W. James Morgan (died 1866) was a

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 ...

recruiter and

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

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 ...

. Born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Morgan had experience as a member of

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

units in both

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Morgan was living as a grocer in

Brunswick, Missouri Brunswick is a rural city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 801 at the 2020 census. Brunswick, by official state proclamation, is the Pecan Capital of Missouri. The Missouri Farmers Association ( MFA Incorporated) w ...

and began to recruit men for a

mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...

unit in Federal service to be known as the Morgan Rangers. Morgan was made full

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and authorized to raise a full

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of infantry, which was recruited predominantly in northern Missouri. The Morgan Rangers eventually molded into the

18th Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 18th Missouri Infantry Regiment was a Union Army unit organized during the American Civil War. History Organized at Laclede, Missouri, July to November, 1861. Attached to: *District of St. Louis, Department of Missouri, to March, 1862. *2nd ...

which completed formation in December, 1861. Morgan's decisions often appeared as inflammatory considering his early role as commander of occupation forces in

Platte County, Missouri Platte County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,718. Its county seat is Platte City. The county was org ...

. At one point in late 1861, Morgan even wrote to

Henry Halleck Henry Wager Halleck (January 16, 1815 – January 9, 1872) was a senior United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". He was an important par ...

advocating that Morgan order two

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

sympathizers shot to make an example for the rest of the local population. In December 1861, Morgan ordered two Confederate soldiers home either on furlough or on expiration of their terms of enlistment executed at Bee Creek Bridge and subsequently was responsible for the

Burning of Platte City The first Burning of Platte City, Missouri occurred during the American Civil War on December 16, 1861, after Union troops attempted to capture the bushwhacker Silas M. Gordon. Gordon, who lived in Platte County, Missouri, had been conducting num ...

, Missouri. By February 1862, Morgan was officially derided by higher command for the bombastic actions he had perpetrated while in command of the 18th Missouri in Platte County. Morgan was officially relieved of command of the regiment, which was then entrusted to veteran artillery captain

Madison Miller Madison Miller (1811–1896) was a US soldier, military officer and railroad manager. In the Mexican–American War, Miller held a captaincy within the 2nd Illinois Regiment of Volunteers and was wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista. By the Civil ...

. Morgan died in

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

in 1866.

References

*''History of Clay and Platte Counties Missouri'', 1885 *Paxton, W.M., ''Annals of Platte County, Missouri'', 1897 *Anders, Leslie, ''The Eighteenth Missouri'', 1968 https://archive.org/details/eighteenthmissou0000lesl/page/16/mode/2up?view=theater Year of birth missing 1866 deaths American murderers Military personnel from New York (state) People from Brunswick, Missouri People of Missouri in the American Civil War Union Army colonels {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub War criminals of the American Civil War