John Watson Morton (September 19, 1842 – November 21, 1914) was an American Confederate military officer, farmer and politician. Educated at the Western Military Institute, he entered military service soon after graduation, with the outbreak of war. He served as captain of artillery under General

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during 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 state ...

. Afterward he was the founder of the Nashville chapter of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Ca ...

during the Reconstruction era. Although Morton studied medicine after the war and practiced as a physician for two years, he decided to go into farming. He led various agricultural societies and served as the Tennessee Secretary of State from 1901 to 1909.

Early life

John Watson Morton was born on September 19, 1842 in

Williamson County, Tennessee Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 247,726. The county seat is Franklin, and the county is located in Middle Tennessee. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, ...

to Dr John A. Morton and his wife Sarah Buchanan. He had a brother, Thomas P. Morton. The family moved to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

in 1854. Morton was educated at the private Western Military Institute. At the outset of the

of 1861-1865, he joined the Rock City Guards, a Nashville militia. He subsequently served as the captain of artillery under General

in the

. He was the youngest captain in the Confederate forces. He subsequently wrote a book about his war service. After the war, Morton studied medicine at the University of Nashville, graduating as valedictorian in 1867.

Career

After the war Morton was the founder of the Nashville chapter of the

. Morton initiated former general

into the KKK, in Room 10 of the Maxwell House Hotel in fall of 1866. Morton practiced medicine for two years, until he decided to take up farming in Tennessee. From 1881 to 1901, he served as the editor of ''Tennessee Farmer'', an agrarian journal. He also served as the president of the Tennessee Farmers' Publishing Company. Morton served as assistant commissioner of agriculture of Tennessee from 1891 to 1896. He assisted with the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition of 1897, and he subsequently published a book entitled ''The History of the Tennessee Centennial''. He served as the first president of the Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association. Morton was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He served as the Tennessee Secretary of State from 1901 to 1909.

Personal life and death

Memorial P6250077 Brices Crossing (Confederate Memorial)

Morton was married twice. He first married Annie Humphreys, the daughter of Confederate Judge West Hughes Humphreys and his wife, and granddaughter of Congressman Parry Wayne Humphreys, on September 15, 1868. He married Ellen Bourne Tynes on August 6, 1901. He had two sons, John W. Morton, Jr., an attorney in Nashville, and West H. Morton, the register of

Davidson County, Tennessee Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the second most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashvill ...

, and a daughter, Mrs Samuel A. Stout of Memphis. He was a member of the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

. He was also a Freemason and an Elk. Morton died on November 21, 1914 in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

. He was buried in his Confederate uniform at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.

Works

References

External links

*
The artillery of Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry : "the wizard of the saddle"
on the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, James W. 1842 births 1914 deaths People from Williamson County, Tennessee People of Tennessee in the American Civil War Politicians from Nashville, Tennessee Confederate States Army officers Editors of Tennessee newspapers Farmers from Tennessee Physicians from Tennessee Secretaries of State of Tennessee Tennessee Democrats American Freemasons American Ku Klux Klan members Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)