|--------Thomas MORGAN (1702 - 1774, VA)
|
|---------Lewis MORGAN (1727, Pennsylvania - 1814, Kentucky)
| |
| |--------Lettice EVANS ( - 1749)
|
|------Adonijah MORGAN (1755, VA - 1827, Indiana)
| |
| | |--------Robert WHITE (1694, Scotland - 1755, USA)
| | |
| |---------Christine Ann WHITE (1726, Pennsylvania - 1816, Kentucky)
| |
| |--------Margaret HOGE (1690, Pennsylvania - 1750, VA)
|
Amaziah MORGAN (1786, Tennessee - 1839, Indiana)
|
| |--------
| |
| |---------
| | |
| | |--------
| |
|------Isabelle Jean MCMAHON (1765, Scotland - 1829, Indiana)
|
| |--------
| |
|---------
|
|--------
The following passages are from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly article about Amaziah's grandfather Lewis Morgan:
About 1811, he [Amaziah] and
some of his brothers went to Ross Co., Ohio. Three months before the
War of 1812 was declared, Amaziah enlisted as a mounted ranger in the
Ohio Militia for a term of 12 months. He was honorably discharged at
St. Mary's in March 1813. The following August he was drafted at
Ross Co. and served as a Captain in the 1st Regiment, Ohio Militia,
commanded by Col. John McDonald, and was regimental adjutant for
three months.
[Amaziah and Mary's] first two children were born in Ohio before
the family moved to Fayette County, Ind. in 1818 where Amaziah was
recorded in the Census of 1820.
When the government opened new land for settlement west of Fayette
County in October 1820, Amaziah bought a tract from the office at
Brookville -- land located in Section 25 which became Union Township,
Rush Co., Ind., in 1821. He was one of three county commissioners who
selected the site for the courthouse, 17 June 1822, being listed as
Amz Morgan. The other commissioners were his second cousin, John
Julian, and John Perkins. The county seat was named Rushville. The
only street west of Main Street was called Morgan Street. One
historian states that Amaziah was one of the most distinguished and
able of the early political leaders and exerted a wholesome influence
on the pioneer community. ``He was tall and erect, with well-cut
features, and a full and clear black eye, alike capable of expressing
the fiercest passion or the most tender emotion.'' [14] Amaziah served as
State Senator from 1826 through 1838. He was called ``General''
because, from 1826 on, he served in the Indiana State Militia as a
Colonel, Brigadier, and Major General. He was appointed as a
commissioner to treat with the Indians and supervised the removal of
the Miami tribe beyond the Mississippi in the autumn of 1838, an
experience which must have reminded him of stories of his uncle's
fateful kidnapping as a small child. A year later, while returning
from an Indian conference on horseback, he contracted a violent cold
and died 10 October 1839 at his home in Rush County in his 54th
year.
Amaziah made his will 16 September 1839, witnessed by his friends,
James Hinchman, James Curry, and Adam Carty. It was recorded 2
November 1839 in Rush County Probate Court. His wife had already
died, so his heirs were his children: sons Oliver H. P. Morgan, John
T. Morgan, Lewis T. R. Morgan, Adonijah B. R. Morgan, and William
H. H. Morgan. His daughters were listed as Eliza Jane Morgan, Betsy
Leniza Morgan, and Tabitha Minerva Smelzer. He gave his executors
power to dispose of his real estate ``so there is a sufficiency of
money ... to remove [his heirs] to the West and to provide one year's
provisions ... to be one common stock amongst my sons and my
daughters ... so long as any of them remain together and I direct
that the residue of my Estate be applied to the purchase of Western
lands....'' He signed his will ``Amz Morgan.''
Amaziah named Oliver and John executors of his estate, calling them
``my worthy and esteemed sons.'' Because John was still a minor, the
court instead appointed James M. Ross as executor. In 1840 the
brothers took the estate into their own hands. On 28 April 1851, John
T. Morgan, guardian for his youngest brother, William Henry Harrison
Morgan, applied to the U.S, Government for bounty land due the heirs
of Amaziah Morgan for his service in the War of 1812- The application,
duly sworn and witnessed, said, ``... William H. H. Morgan is the
only child of Amaziah Morgan, deceased, under twenty-one years of
age.'' As the only minor heir, William received Bounty Land Warrant
14663-160-50. Amaziah's instructions to ``go west'' were ignored,
except for William, who settled in Clay County, Ill.
Amaziah wasn't so highly regarded by everyone. The above text mentions that in 1838 he aided in the removal of several Indian tribes to west of the Mississippi. The above text names the Miami tribe, but other records primarily mention the Potawatomi. There are several records of this mission recorded in the papers of John Tipton (a key figure in the early dealings with Indiana Indians). Letters from the trail of the 1838 Indian removal complain that General Morgan was ``constantly drunk'' and indicate he was forced to resign because of his drunkedness and for supplying whiskey to the Indians on October 12, 1838.
This episode occurred just three months after Amaziah's wife died, and Amaziah died roughly one year later. One should remember that nearly all other records about Amaziah indicate that his service to the state of Indiana was of the highest level, and attest to his good character.
Sources for this individual: @S229@ @S230@ @S804@ @S381@
