Charles Gould Morton (January 15, 1861 – July 18, 1933) was an American major general during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life

Charles Gould Morton was born on January 15, 1861, to Allen and Mary Morton in

Cumberland, Maine Cumberland is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. The population was 8,473 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area, Maine. Cumberland is one of the wealthiest municipalities in the state. History Cumberla ...

. He attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

(USMA) at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

, and graduated with the class of 1883. Several of his fellow classmates would go on to become

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

s in their careers, such as Charles W. Kennedy,

George H. Cameron Major General George Hamilton Cameron (January 8, 1861 – January 28, 1944) was a United States Army officer who had a military career spanning over forty years, at the end of which he attained the rank of major general. Despite serving in numero ...

, Harry C. Hale, George W. Read,

John W. Heard John William (or Wilkinson) Heard (March 27, 1860 – February 4, 1922) was a United States Army Brigadier General who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 23, 1898, near Bahia Honda, Cuba. Early life and educa ...

, Ira A. Haynes,

Samson L. Faison Samson Lane Faison (November 29, 1860 – October 17, 1940) was a brigadier general in the United States Army who commanded the 30th Infantry Division (United States), 30th Infantry Division at various times during World War I. He received t ...

, William C. Langfitt, Robert D. Walsh,

Omar Bundy Major General Omar Bundy (June 17, 1861 – January 20, 1940) was a career United States Army officer who was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I. A n ...

, Tyree R. Rivers, John W. Ruckman,

Isaac Littell Isaac William Littell (5 December 1857 – 1 May 1924) was a United States Army brigadier general. He was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for meritorious and distinguished service during World War I. Specifically, Littell was honore ...

and Clarence R. Edwards.

Military career

Morton accepted a commission as an infantry officer and served on the frontier until 1888. From 1889 to 1890, Morton was a Professor of Military Science at the

Florida Agricultural College The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several distinct institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported un ...

. For most of his military career, Morton served with the

6th Infantry Regiment The 6th Infantry Regiment ("Regulars") was formed 11 January 1812. Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States, was a commander of the unit. The motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa, in which Brit ...

. Morton served with the regiment in the Philippines from January 1900 to June 1902 and August 1905 to June 1907. He graduated from the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...

in June 1905. During World War I, he commanded the 29th Division. Morton then commanded the

Ninth Corps Area A Corps area was a geographically-based organizational structure (military district) of the United States Army used to accomplish administrative, training and tactical tasks from 1920 to 1942. Each corps area included divisions of the Regular Army ...

, which had its headquarters at the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

. He retired on January 15, 1925, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64.

Awards

Morton received the

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

for his service during World War I, the citation for which reads: Morton also received the Croix de Guerre with two palms and the title of Commander of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Personal life

Morton married Ida Hastings on October 15, 1885. She died in 1921, and Morton subsequently married Eleanor Moorhead Huff on June 14, 1922. He and his second wife lived in

Saratoga, California Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, its population was 31,051 at the 2020 census. Saratoga is an affluent residential community, known for its wineries, restaurants, and attra ...

, after his retirement from active duty.

Death and legacy

Morton died on July 18, 1933, in San Francisco, California from a

tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually ...

infection after suffering a burn in a firecracker accident on July 4. He was cremated and interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

beside his first wife and her parents on July 27, 1933. The transport ship was named in his honor and saw service in World War II and the Korean War.

Bibliography

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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, Charles Gould 1861 births 1933 deaths People from Cumberland, Maine United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Maine United States Army Infantry Branch personnel University of Florida faculty American military personnel of the Philippine–American War United States Army War College alumni United States Army generals of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) United States Army generals People from Saratoga, California Deaths from tetanus Burials at Arlington National Cemetery