William Morris Jr. (1746 – 1802) was a pioneer, military officer, and politician born in Orange County,

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

. He served as a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

for

Kanawha County Kanawha County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charlest ...

from 1792 until 1801 as a member of the

Federalist Party The Federalist Party was a Conservatism in the United States, conservative political party which was the first political party in the United States. As such, under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. De ...

. Morris served in

Lord Dunmore's War Lord Dunmore's War—or Dunmore's War—was a 1774 conflict between the Colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo American Indian nations. The Governor of Virginia during the conflict was John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore—Lord Dunmore. H ...

in the

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along the Ohio River near modern-day P ...

in 1774. He was wounded during the battle. When the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

began in 1776, Morris was commissioned as a captain in the Virginia Militia where he served in the

Kanawha Valley The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the stat ...

, and

Greenbrier County Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery counties in Virginia. History P ...

supporting General

Andrew Lewis Andrew Lewis may refer to: Law and politics * Sir Andrew J. W. Lewis (1875-1952), Scottish businessman and politician; Lord Provost of Aberdeen * Andrew L. Lewis Jr. (1931–2016), American railroad executive and US Secretary of Transportation *And ...

as a spy until 1792. Captain Morris led a company of spies whose primary mission was to track hostile Indian movements who aligned with the

Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...

, frontier defense, and engage in guerrilla operations. William served alongside his brother Leonard Morris, and brother-in-law John Jones between the years 1778 through 1783 who were also spies. In March 1783, Captain William Morris commissioned John Young as a lieutenant and assigned him as a spy. Lieutenant Young's principal role was to lead troops in surveilling, engaging, and reporting on Indian movements throughout the Greenbrier and Kanawha region. Captain Morris's unit garrison was at Morris Fort (also known as Kelly's Post) from 1784 until 1786. Captain Morris was promoted to major in 1786 where he served in the

Northwest Indian Wars The Northwest Indian War (1786–1795), also known by other names, was an armed conflict for control of the Northwest Territory fought between the United States and a united group of Native American nations known today as the Northwestern ...

and

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

. In the October Session of 1794, Morris was appointed as a trustee of the newly incorporated town of

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

(now the capital city of West Virginia) along with Ruben Slaughter, Andrew Donnally Sr, William Clendenin, John Morris (brother), Leonard Morris (brother), George Alderson, Abraham Baker, and John Young. In 1801 Morris became Sheriff of Kanawha County, Virginia replacing Leonard Morris, who served as Sheriff of Kanawha from 1798. He died the following winter in 1802. William Morris, Jr. is the eldest son of ten children by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

and Elizabeth Stapp (Stipps). William Morris Sr. was born in January 1722 and emigrated from London, England at the age of 14. William Morris's brothers all served as military officers in Lord Dunmore's War, American Revolution, and the Northern Indian Wars. William Morris Jr also had a son named William Morris III, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Kanawha County from 1796-1809. William Morris Jr. is the uncle of US House Representative Calvary Morris, Calvary is the son of Captain John Morris.

References

{{reflist 1746 births 1802 deaths Members of the Virginia House of Delegates Federalist Party politicians Virginia militiamen in the American Revolution People from Kanawha County, West Virginia Virginia sheriffs Trustees of populated places in Virginia