150 Years: The Battle of Fort Sumter and the Start of the Civil War

It's been 150 years since April 12, 1861, when South Carolina fired on the U.S. Army stationed in Charleston Harbor. John Morgan's family, living in Coles County, Illinois, would have followed the events closely and with much interest. They had attended at least one of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and they lived close to Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's beloved stepmother.

The Civil War would alter John Morgan's life in many unforeseen ways. He joined the Army on September 6, 1862 along with many other Coles County young men. John's red-headed brother Will also served in the Army.

Since I have already detailed John Morgan's service in the war, I will not retell it here. You can read the Civil War-related posts on this blog:

Early Life and Civil War

This post lists all the battles John Morgan fought in and gives more details about his service including the following: "After the Battle of Selma, Captain Owen Wiley wrote that, 'Our loss was one officer killed; six wounded; seven men killed and forty-two wounded. All did their duty, and so deserve the highest praise. Color Serg’t. John Morgan, Company I is deserving the highest credit for his gallantry in action in being the first to plant a flag upon the Rebel works, and for being in the supreme advance until all the Rebel Forts were captured, planting our colors upon each of them successively.'"

A Letter to his Mother, 1863

"Tell Pa that I wish I was home to help him but as long as there is an armed foe to my country at large, I will be found in the ranks of the Patriot army."

A Letter to his Father, 1863

"There is a perpetual skirmish fight going on all along the line in front; some of them terminating in an engagement that would have been counted bloody in the beginning of the war."

A Trip to Lookout Mountain

This is a letter from a missionary who went on a day trip to Lookout Mountain with John Morgan who was then serving as President of the Southern States Mission. "From this Mt. Bro Morgan showed us several battle fields there was a very noted one on the Mt which we visited"

John Morgan Funeral Address by B.H. Roberts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

"In his youth the great civil war broke out. He joined the Union army and fought through all the years of the great rebellion, serving in honor in the armies of this country. Many a time I have walked with him over Missionary Ridge, where a great battle was fought; along Chickamauga Creek, where the Confederates won a great victory; around the cities of Chattanooga, Franklin, Columbia, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, and throughout the northern part of Alabama."

In addition, here are some posts on Ancestral Ties:

John Morgan Attends the Grand Army of the Republic Parade in Washington DC, 1892

"At the Rigg’s house met uncle Dave Hamilton, here attending G. A. R. Reunion. He came up and had dinner with me. Met a number of old acquaintances."

A Newspaper Clipping about Similar Letters Home from John Morgan during the Civil War and His Son, John Morgan, during World War I

"Congress and northern legisletures [sic] and northern traitors are doing more for the cause of the Rebellion than all the Southern army. They are discouraging the federal army and encouraging the rebels as much as lay in their power. We of the army are in for nothing but the subjugation or annihilation of the south, and if we cannot accomplish it in three years we can in six, but that it is to be done we are satisfied, and that we are the army to do it we are also satisfied!"

John's Brother William Morgan's Veteran Papers (Filing for Disability)

And, finally, here are a few songs that would have been very familiar to John and his fellow soldiers.