Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/478

 MORGAN

MORGAN

rank from April 4, 1862, and was present at the evacuation of Nashville, Tenn., by the Con- federates, after which he stationed himself at La Vergne, between Nashville and Murfreesboro, and made frequent attacks on the enemy. He com- manded a cavalry force in Gen. Braxton Bragg's army during the winter of 1862-63, and succeeded in annoying the outposts of Rosecrans's army. He was promoted brigadier-general after the battle of Hartsville and continued raids in Ken- tucky, Ohio and Indiana, which resulted in the destruction of millions of dollars' worth of military stores and other property. Railroads were de- stroyed, trains captured and blown up, bridges burned and lands laid waste, and every town of any importance in Kentucky was garrisoned by the United States army as protection from his raids. In the summer of 1862 he made a second raid into Kentucky and Ohio, his purpose being to prepare the way for General Buckner to cap- ture Louisville, while he was to seize Cincinnati. He swept through the state and captured the 20th Kentucky regiment at Lebanon, destroyed whole villages in Indiana, and on entering Ohio was met by a force of 49,000 militia and three separate commands of U.S. troops. In these raids he had greatly mystified the enemy by an instru- ment hitherto unused in offensive warfare. This was a portable electric battery, and it was only necessary to take down the telegraph wire and connect it with his portable battery to head off and answer all messages passing over the line. On his retreats he took possession of the lines on his route, and countermanded all orders sent to in- tercept him. He was forced to surrender his command at BuflBngton Island in July, 1863, and was confined in the city prison at Cincinnati for a short time and afterward in the Ohio peniten- tiary at Columbus until November, 1863, when, with six others, he escaped, having tunneled un- der the walls. Morgan made his way to Boone county, Ky., and from there to the Tennessee line, being all the time pursued by soldiers. He began his last raid into Kentucky in May, 1864, and was temporarily successful, burning and destroying as he went. He met a heavy Federal force at Cynthiana, where he lost 700 men, and retreated into southwestern Virginia. He took command of the troops at Jonesboro in August, 1864, and on August 31, prepared to move against the enemy at Bull's Gap, Tenn. He made his headquarters in a farm-house at Greenville, and while attempting to escape met his death at the hands of the detachment of Federal troops under Gen. Alvan C. Gillem. He was killed at Green- ville. Tenn., Sept. 4, 1864.

MORGAN, John Jordan, representative, was born in New York city in 1768. His father d.'stined him for the Royal navy, and he received

a thorough classical education. He was a mem- ber of the New York assembly in 1819, 1836 and 1840, and a Democratic representative from New York in the 17th and 18th congresses, 1821-25, and in the 23d congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Cornelius W. Lawrence, from Dec. 1, 1834, to March 3, 1835. He was also collector of the port of New York. While a young man he purchased lands under patent from the state in Madison, Herkimer and Chenango counties, and established a summer home in Madison county. He was married first to Cath- arine Warne, niece of Col. Marinus Willett, and after her death to Eliza, daughter of Robert Bald- win, a former mayor of Cork, Ireland, who settled in Canada with his family. Mr. Morgan, having no children, adopted Catharine Morgan Warne, daughter of first wife's brother, and she became the wife of John A. Dix. He died at Port Ches- ter, N.Y., July 29, 1849.

MORGAN, John Pierpont, financier, was born in Hartford, Conn., April 17, 1837; son of Junius Spencer and Juliet (Pierpont) Morgan. He was graduated from the English high school, Boston, Mass., in 1854, and attended the University of Gotvingen, Germany, 1854-56. In 1857 he re- turned to the United States and obtained employment in the private banking house of Duncan, Sherman and Company, of New York city. In 1860 he was appointed the American agent and attorney for George Peabody & Co., of London, England (afterward J. S. Mor- gan & Co.), and in 1864 he was admitted

a member of the firm of Dabney, Morgan & Co., of New York. He formed a combination with the Drexels of Philadelphia under the firm name of Drexel, Morgan & Co., in 1871, and in 1895 he became head of the firm of J. P. Mor- gan & Co. His father died in 1890, leaving the London house of J. S. Morgan & Co., and the Paris branch of Morgan, Hayes & Co., under the sole management of J. P. Morgan. This European connection enabled the American firm to do a large business in foreign exchange. In 1869 Mr. Morgan defeated Jay Gould in a contest for the control of the Albany and Susquehanna railroad, and became prominent in railroad matters. He made a specialty of the reorganization of bank- rupt railroads, including the West Shore, Phila- delphia and Reading, Richmond Terminal, the

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