Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/497

 MORRIS

MORRIS

MORRIS, Thomas Asbury, M. E. bishop, was born near Cliarlesstovvn, Va., April 28, 1794; son of John and Margaret Morris, who settled on the Kanawlia river in 1785. He attended a private school, was assistant to his brother Edmund, clerk of the county, and although liis parents were Baptists, became a Methodist minister in 1814, and traveled liis circuit on liorseback, preaching almost every day and cover- ing the entire Oliio conference for twelve years. In 1826 he was partially disabled by paralysis. He was editor of the Western Chrislian Advocate in Cincinnati, 1834-36, and in 1836 was elected a bishop. He was the senior bishop of his church, 1858-74. The honorary degree of D.D. was con- ferred on him by McKendree college in 1841. He is tlie author of a work on Church Polity, a volume of sermons ; a volume entitled Essays, Biographical Sketches and Notes of Travel (1851) ; a,nd Sketcfies of Western Methodism (1852). He died in Springfield, Ohio, Sept. 2, 1874.

MORRIS, William Hopkins, soldier, was bom in New York city, April 22, 1826 ; son of Gen. George Pope Morris (q.v.). He was gradu- ated from the U.S. Military academy in 1851 ; was promoted 2d lieutenant, Dec. 3, 1851 ; served at Fort Yuma, Cal., 1852-53, and resigned his commission in the U.S. army, Feb. 28, 1854. He was assistant editor of the New York Home Journal, 1854-61, and on Aug. 20, 1861, joined the volunteer army as captain of staff and assist- ant adjutant-general. He served in the defences of Wasiiington, D.C., 1861-62, and was on the staff of Gen. J. J. Peck, Army of the Potomac, during the Peiiinsula campaign in 1862, his bat- tles including Yorktown, Williamsburg and Fair Oaks. He resigned his staff position, Sept. 1, 1862, to accept the colonelcy of the 135th New York volunteers, and was transferred to the 6th artillery, Sept. 2, 1862. He was promoted brig- adier-general of volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862, and took part in the defence of Maryland Heights and Harper's Ferry in 1862. He commanded the 6th artillery held in reserve at Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863 ; took part in the action of Wapping Heights, July 23, 1863 ; in the Rapidan campaign,' where he commanded the 1st brigade, 3d division, 6th army corps, and took part in the action at Locust Grove, Nov. 29, 1863. He participated in the bat- tle of the Wilderness, May, 1864, and in the action near Spottsylvania, May 9, 1864, where he com- manded the 6th army corps after the transfer of General Wright to the command of the corps on the death of General Sedgwick, and where he was severely wounded, and was on sick leave of ab- sence, May and June, 1864. He was on courts martial and military commissions in July and August, 1884, and was mustered out of service, Aug. 24, 1864. He was brevetted major-general

of U.S. volunteers for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of the Wilderness, March 13, 1865. He retired to " Briarcliff ," his estate in Putnam county, N.Y., and was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1869, serving as chairman of the military committee. He was chief of ordnance, N.G.S.N.Y., 1866-70. He invented a conical repeating carbine in 1859, and is the author of : A System of Infantry Tactics (1865) ; Tactics for Infantry Armed urith Breech- Loading or Magazine Rifles (1882). He died at Long Branch, N.J., Aug. 26, 1900.

MORRIS, William Walton, soldier, was born atBallston Spa, N.Y., Aug. 31, 1801. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1820, and was promoted 2nd lieutenant of 6th infantry ; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Aug. 11, 1823 ; served on frontier and garrison duty ; was transferred to the 4th artillery, July 30, 1824, and was in garrison at Charleston Harbor, 1832- 33. He was promoted captain, Dec. 17, 1836, and took part in the Florida war, 1836-37, as major of the mounted Creek volunteers, being brevetted major, Jan. 27, 1837, for "gallant conduct on several occasions and general efficiency in the war against the Florida Indians." He served on the northern frontier during the Canadian disturb- ances, 1839-41 ; was in Texas, 1845-46, and in the war with Mexico as major of the artillery battalion of the army of occupation, being en- gaged in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. He was prefect of police and alcalde of Tampico, 1846-47, and of Puebla, Mexico, 1847- 48. He was U.S. agent of the Indians in Florida, 1848-49, and was in garrison at New York, 1850- 56. He was promoted major, Nov. 4, 1853 ; served in Florida, 1856-57, and in Kansas, 1857- 58. At the outbreak of the civil w-ar he was pro- moted lieutenant-colonel, and was stationed at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md., in command of

the harbor defence, 1861-65. He quelled the Baltimore riots, April 19, 1861, by training the guns of the fort on the rioters. He was promoted colonel and transferred to the 2d artillery, Nov. 1, 1861 ; was brevetted brigadier-general, June 9, 1862 ; commanded the Middle department and the 8th army corps, 1865, and was brevetted major- general, Dec. 10, 1865. He died at Fort McHenry, Md., Dec. 11, 1865.