George W. Morgan

For other people with the same name, seeGeorge Morgan (disambiguation).

George W. Morgan
George W. Morgan, 1892
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's13thdistrict
In office March 4, 1867 – June 3, 1868
Preceded by	Columbus Delano
Succeeded by	Columbus Delano
In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873
Preceded by	Columbus Delano
Succeeded by	Milton I. Southard
United States Ambassador to Portugal
In office 1858–1861
Preceded by	John L. O'Sullivan
Succeeded by	James E. Harvey
Personal details
Born	George Washington Morgan (1820-09-20)September 20, 1820 Washington County,Pennsylvania
Died	July 26, 1893(1893-07-26)(aged 72) Fort Monroe,Virginia
Resting place	Mound View Cemetery,Mount Vernon,Ohio
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sarah H. Hall
Children	two
Alma mater	Washington & Jefferson College
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1846–1848, 1861–1863
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands	15th Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Mexican War Battle of Contreras Battle of Churubusco Battle of Chapultepec American Civil War Battle of the Cumberland Gap Battle of Chickasaw Bayou Battle of Arkansas Post

George Washington Morgan(September 20, 1820 – July 26, 1893) was an Americansoldier,lawyer,politician,anddiplomat.He fought in theTexas Revolutionand theMexican–American War,and was a general in theUnion Armyduring theAmerican Civil War.Morgan later served as a three-termreconstruction eraUnited States CongressmanfromOhio.He also served as theUnited States Ambassador to Portugalfrom 1858 to 1861, during the term of PresidentJames Buchanan.

Early life and career

Morgan was born inWashington County, Pennsylvania,to a prominent family. His grandfather,Col.George Morgan, was the first to give PresidentThomas Jeffersonthe information regardingAaron Burr's conspiracy.G. W. Morgan was educated in local schools, and then in 1836, he withdrew fromWashington Collegeat the age of 16 and enlisted in a military company that was commanded by his older brother, Thomas Jefferson Morgan. They traveled south toMexican Texasto fight in the struggle for independence fromMexico.Morgan received a commission in the regular Texas Army underSam Houstonas alieutenant,and rose tocaptaincommanding the post atGalveston.He served with Captain Robertson's rangers and Company B of the First Regiment of Texas Rangers. He resigned in 1839 to return to Pennsylvania.

In 1841, he entered theUnited States Military Academy,but left in 1843 due to poor grades. He moved toMount Vernon, Ohio,studied law, passed the bar exam, and established a law practice there in 1845. He served asprosecutorforKnox County.

When war erupted with Mexico, Morgan was appointedColonelof the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He subsequently was commissioned as Colonel of the15th U.S. Infantryin March 1847, serving under GeneralWinfield Scott.To put an end to theguerrillawarfare and murder of American soldiers, Colonel Morgan seized a number of prominent Mexican citizens and issued a proclamation announcing that for every American soldier killed by the guerrillas, a citizen would be executed. The murders ceased at once.He wasbrevetedtobrigadier generalin 1848 for his gallantry at the battles ofContrerasandChurubusco,where he was severely wounded. Returning to Ohio to recuperate, he received the formal thanks of the Ohio legislature.

Morgan resumed his law practice in Mount Vernon. He married Sarah H. Hall ofZanesville, Ohio,on October 7, 1851, and they had two children.

He was a lawyer until 1856, when he was appointed by PresidentJames Buchananas theUnited States ConsultoMarseilles.Two years later, he became theMinister to Portugal,which post he held until 1861, when he returned to the United States following the outbreak of the Civil War.

Civil War

Morgan during the Civil War

Morgan, due to his previous military experience in two wars, was appointed as a brigadier general in theUnion Armyon November 21, 1861, reporting toMaj. Gen.Don Carlos Buellin theWestern Theater.In March 1862, Morgan assumed command of the 7th Division of theArmy of the Ohioand was ordered to southeasternKentuckyto drive theConfederatesfrom the strategicCumberland Gapand occupy it. Moving quickly, Morgan defeatedCarter L. Stevenson's Confederates and chased off the defenders on June 18, 1862. He then successfully manned the gap with his four brigades of infantry, augmented by artillery placed on the heights.

However, in September, he was forced to hastily retreat towards theOhio RiverasBraxton Bragginvaded Kentucky, cutting off his supply routes. Morgan conducted a masterful retreat in the face of the much superior enemy force, despite being harassed by constant attacks fromCol.John H. Morgan's guerrillas. George Morgan's 8,000 men marched over 200 miles from Cumberland Gap in sixteen days toGreenup, Kentucky,arriving there on October 3 on their way toCamp Dennisonin Ohio.

In November, Morgan served with Maj. Gen.Jacob D. Coxin western Virginia (nowWest Virginia) in theKanawha River Valley,defendingCharleston.

The following year, Morgan commanded the 3rd Division of theXIII Corpsunder Maj. Gen.William T. Shermanduring theVicksburg Campaign.Sherman, however, was upset with Morgan's performance at thebattle of Chickasaw Bluffs,when he failed to carry out orders for a planned attack.Morgan soon redeemed himself as he subsequently led the XIII Corps force that capturedFort HindmaninArkansas.His health having deteriorated from the lengthy campaigning, and dissatisfied with the use ofblack troops,Morgan resigned his commission on June 8, 1863, and returned to Ohio and civilian life.

Later life and political career

George Washington Morgan

While strongly in favor of maintaining theUnionat any cost, Morgan was equally opposed to any interference withslavery,believing that the Federal government had no legal right to abolish the practice. Morgan campaigned in Ohio for former army generalGeorge B. McClellanin the1864 Presidential Election.In 1865 he was the unsuccessfulDemocraticcandidate forGovernor of Ohio,being defeated by his former commander in the Kanawha Valley,Jacob D. Cox.

Nonetheless, he continued to pursue a political career, and in 1866 was elected to theFortieth United States Congressfrom Ohio's 13th District, serving on theCommittee on Foreign Affairs.There, he voted against theimpeachment of President Andrew Johnson.Two years later, he appeared to have won reelection. However, his seat was contested by the defeatedRepublicancandidate,Columbus Delano,who supplanted him on June 3, 1868. Not deterred, Morgan campaigned again in 1870 and was elected to another term, holding his Congressional seat until 1873, serving on the committees on foreign affairs, military affairs, and reconstruction. He was an outspoken critic of the administration's harsh policies on reconstruction and constantly battled with theRadical Republicans.Morgan ran forSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives,but was defeated byJames G. Blaine.

Retirement

Following his retirement from Congress, Morgan was a delegate-at-large to the 1876Democratic National ConventioninSt. Louis.

Death and burial

Morgan died atFort Monroe,Virginiaon July 26, 1893, the last surviving general of the Mexican-American War.He was buried in Mound View Cemetery inMount Vernon, Ohio.

See also

• List of American Civil War generals (Union)
• List of Ohio's American Civil War generals

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Handbook of Texas Online
• Kentucky Historical Society - roadside markers for Morgan's RetreatArchivedSeptember 27, 2007, at theWayback Machine
• Newark, Ohio,Daily Advocate,August 18, 1900.
• Reid, Whitelaw(1895)."George W. Morgan".Ohio in the War Her Statesmen Generals and Soldiers.Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Robert Clarke Company. p. 923.

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Wilson, J. G.;Fiske, J.,eds. (1891).Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.New York: D. Appleton.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)

Further reading

• Asbury, Samuel E., ed., "Extracts from the Reminiscences of General George W. Morgan,"Southwestern Historical Quarterly30 (January 1927).

External links

• Media related toGeorge W. Morganat Wikimedia Commons

• United States Congress."George W. Morgan (id: M000950)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Retrieved on 2008-08-13
• Smithsonian Institution collection - photo of Morgan's Mexican-American War flintlock pistol
• "George W. Morgan".Find a Grave.RetrievedAugust 13,2008.