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.

John Morgan to Garrard Morgan, Feb. 12, 1863

Before getting to the contents of this post, I will mention that Bessie is currently posting a lot of excellent information about John Morgan on her blog.

—

Here is a Civil War-era letter from John Hamilton Morgan to his father, Garrard Morgan III, as found in Richardson's Life and Ministry of John Morgan. The book reproduces an actual copy of part of the letter, and also provides a transcript. The transcript altered spelling, punctuation, and even changed or left out words. For example:

scattered all along the Cumberland River.. and they also occasinly make a raid betwen here and Nashville?

was altered to:

scattered all about the Cumberland River. And they also occasionally make a raid between here and Nashville.

The edited version of the letter in the book removed a reference to John's red-headed brother Will who also served in the war. How very curious. Nothing at all is said in the biography about any of his brothers or sisters except a list of names on page 589.

I will include as much as possible from the original letter, then change to the edited book version, then finish with the original.

Feb 12 1863
Camp Near Murfreesboro Tenn

Mr Garrard Morgan

Dear Pa Your kind favor came to hand after considerable delay. Mail facilities are verry uncertain now. Wheelers and Morgans Cavalry infest the road from Munfordville south on the R.R. and are scattered all along the Cumberland River.. and they also occasinly make a raid betwen here and Nashville? they are defeated and captured on evry hand but it [change to edited version] appears as though every cedar thicket and hollow along the road is alive with Rebel gorillas! They are led on by bold, daring men who are not paid by the Confederate Government but depend entirely on what they plunder to pay them for their trouble and danger.

They will attack a train out foraging and if they can overpower them, they disarm them and drive them on the double quick 8 or 10 miles—parole and set them loose to take care of themselves. Such instances are very common.

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.

. . .

They are moving rebel wounded and sick from Murfreesboro almost every day.

We start on scout this evening by ourselves—that is, our Regiment is going out by itself.

I do not know how long we will be out but expect some 8 or 10 days. We intend to bushwack it—march [resume original letter] night and lay by in the day time.

The Col intends to take 200 of his best men along with him.

There was one of our 60 boy's discharged the other day his name is Charles Linder he lives a Robert Waggoners he could give you a good deal of information and is a good clever boy.

but I must Close I have not seen Will [his oldest brother William Woodson Morgan] for some time he is out as a scout. I must get ready for the Scout Write soon and give me the News

Write soon
John

View Larger Map

John Morgan was listed in the Illinois Civil War Records Database as follows, including the interesting fact of his height:

Name: John Morgan
Rank: Pvt
Company: I
Unit: 123 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence: Mattoon, Coles Co, IL
Age: 20
Height: 5'5"
Hair: Light
Eyes: Gray
Complexion: Fair
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Farmer
Nativity: In

Service Record
Joined When: Aug 1862
Joined Where: Mattoon, IL
Joined By Whom: Cpt Adams
Period: 3 yrs
Muster In: Sep 6, 1862
Muster In Where: Mattoon, IL
Muster In By Whom: N/A
Muster Out: Jun 28, 1865
Muster Out Where: Nashville, TN
Muster Out By Whom: Cpt Hosea
Remarks: Mustered out as sergeant


Letter as found in Richardson, Arthur M., and Nicholas G. Morgan. The Life and Ministry of John Morgan: For a Wise and Glorious Purpose. [S.l.]: N.G. Morgan, 1965, pp 12-13.

See http://www.ilsos.gov/genealogy/CivilWarController for a list of the men in company I, 123rd Illinois US Infantry Regiment and Morgan's service record. Charles Linder, mentioned in this letter, was from Summit, Moultrie, IL, and also joined the military in Mattoon, IL. He was "discharged Feb 3, 1863 at Murfreesboro, Tenn for disability." This "good clever boy" was seven years older than John Morgan. I also wanted to look up the service records for John Morgan's companion in his first trip to Salt Lake City, but do not find a name for him in the John Morgan biography. John's brother William was listed in the service records as "William H, private company E, 38 IL US Inf, from Mattoon, Coles, IL, age 22, 5'5-1/2", red hair, blue eyes, light complexion. Single, farmer, born in Decatur Co., In. He joined Aug 2, 1861, in Mattoon, IL, and was mustered in on Aug 21, 1861, at Camp Butler, IL, and no further records available except the note "promoted sergeant trans to signal corps Nov 27, 1863."

Photo of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, from www.flickr.com/photos/somegeekintn/3725982582/.

The John Morgan Monument in Salt Lake City

Description of the monument sent by John Hamilton and Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan descendant Bessie S.

My mother had an eight-page pamphlet published by the Utah State Historical Society and the John H. Morgan Memorial Library on the occasion of the unveiling of the original John Hamilton Morgan monument.

Included in the pamphlet are tributes from Nicholas G. Morgan, Sr., D.H. Christensen, given February 20, 1947, and one from President B.H. Roberts, no date given.

The pamphlet includes John H. Morgan’s “Life in Brief,” a picture of John H. Morgan in later years, a copy of an invitation to the Morgan Commercial College Young Men’s Re-Union Ball for Thursday Evening, January 26, 1871, and a picture of the monument and plaque (below).

On the cover it says:

In Memoriam
John Hamilton Morgan
Soldier, Educator, Statesman, Churchman

The monument was unveiled and presented to Salt Lake City at 7:30 p.m., May 8, 1959. It is located at 257 South Main Street.

View Larger Map

The plaque reads: Morgan Commercial and Normal College, Organized January 1868. On this site John Morgan, noted Civil War veteran, educator, LDS missionary, and Church Leader established the first successful educational institution in the territory of Utah. Here was established in the Morgan College in 1870, Utah’s first free public library and reading room, and here many of the future pioneer merchants, bankers, educators, and church leaders received their educational training.

April 30, 2009. This is the spot where the monument stood, with its drinking fountains, outside of Kress in the 1960s.

When I first saw this insert on the side of the monument, I thought, “How nice they included Mellie as she went off to school as a young student and later became the teacher’s wife.” There is a young man (a missionary, I think) pictured on the opposite side of the monument.

Thank you for the information and photos, Bessie!

A Trip to Lookout Mountain

A short excerpt from the diary of Levi James Taylor, a missionary in the Southern States Mission.

October 22, 1882

This morning as soon as I came down from my room I had an opportunity to purchase a morning paper containing the peace written by the reporter who visited us last evening and it contained a very fair inspartian account of our interview and which I think will do much good as the paper has a wide circulation It is known as the Chattanoog Democrat I sent a coppy of the paper home. ...

Left twenty dollars ($20.00) in care of Pres J Morgan After returning to the Hotel and taking breakfast we all started for the top of of lookout Mt. a distence of 7 miles. where we could have a very extended view this Mt. is in the St. of Georgia or at least a portion of it.

From this Mt. Bro Morgan showed us several battle fields there was a very noted one on the Mt which we visited called in History The battle of Mt. Lookout here we saw some of the breastworks huts &c occupied by the armies we were also shown the location of the battles of Chickamauga Mission Ridge and Chattanooga

Also herd many tales of interest concerning the proceedings of the war

Bro Morgan related the circumstances of a companion being shot by his side snare through going through a pouch on his breast going through his body and also through an other pouch at the back and yet he recovered. after visiting verous object of interest and taking dinner at a hotel on the Mt. we returned as we went by carriages which we had in the city[.]

You can review the history of John Morgan's Civil War service in this post. (Click on link.)

Picture of Lula Falls on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, from www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/116196125/.

Mother's Day John Morgan Civil War Letter

Sunday Evening

Maysville, Ala Dec 21st 1863
Mrs. E. Morgan

Dear Ma: it has been so long since I had a friendly chit chat with you that I feel as though at any price no difference how costly I would purchase that pleasure.

A mother's love is not purchased by either gold or diamonds; in camp, on the march, the bloody field of strife or the chill bivouac the soldiers veneration for his mother remains the same. Falling on the Blood drenched Battlefield or stricken down by sickness, his last words are invariably: My Mother My Country! often have I seen an unbidden tear spring to the eye of the rough soldier that had braved death in a thousand different shapes. Whose cheek was unblanched & nerve steady amid the roar of Battle Whose voice was as clear and ringing on a charge as the bravest of the brave. I have seen such men moved to tears on receiving a simple short letter from a mother.

Did I ever tell you about the first letter I received from home? I guess I didn't. I don't know of anything I can write that would interest better. We had been two days on the march from Louisville, I had a woolen blanket, weight 4 lbs., gun, 16 lbs., canteen full of water, 3 quarts; haversack with 2 days rations, about 8 pounds, making in all about 35 lbs. We marched 25 miles during the night and day; pouring rain all the while—not a dry thread on me; camped about 11 o'clock; laid down on a bunch of wet fodder to keep me off the ground—my wet blanket over me. About that time of night, I began to feel a sort of squeemishness about the region of the shirt bosom, thinking about home and friends. Just then I got a letter from home. I read it and what do you think I did? Would you believe it, I crawled into a mule wagon and took a long hearty cry. There, laugh if you will, it is even so. The next morning we were again on the march and amid the varied scenes of a soldier's life, I soon took to my new employment with pleasure.

There is a pleasant little village close to camp and I have formed some pleasant acquaintances there. There is one particular friend, a Mrs. Hall. It appears more like home than anywhere else that I have been in the South. I have passed several pleasant evenings there and the little Yankee soldier boy always receives a kind and polite invitation to call again. Well, besides that, Miss Jennie Hall and her piano are not the least of the attractions of this kind family.

Don't let this foolish talk of mine give you the least uneasiness in regard to its interfering with my duty—not a bit of it. I haven't lived long, but I think long enough to not make myself ridiculous in the eyes of my brother soldiers.

As regards my habits, I neither smoke, drink liquor or play cards. I have plenty of reading matter and duty to keep me busy.

I get letters frequently from Will. Reced one from Lu last evning also one from Morg. Kiss Jap for me. I would give a thousand dollars to see. Is Lon 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.

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. It is getting late and I must close.

Goodby John

Reproduced in Richardson, Arthur M., and Nicholas G. Morgan. The Life and Ministry of John Morgan: For a Wise and Glorious Purpose. [S.l.]: N.G. Morgan, 1965, pp 14-17. The letter was transcribed in its entirety and also heavily edited. Part of the introduction and closing of the actual letter is reproduced in the book, and since I prefer the original to the edited version, I have revised the letter to match the original as much as possible.

The photo of the soldiers is a picture I took at a Civil War reenactment at Pennypacker Mills in Pennsylvania.

Morgan 4: John Morgan—Early Life and Civil War

Very little is known about the Morgan family’s migration to America or their history prior to the 19th century, but records trace back at least to 17th century Virginia.

John Hamilton Morgan’s parents, Garrard Morgan III and Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan, were born in or around Nicholas County, Kentucky.

Garrard and Eliza followed a similar path across the wilderness as the Thomas Lincoln family, from Kentucky to Indiana to Coles County, Illinois. The first of their seven children, William Woodson Morgan, was born in Indiana on July 27, 1840.

Eliza gave birth to their second son, John Hamilton Morgan, on August 8, 1842, in Greensburg, Decatur, Indiana.

Subsequent children Sarah, Leonidas, James, Luella, and Garrard IV were also born in Indiana before the family settled outside Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois.

On September 6, 1862, Colonel James Monroe organized the 123rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment at Camp Terry, Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois.

• From Coles County: Companies A, C, D, H, I, and K.
• From Cumberland County: Company B.
• From Clark County, Company E.
• From Clark and Crawford Counties: Company F and G.

John Morgan belonged to company I. He was twenty years old.

The regiment shipped out on freight cars on September 19, 1862, for action under Major General William “Bull” Nelson. Their immediate task was to fortify Louisville, Kentucky, against Confederate General Braxton Bragg.

On October 1, the regiment left Louisville under the command of Union General Don Carlos Buell in pursuit of Bragg. The regiment with its untrained recruits suffered heavily in the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862.

The regiment spent the next three months protecting the railroad bridge in Munfordville, Kentucky.

The Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Stones River from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863, was the regiment’s second introduction to the horrors of warfare. [Despite what Wikipedia says, the Regiment was not at the battle, according to regimental histories, and they were not particularly inactive, as follows. See regimental history.]

After a period of inactivity, the regiment saw action at the Battle of Vaught’s Hill (March 20, 1863).

The Battle of Reseca

Their next action was at the Battle of Hoover’s Gap (June 24-26, 1863), followed by the Battle of Chickamauga (September 19-20, 1863), Farmington (October 7, 1863), Resaca (May 13-15, 1864), New Hope Church (May 25-26, 1864), Dallas (May 24-June 4, 1864), Marietta (June 9-July 3, 1864), Kennesaw Mountain (June 27, 1864), and Selma (April 2, 1865).

Several of the battles were part of the Atlanta Campaign. The regiment also participated in Garrard’s Raid and Wilson’s Raid.

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

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.

In John Morgan's funeral address given by B.H. Roberts, Roberts said that,

When the Union forces were attacking the rebel breastworks at Selma, Alabama, three men who carried that old flag during the assault were shot down; as it fell from the hand of the third man John Morgan seized it, leaped over the breastworks and planted it triumphantly inside the enemies’ lines where the regiment maintained it....

He was wounded during the war, but in what battle I do not remember; twice he was captured; once exchanged and once he made his escape...

After the war, John Morgan attended Eastman’s Commercial College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and graduated in the spring of 1866. He returned to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to join an army acquaintance in the accounting business, but his career as a carpet bagger ended quickly as he and his friend both took a job driving a large herd of cattle from Kansas City to Salt Lake City.

John Morgan and his friend arrived in Salt Lake City on December 23, 1866. The friend left shortly thereafter for California, but John liked Salt Lake City so much that he decided to stay.

Morgan 4: John Morgan Funeral Address, Part 2 of 3

There is another line of experience in the history of Elder John Morgan that I wish to mention and of which little is known by the brethren and sisters at large; for he was ever modest in any reference to it. He was a soldier. 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.

Upon the casket lying before us is the bullet-torn and battle-stained flag of the 123rd Illinois Regiment. When the Union forces were attacking the rebel breastworks at Selma, Alabama, three men who carried that old flag during the assault were shot down; as it fell from the hand of the third man John Morgan seized it, leaped over the breastworks and planted it triumphantly inside the enemies’ lines where the regiment maintained it. In recognition of his great bravery on that occasion the regiment made him a present of its flag, and how often have I heard him refer to “his flag” with pride. I am glad to see it form part of the decoration of his casket, for it is the emblem of a brave deed—and of itself, an inheritance to his sons. I speak of these things because during his lifetime he said so little of them in public; but being with him so much in the South and traveling over those battle fields, the war was often the subject of our conversation, and it was most interesting to have him point out the different places where engagements were fought and his own connection with them.

He was wounded during the war, but in what battle I do not remember; twice he was captured; once exchanged and once he made his escape; and may, with all propriety, be classed as one of the heroes of our country.

The only public references he ever made to these services for his country, so far as I know, occurred a few years ago, when mistaken members of the Grand Army of the Republic passing through our territory arrogated to themselves all the patriotism in the land, and something more than hinted at the supposed disloyalty of the “Mormon” people.

Indignant at the course these men pursued, in the presence of thousands, he vindicated the loyalty of the Latter-day Saints and referred to his own services in the Civil war, saying that he permitted no man to go further than he would go in making sacrifice for the flag of his country. With shame and humiliation many of these mistaken men confessed that they were in error. His record as a soldier on that occasion brought honor to the community in which he lived as did his record in all his labors in life.


To be continued...

Part 1.
Part 3.

Note: if you follow the link to the regiment, you will see that someone incorrectly linked this regiment to Rudger Clawson instead of John Morgan. Anyone know how to correct wikipedia entries? [Done.]