he married an estimable woman, who lived but a few months.

References: Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana Library new papers obituary collection.                                          

Sunday, January 22, 2017

A groom named Jack W. Morgan!


Garrard Warren Morgan

This picture of Garrard Morgan's youngest son, Garrard Morgan IV, has always intrigued me because of his serious lamb-chop-side-burns. The rest of the hair on his head is trimmed so neatly. He isn't a 4th generation Garrard Morgan as my mother thought because Warren is his middle name. Following some further searching I've found him listed as Jap W. Morgan, Jack W. Morgan, Girard Morgan, and George Morgan.  There may yet be other versions.

In an 1863 letter John Morgan wrote home to his mother during his Civil War service (letter posted here on The Ancestor Files), John mentions each of his brothers and his sister.
"I get letters frequently from Will. Reced one from Lu[ella] last evning also one from Morg [Perhaps Morg Hamilton buried in South Park Cemetery in Greensburg, Indiana]. Kiss Jap for me. [His dog?] I would give a thousand dollars to see. Is Lon [Leonidas] studying any now. Tell him to improve his time above everything else. Let novels and such trash alone. Let him have something solid and something that will give him information to read. Knowledge is more than gold and silver. Poor Jimmie. I am sorry his jaw troubles him yet. He is a good boy and has the go aheaditiveness about him to make a man of himself one that will make his mark."
I’ve always had difficulty hearing people use the word “Jap”.  When I first read it used by great grandfather John Morgan in his Civil War letter home to his mother, I was admittedly less concerned with its use than imagining him wanting his mother to kiss his dog.



"JAP W. MORGAN, station agent and telegraph operator. C. & A. R. R.,  [Chicago and Alton Railway ][1] P.O. Stanford: son of Gerard Morgan, who was born in Nicholas Co., Ky., May 16, 1806 and married Eliza A. Hamilton Jan. 1, 1832. She was born in the same county July 15, 1810. They moved to Decatur Co., Ind., in 1834, and to Coles Co., Ill. April 11, 1857, and to McLean County in 1875. They have six children, viz., William H., John W., Louellie, Leonidas, James, A. and Jap. W., the subject of this sketch; he was born in Decatur Co., Ind., May 5, 1854. In September 1872, went West on a visiting and prospecting tour to California and most of the Territories. Returning to Mattoon Ill., in October 1874, he then made a tour through the Southern States, Texas, and Indian Territory, returning to Bloomington May 5, 1875. He soon commenced studying telegraphy in the employ of the C. & A. R. R. Co. April 18, 1878 he married Miss Emma R. Meagher daughter of Capt., J. C. Meagher, of Cambridge, Ohio. She was born in Kimbolton, Guernsey. Co., Ohio, Aug. 3, 1860 and came to Stanford in June 1872." [2]
Emma R. Meagher's marriage record is available from McLean County Illinois vital records where it is listed alphabetically: MEAGHER, EMMA R married 18 Apr 1878 in MC LEAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS, U. S. A. groom named JACK W MORGAN.  7,411,742 

"Jap's" Older brother Elder John Morgan traveled to and through Mc Lean County, Illinois in 1875 as a missionary, teaching family and friends in Illinois and on into Indiana the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Standing and John Morgan specifically taught his father and brother James as mentioned here and here. [3] Perhaps Garrard "Jap" Warren Morgan was introduced to his brother's new understanding of the Gospel during this time.

Thanks to descendant Eliza's work Garrard's FamilyTree page has been updated. You can see there that "Jap" later returned to the lands and territories he explored as a young man, living in Texas and Oklahoma. He was buried in Missouri following his 1920 passing when his wife Fannie was left a widow. 


[2]   --The History of McLean County, Illinois: Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, by W. Le Baron, Jr., 1879, McClean County, Ill., - 1078 pages.
[3] John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Sarah Luella Morgan found!

The lovely elusive Sarah Luella Morgan has finally surfaced. Thanks to internet access of so many records and my increased familiarity with the Garrard Morgan family. 

Recently cousin Karen shared copies of two letters Mary Linton Morgan sent to people in Indiana and Illinois during her search for family information of her deceased husband, John Hamilton Morgan. Her 1925 letter to the Greensburg Indiana newspaper illustrates how far we've come. Morgan's eighty-two year old cousin Woodson Morgan of Peoria, Illinois' response to Mary's 1931 questions led me to Luellie Edison's gravestone in Larimore, Grand Forks, North Dakota.


Sarah Luella Morgan Edison



James Morgan information was posted  here and here.
Leonidos Morgan information was posted here and here.
John Morgan descendant Eliza has located and nicely sourced Garrard Morgan family information in FamilySearch. It's now evident that Garrard Morgan the younger is also known as Jap.

It was cousin Woodson's knowledge and efforts penned below that finally sent me to look in Ancestry.com.


He wrote: I also know little of Garrard Morgan 5 sons - 1 daughter, Wm, John, Leonidas, James, Jap is Girrard - Louilla. Whether any living I do not know -

I found the two following newspaper articles at Ancestry.com once I realized Sarah Louella had married an Edison. Those facts have always been penciled in on one of my mother's pedigree worksheets, however, Edison had been crossed out and changed to Addison. 




Whatever the truth or error of these 1885 newspaper stories, Luella did move to North Dakota with Mr. Marsalius Edison. A quick look for a marriage record in the Bloomington, Illinois area has proved fruitless thus far.

Find-a-grave pictures Luellie Edison's gravestone in Larimore, Grand Forks, North Dakota. Her husband's is there also.