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 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 states ...

. Afterward he was the founder of the Nashville chapter of the Ku Klux Klan 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 The Tennessee Secretary of State is an office created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of state government of Tennessee. The current Secretary of ...

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 Williams ...

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 ...

in 1854. Morton was educated at the private

Western Military Institute The Western Military Institute was a preparatory school and college located first in Kentucky, then in Tennessee. It was founded in 1847 in Georgetown, Kentucky, and it later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where it merged with Montgomery Bell Academ ...

. At the outset of the

of 1861-1865, he joined the

Rock City Guards The Rock City Guards were a militia battalion raised in Nashville, Tennessee in 1860 in anticipation of the American Civil War. 327 men joined the organization; among them were George Maney, who served as captain; lawyer Thomas H. Malone, who ser ...

, a Nashville militia. He subsequently served as the captain of artillery under General Nathan Bedford Forrest 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 Ku Klux Klan. Morton initiated former general Nathan Bedford Forrest into the KKK, in Room 10 of the

Maxwell House Hotel The Maxwell House Hotel was a major hotel in downtown Nashville. Because of its stature, seven US Presidents and other prominent guests stayed there over the years. It was built by Colonel John Overton Jr. and named for his wife, Harriet (Maxwell) ...

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 The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was an exposition held in Nashville from May 1 – October 31, 1897 in what is now Centennial Park. A year late, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee's entry into the union in 17 ...

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

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 West Hughes Humphreys (August 26, 1806 – October 16, 1882) was the 3rd Attorney General of Tennessee and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the United States District Court ...

and his wife, and granddaughter of Congressman

Parry Wayne Humphreys Parry Wayne Humphreys (1778February 12, 1839) was an American attorney, judge, and politician who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. After serving one term in the House, he later served eighteen years as a judge ...

, 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, and a daughter, Mrs Samuel A. Stout of Memphis. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was also a Freemason and an

Elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

. Morton died on November 21, 1914 in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of 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 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. 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)