Corp. Simeon Morgan

Died in defense of Fort Griswold, September 6, 1781. Unmarried.

The Groton Avery Clan, by Elroy McKendree Avery and Catherine Hitchcock (Tilden), Vol. I, p. 171

On the memorable 6th day of September, 1781, when the single town of Groton was called to mourn the fall of no less than sixty-two of her best and bravest sons, butchered in the fort at Groton, by the British force un- der the infamous Arnold ; and when twenty-four others belonging to the same town were more or less seriously wounded in the same affray, Cor- poral Simeon Morgan, of Groton, was among the victims who fell.

The records give no account of his birth, and the " place of his sepul- chre," like that of " Moses of old," appeared utterly unknown. Nor could I learn from the oldest inhabitants of Groton, either from memory or tra- dition, any thing of his history, or even to what family he belonged, and it really seemed that the bare and doubtful record of his fall was all that was known or left concerning him. June 21, 1867, piloted by my ever obliging friend, Elisha Morgan, Esq. of Groton, we found, standing silent, solitary and desolate amidst the thick woods of Ledyard, the old family grave stones of Capt. Joseph Morgan, born 1706, his wife, Dorothy, and three of his sons, Joseph, William, and Ebenezer. While noting the names and dates upon these grave stones, and forcing our way through the tang- led underbrush to obtain access to them, my friend accidentally observed near the grave of Ebenezer, the fragment of a stone imbedded in the soil, and almost covered from view by decayed vegetable mold and creeping vines. It attracted his keen scrutiny, and upon uncovering the surface and raising it up, it proved to be part of a grave stone, broken off, fallen and thus concealed by the gathering debris of time. It bore in rude let- ters on a slate stone, the following inscription :

"IN MEMORY OF SIMEON MORGAN, WHO DIED SEPT. 6, 1781,

IN FORT GRISWOLD, BY TRAITOR ARNOLD'S MURDERING CORPS,

IN Ye 27TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

THIS BLOOMING YOUTH IN SWEETS OF LIFE, HIS GOD DOTH CALL WHILE CANNONS ROAR, A WINGED DART DOTH SEASE HIS BREATH, AND TAKES HIM FROM THIS GOLDEN SHORE."

And now, that his memory is thus recalled, and his lineage and place of sepulchre discovered, let me here record it, that it may be better preserved hereafter.

And I pray you, good Mr. Clerk of the town of Ledyard, that you dedi- cate one fair page of your public records, to the name and fate of this young martyr to Liberty, in fitting words of fair enscrollment.

source: Morgan genealogy : A history of James Morgan, of New London, Conn., and his descendants; from 1607 to 1869, by Nathaniel H. Morgan, p. 55-6

Find A Grave record

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"Simeon Morgan son of Captain Joseph Morgan and Dorothy Avery was born in Groton in 1754. His eldest sister Dorothy was wife of John Lester also one of the slain"

source: The Battle of Groton Heights: A Collection of Narratives, Official Reports ...By William Wallace Harris p. 234

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• Morgan genealogy : A history of James Morgan, of New London, Conn., and his descendants; from 1607 to 1869 ... With an appendix containing the history of his brother, Miles Morgan, ....
• https://archive.org/details/morgangenealogyh00morg
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/17/mode/1up
• Pg.17
• JAMES MORGAN, the common ancestor of a numerous family now scattered widely over nearly or quite, every state and territory of the United States, was born in Wales, in 1607, but in what precise locality our honest progenitor first saw the light is uncertain, though probably in Llandaff, Glamorgan Co. The family appears to have removed from Llandaff to Bristol, Eng. on the opposite side of Bristol Channel, a short time at least, perhaps a few years, prior to 1636. The name of his father is unknown, but there is some traditionary evidence that it was William.*
• That year, 1636, in the month of March, he and two younger brothers, John and Miles, sailed from Bristol and arrived at Boston, Mass. in April following.
• JOHN MORGAN, his next younger brother, who from tradition appears to have been a high churchman and to have exceedingly disliked the austerity of the Puritans, left Boston in disgust for more congenial society in Virginia, soon after their arrival. How far the Morgans of Virginia are descended from him I am unable to say.
• MILES MORGAN, the youngest brother, born in 1615, on his arrival at Boston, or soon after, joined a party of emigrants, mostly from Roxbury, of whom Col. Wm Pyncheon was at the head, and founded the settlement of Springfield, Mass.
  • * See William, No. 46.
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/18/mode/1up
• Pg.18
• He is said to have been under 21 years of age at the commencement of this settlement, and to have suppressed the fact of his minority in order to share in the drawing for house lots, which minors were not privileged to do. It is certain that he drew a house lot and afterwards built upon it ; and it was the homestead of himself during his life, and of his descendants for many years after. It was situated upon the south side of "Ferry Lane," and in 1845 was sold by the Brewer family to the Conn. River Railroad Co. ; their tracks now covering the original lot, and their repair shop standing upon the site of the old Morgan homestead.
• He married, about 1643, Prudence Gilbert, of Beverly, Mass., who was a fellow passenger with him in the voyage from England. Of this courtship and marriage, an interesting and curious account is preserved. He had 8 children by this marriage, 4 sons and 4 daughters ; and his wife, Prudence, dying 14 Nov. 1660, he next married Elizabeth Bliss, of Springfield, 15 Feb. 1670, dau. of Thomas, by whom he had 1 son only. His children by Prudence were, Mary, b. 14 Dec. 1644; Jonathan, 16 Sept. 1646; David, 23 July, 1648; Pelatiah, 17 May, 1650; Isaac, 17 March, 1652; Lydia, 8 Feb. 1654; Hannah, 11 Feb. 1656; Mercy, 18 May, 1658 ; and by 2d wife, Nathaniel, 14 June, 1671.
• This family of Miles Morgan* has numerous ....
  • * See Appendix.
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/19/mode/1up
• Pg.19
• JAMES MORGAN, the elder brother, and our lineal ancestor, may have settled first at Plymouth ....
• Wherever he settled at first, he is found in Roxbury, near Boston, before 1640. That year, Aug. 6, 1640, he married there, Margery Hill, of Roxbury. His eldest daughter, Hannah, was born there 18 May, 1642, and all his 5 other children, except perhaps the youngest, who d. in infancy, were also probably born there. He was made a freeman there 10 May, 1643. He is named as a resident there in the inventory of John Graves, 1646, and was a freeholder there as late as 1650, the same year that he removed to Pequot, (now N. London,) and had a houselot assigned him there.
• It has been heretofore supposed, by myself as well as others, that James Morgan was one of the party of emigrants called the "Cape Ann Company," who came ....
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/22/mode/1up
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• 1. JAMES, born in Wales, 1607, m. Margery Hill, of Roxbury, Mass. 6 Aug. 1640, died 1685, age 78. He was settled in Roxbury at first, and all his children except the youngest dau. were probably born there.
• CHILDREN. ....
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/23/mode/1up
• Pg.23
• Capt. JAMES, (3) b. 3 Mch, 1644, s. of James, m. "Mary Vine of Old England," Nov. 1666, died 8 Dec. 1711, age 68. His wife Mary died in 1689, of the throat distemper," so called, a terrible epidemic which prevailed throughout the country that year, especially in the months of July and August, visiting nearly every family and carrying consternation and death in its trail. She was born in England in 1641, and was 48 years old when she died. After her death he married 2d wife Hannah --- , born in 1640, who d. in 1711, aged 71, a few days only before his own death, but after the date of his will, in which he calls her his "dear and loving wife." ....
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/24/mode/1up
• Pg.24
• CHILDREN, ALL BY MARY VINE.
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/30/mode/1up
• Pg.30
• Deacon WILLIAM, (9) b. 4 March, 1669, s. of James 2d, m. Margaret Avery, dau. of Capt. James, of Groton, 17 July, 1696. Both were members of the church at New London before the church at Groton, then New London, was founded, and their four elder children were baptized there by the Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall, afterwards governor of Connecticut. When the first church was established in Groton, 8 Nov. 1704, he was chosen one of the deacons, and the births of his later children are recorded there on the first records of the town. He died 25 Dec. 1750, aged 82, and his widow, Margaret, died in 1755, and her estate was settled that year.
• CHILDREN. ....
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/37/mode/1up
• Pg.37
• Capt. JOSEPH, (106) b. 10 Aug. 1706, s. of William, m. Dorothy Avery, dau. of Ebenezer, of Groton, 4 Dec. 1735, died 1 Dec. 1785, in the 80th year of his age, and his wife, Dorothy, died 5 April, 1788, in her 71st year. His will, dated 25 Nov. 1785, proved 7 March, 1786, names his wife, Dorothy, and only three of his children, all daughters, as then living. His sons all died before him. The will of his widow, Dorothy, is dated 7 Jan. 1788, proved of May following, and names the same heirs, as in the will of her husband.
• CHILDREN.
  • 201. Joseph Jr. 31 Jan. 1738, m. Prudence Avery, 10 Dec. 1761.
  • 202. Dorothy, 1 Jan. 1742, m. John Lester, 14 Dec. 1767.
  • 203. Mary, 6 Jan. 1744, m. --- Allyn.
  • 204. William, 25 May, 1746, died 25 Feb. 1772, age 26, unmarried.
  • 205. Elizabeth, about 1748, m. Amos Allyn.
  • 206. Margaret, about 1750, m. William Chadsey.
  • 207. Ebenezer, 1752, died 14 March, 1773, age 21, unmarried.
  • 208. Simeon, 1754, killed in Groton Fort, 6 Sept. 1781, age 27.
• https://archive.org/stream/morgangenealogyh00morg#page/55/mode/1up
• Pg.55
• SIMEON, (208) born 1754, son of Joseph. On the memorable 6th day of September, 1781, when the single town of Groton was called to mourn the fall of no less than sixty-two of her best and bravest sons, butchered in the fort at Groton, by the British force under the infamous Arnold ; and when twenty-four others belonging to the same town were more or less seriously wounded in the same affray, Corporal Simeon Morgan, of Groton, was among the victims who fell.
• The records give no account of his birth, and ... June 21, 1867, piloted by my ever obliging friend, Elisha Morgan, Esq. of Groton, we found, standing silent, solitary and desolate amidst the thick woods of Ledyard, the old family grave stones of Capt. Joseph Morgan, born 1706, his wife, Dorothy, and three of his sons, Joseph, William, and Ebenezer. While noting the names and dates upon these grave stones, and forcing our way through the tangled underbrush to obtain access to them, my friend accidentally observed near the grave of Ebenezer, the fragment of a stone imbedded in the soil, and almost covered from view by decayed vegetable mold and creeping vines. It attracted his keen scrutiny, and upon uncovering the surface and raising it up, it proved to be part of a grave stone, broken off, fallen and thus concealed by the gathering debris of time. It bore in rude letters on a slate stone, the following inscription :
  • "IN MEMORY OF SIMEON MORGAN, WHO DIED SEPT. 6, 1781, IN FORT GRISWOLD, BY TRAITOR ARNOLD'S MURDERING CORPS, IN Ye 27TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.
  • THIS BLOOMING YOUTH IN SWEETS OF LIFE, HIS GOD DOTH CALL WHILE CANNONS ROAR, A WINGED DART DOTH SEASE HIS BREATH, AND TAKES HIM FROM THIS GOLDEN SHORE."
• And now, that his memory is thus recalled, and his lineage and place of sepulchre discovered, let me here record it, that it may be better preserved hereafter. .... ______________________________
• MORGAN, Joseph
• b. 10 AUG 1706 Groton, New London, CT.
• d. 1 DEC 1785 Groton, New London, CT.
• Parents:
• Father: MORGAN, William
• Mother: AVERY, Margaret
• Family:
• Marriage: 4 DEC 1735 Groton, New London, CT.
• Spouse: AVERY, Dorothy
• b. 10 JAN 1715/6 Groton, New London, CT.
• d. 5 APR 1788 Groton, New London, CT.
• Parents:
• Father: AVERY, Ebenezer
• Mother: PARK, Dorothy
• Children:
  • MORGAN, Joseph
  • MORGAN, Dorothy
  • MORGAN, Mary
  • MORGAN, William b. 25 MAY 1746 Groton, New London, CT. d. 25 FEB 1772 Groton, New London, CT.
  • MORGAN, Elizabeth
  • MORGAN, Margaret
  • MORGAN, Ebenezer b. 17 OCT 1752 Groton, New London, CT. d. 14 MAR 1773 Groton, New London, CT.
  • MORGAN, Simeon b. 23 SEP 1755 Groton, New London, CT. d. 6 SEP 1781 Fort Griswold, New London, CT.
• From: http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_bc.htm#256 _______________________