Charles Henry Morgan (July 5, 1842January 4, 1912) was an American lawyer and politician from
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. He represented Missouri in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
for five terms spread across four decades. He also served as an
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
.
Early life and education
Charles Henry Morgan was born in
Cuba, New York
Cuba is a town on the western border of Allegany County, New York, United States. The village of Cuba lies within its borders. The federally recognized tribe of Seneca Native Americans has a reservation on the western town line. As of the 202 ...
,
on July 5, 1842.
[ ][ ] His family moved to
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Pewaukee is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The population was 13,195 at the 2010 census. The Village of Pewaukee, which was incorporated out of the town before it incorporated as a city, is surrounded by the city.
The name of the city ...
, in 1845.
He attended
Fond du Lac High School
Fond du Lac High School ("Fondy High") is a comprehensive public high school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin administered by the Fond du Lac School District. Opened in 2001, the school replaced the former Goodrich High School, which was the city's hi ...
in
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...
, in 1861.
After the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, he went to
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...
, and graduated from
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...
in 1865.
Career
Military career
At the outbreak of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Morgan was one of the first volunteers from Wisconsin to enlist in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
. He was enrolled as a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in Company I of the
1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Service
The original 1st Regiment Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 16, 1861, and mustered into Fede ...
and went with the regiment to
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in June 1861. At the time, the regiment was only established as a three-month enlistment, and the regiment only participated in the
Battle of Hoke's Run
The Battle of Hoke's Run, also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Battle of Hainesville, took place on July 2, 1861, in Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Manassas campaign of the American Civil War. Notable as ...
in present day
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
before the expiration in August 1861.
Morgan decided to re-enlist for a three year term, and at the re-organization of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry, he was assigned to Company K and promoted to sergeant. At the reorganization, he was joined by his brother Benjamin and his cousin William.
In the Spring of 1862, Morgan was promoted to
sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...
of the regiment.
Through this year of service, the 1st Wisconsin Infantry was mostly serving provost duty in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Morgan was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Fall of 1862 and assigned to Company F of the
21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They were assigned for their entire war service to XIV Corps, operating in the western theater of the war.
Serv ...
. The 21st Wisconsin Infantry saw extensive combat in the Tennessee and Kentucky theater of the war. Morgan was taken prisoner twice during the war, first after the
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the A ...
, when he was quickly paroled, and then after the disastrous
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...
, when he was sent to
Libby Prison
Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Prison ...
, along with about 70 others of his regiment. He famously escaped from Libby Prison with
Harrison Carroll Hobart
Harrison Carroll Hobart (January 31, 1815January 26, 1902) was an American lawyer, Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician, and Union Army officer during the American Civil War. He was the 2nd Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assemb ...
and about 100 others in February 1864. After returning to his regiment, he was promoted to captain of Company H in April 1865.
At the end of the war, he marched in the
Grand Review of the Armies
The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in the ...
.
During the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
he returned to service as
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
of the Fifth Missouri Infantry Regiment.
Law career
He began
practicing law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...
in
Lamar, Missouri
Lamar is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 4,266. It is known as the birthplace of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States.
The city governme ...
. In 1868 he was
prosecuting attorney
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
of
Barton County, Missouri
Barton County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 11,637. Its county seat is Lamar, Missouri, Lamar. The county ...
; member of the
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...
in 1872–74.
He practiced until 1884, and then he went into
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
and
zinc mining
Zinc mining is the process by which mineral forms of the metal zinc are extracted from the earth through mining. A zinc mine is a mine that produces zinc minerals in ore as its primary product. Common co-products in zinc ores include minerals of le ...
.
Political career
He served as a
Democratic congressman in 1875–79, 1883–85 (during which he was chairman,
Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department) and 1893–95. He was elected as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
in 1908 and served 1909–1911.
In 1907 he moved to
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
.
Personal life
Charles Morgan was the eldest son among 11 children born to Henry Culver Morgan and his wife Lurancy (' Swift). Henry C. Morgan came to Black Wolf, Wisconsin, with his brother, Charles, and had a successful lumber mill operating until the
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was ...
. Charles Morgan served several years on the Winnebago County board and was twice an unsuccessful candidate for state legislature.
Henry's younger brother
Frederic A. Morgan served in the
39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and later represented Winnebago County in the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
.
Charles H. Morgan married Clara Washburn, daughter of Judge
Ganem W. Washburn of
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh.
History
Oshkosh was ...
, on March 14, 1877.
[ ] He had a son, Frank B. Morgan.
Death
Morgan died of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
on January 4, 1912, in
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
.
He is interred in Mount Hope Cemetery.
References
External links
Charles Henry Morgan entryat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Charles Henry
1842 births
1912 deaths
Albany Law School alumni
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri lawyers
People from Cuba, New York
People from Lamar, Missouri
Politicians from Joplin, Missouri
People from Pewaukee, Wisconsin
People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War
Union Army soldiers
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers