David Milligan Morris

GEDCOM Note

D. M. MORRIS, farmer, P. O. Howe, was born March 10, 1840, in Greene County, Penn., and is the son of Robert Morris, a farmer and carpenter, who now resides in Waynesburg, Penn. At the age of fifteen, D. M. Morris settled in La Salle County, Ill., afterward removing to Livingston County, where, in 1861, he enlisted in the Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry. His services were in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Mississippi, he also taking part in the battles of and preceding the siege of Vicksburg. Upon his return from the army, be attended the Waynesburg College for a time and taught one term in Illinois and one year in Iowa. In 1870, he located on the Nebraska farm, where he has done good work in the way of reclaiming the raw prairie that then composed it. Mr. M. has erected a commodious house and barn. and planted about ten acres of thrifty trees. He is an active and sincere advocate of Odd Fellowship, was a prominent organizer and first Noble Grand of the Sheridan Lodge, and has been District Deputy Grand Master since 1881. To him belongs the honor of erecting the first building and opened the first store, in Howe Station, of which he is Postmaster, his deputy, J. A. Crowell, occupying that same building. Mr. Morris married Miss Ella Perry. of Livingston County, Ill. They have seven children, all born on the Nebraska farm. Source: History of the State of Nebraska: Nemaha County (The Western Historical Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1882; KanColl.org, online database), Nemaha County, part 19, entry for D. M. Morris. http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/.

David Milligan Morris was born on 10 March 1840 in Morris Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania, as the first child of Robert Morris and Emaline Mills. In 1861 he enlisted in the 33rd Illinois Voluntary Infantry, Company F, during the US Civil War, and served as a flag bearer, attaining the rank of corporal. He was discharged in 1865. When he was 31, he married Eleanor Perry, daughter of Sylvester Perry and Jane Campbell, on 30 March 1871 in Livingston County, Illinois. They had nine children: Edward Benona, James Mark, Jennie Belle, Mirtle Emma, Robert Burton, Retta Mae, Lulu, Wilbur, and Alfred. David died of heart failure resulting from bladder and prostate cancer on 24 July 1917 in Trumbull, Adams County, Nebraska. Source citation: Keith Riggle, "David Milligan Morris," online, Find A Grave, Memorial #40965558 (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40965558), 15 Nov 2015.

D. M. Morris, farmer and stock raiser, Hansen, Neb. This enterprising and successful agriculturist owes his nativity to Greene County, Pa., where his birth occurred on March 10, 1840, and is the eldest of three children born to the union of Robert and Emiline (Mills) Morris, natives of Pennsylvania. The father is still living in his native State, and is a successful carpenter. The mother died in 1847. D. M. Morris' time in early youth was divided between assisting on the farm and in attending the common schools of Pennsylvania. At the age of fifteen years he came to Putnam County, Ill., thence to La Salle County, where he cultivated the soil, and from there to Livingston County, of the same State, in 1859, where he continued his former pursuit. In August, 1861, he enlisted at Camp Butler, Ill., in Company F, Thirty-third Illinois Infantry, for three years, and was mustered into service at Camp But­ler. He was assigned. to the Western department, and was in the battle of Fredericktown, Cotton Hill, Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Black River Bridge, siege of Vicksburg, Fort Esperanza and many others. In January, 1864, he veteranized in the same company and regiment. He was in the battles of Mobile, Fort Blakely, and from there marched to Montgomery, Ala., where he learned of the assassi­nation of President Lincoln. He was honorably discharged at Yazoo City, Miss., in October, 1865. He then returned to Livingston County, Ill,, and in the spring of 1866 went to Greene County, Pa., where he attended college for eighteen months. After this he returned to Illinois, taught school in La Salle County for some time, and then followed the same profession in Ringgold, Iowa, and Nemaha County, Neb., spending two and a half years in the school room. In 1869 he came to Nemaha County, Neb., settled in Bedford Township, and, in 1870 purchased some land which he began cultivating. He was married in Livingston County, Ill., in 1871, to Miss Ella Perry, a native of that county, and the daughter of Sylvester and Jane Perry, natives of the Buckeye State. D. M. Morris sold out in 1882, and emigrated. to Adams County, Neb., where he purchased. 320 acres of land, and is engaged in rais­ing stock. He takes an active interest in politics, and votes with the Republican party. While a resi­dent of Nemaha County, Neb., he held several offices of public trust, and discharged the duties incumbent upon them to the satisfaction of all. Socially he is a member of A. S. Smith Post No. 65, G. A. R., Doniphan, Neb., Congress Lodge No. 173, I. O. O. F., Hansen, Neb., Enterprise Encampment No. 29, I. O. O. F., Hastings, Neb., and a member of Heli Conclave No. 1, Heptasophs, or Seven Wise Men, Supreme Ephor for the State of Nebraska. He was a representative to the Supreme Conclave of the United States, which convened in Brooklyn, N. Y., in April, 1890. To Mr. Morris' marriage were born six children: Edward B., James M., Jennie B., Emma Myrtle, Rhettie and Willie. Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall, and Hamilton Counties, Nebraska (Goodspeed Publishing, Chicago, Illinois, 1890; Archive.org, online database and digital images), pp. 284-285, entry for D. M. Morris. https://archive.org/details/biographicalhistachhne00good.

David was born in a log house. See notes for Robert Morris.

"When his mother Emaline Mills Morris died, David Milligan Morris was raised by his aunt Matilda Mills McVey." However, he was not listed in the household of William "Tom" McVey and Matalida McVey in the 1850 US census in Aleppo, Greene, Pennsylvania. Nor was he in the household of Abel Mills and Catherine Mills, who raised his siblings, Isabelle and James.

Enlisted Thirty-third Illinois Voluntary Infantry, Company F, on 1 Aug 1861. Was a flag bearer. Discharged 31 Dec 1863 at New Orleans. Re-enlisted 1 January 1864. Discharged 25 Oct 1865 at Yazoo City, Mississippi, for disability to serve.

David’s Civil War Letters to His Brother and Sister (all mistakes are transcribed as written)

August 28, 1861

Thursday morning, half past ten finds me in camp Butler and i am glad is does & I hope this letter will find you well and in good spirits and i want you to say whenever the subject of volunteers is mentioned in your presence to say I have a brother in gaged in the cause of putting down this rebellion & i am not sorry i came and i never intend. I have not now time to write and if i if had I have no place fixed i now rite from off the head of the base drum. I would like to give you some information of our camp but i can’t now this time. There is said to be about 8,000 men quartered here now and i also heard them say there was to regiments left here today. 1 of infantry and 1 of cavelry and i saw them leave and it was a grand site to see so many men in sutch good spirits. i did not see any one but what was willing to go. i have not heard of any one being sick yet. i heard of one man getting killed last night. In trying to pass the gards he had no pass or as would not show it. They guards knocked him down and bayoneted him.

I Haint Time to rite any more at present But will rite more soon.

Post office Address Springfield Illinois Camp Butler In care of Capt Winship

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October the 4 AD 1861

Camp Hovey Ironton. Iron. Co Missouri Dear Sister I Expect you are looking For A letter from me before this The cause of my not writing is because i have not received but one letter from you and this is my third to you. if you receive this i wish you would answer with out delay

Were now in Missouri about 80 miles below St Louis in the hilliest part of Missouri we landed at Pilot Knob the nineteenth of september and that is as far as the Railroad Extended it is thundern hilly here They couldnt extend the road farther we went through one Tunnel a bout a quarter of a mile in length before we got this far

We Landed here about 8 or 9 oclock at nught and in the morning as soon as soon as i got my breakfast i started for the top of Pilot Knob it Looked like an immese pile of rocks piled one on top of the other and on top of the rock the secessionists had a secession Flag planted but there is a Union Flag floating from there now and it shall wave to as long as Illinois boys stay here at Ironton or they will die in the attempt to keep it there. When your are once on top of Pilot Knob or Iron mountain you have a surrounding View of many miles you can see way off south many miles when you stand with face to the west you can look down to your right and you have a commanding View of the town of the same name as the rock has and then Just turn to the left and look to the southward and you will have a view of nother town Called Ironton and on a little further there is another small town Named arcadia there is all kinds of minerals about here nearby only Gold and silver they make tens of thousands of tuns of iron here every day there is plenty of fruit here of [most?] every kind and some secession[ists?] but they have to keep cool

We are Busy building fort here now and i am working as a carpenter it is called fort Ironton

I am getting as fat as a fool and just about as lazy i havent been sick a day since i arrived [letter damaged here] Missouri until the other night i had to stand guard we have to stand two hours and then we are off 4 hours i went up at 8 and come off at 10 and then went on at 2 two and come off at 4 and then I Felt sleepy and tired and i laid Down on the ground and I caught cold and i have the head ache to day The health in camp is pretty good There is some got the cholera fever There is one man died with it [illegible line damaged in the crease] measles Will Morris had them [?] but has got about well now [?dren] [?] has got them now Otis Barrow [?] Dilman Hester one of my mess mates has got them I Dont suppose i will get them [?] before the arm is [over?] one [illegible line damaged in the crease]

he expected we would all have to go to Leexington [Lexington, site of a 3-day battle in 1861] to fight before a week &

Six October this evening Dillman Hester is worse and my other Man that sleeps with me is sick i guess he is taking the measles to

[End of extant letter. Since there’s no closing or return address, a page is probably missing.]

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November the 13th of A.D. 1861

Dear sister and Brother

I this morning sat my self to rite you a few lines to let you know that I am well as usual and a little more so for common. The reason I havent rote sooner is I have not bin very well for some time past and when I felt like writing I didn’t have time to write. I am in sutch a hurry now that I can’t hardly rite. I wanted to have this rote so as to have to send it by Wm. Mcman. He starts this morning to take Wilson’s son home who died yesterday in the fore [worn?] night [because?] last I was detailed as a nurse to the hospital and I had Wilson and Dillman Hester to wait on and when I went there and looked at them I didn’t have any assurance that either one of them would live over night. They was both out of their hed neither one of them new any thing. I had the awfulst time with Wilson. I could hardly keep him on his [couteb?]. I would have to cath him and hold him until I could get him lay down again. long a bout one oclock he began to get worse and I seen he wouldnt live long for he kept on getting worse. I had to set up all night and no one to help me any and I didn’t get away from there till a bout 8 in the morning and then I had to walk about a mile and then I had to get my own breakfast and before I was done eating the news came that Wilson was dead.

by the time i got my breakfast but didn’t feel mutch like eating any but ate what I could.

Hester was a little better when I came a way and they say he is a little better this morning & William Mcman is gone so I will have to send this by mail. I want you to write as soon as you get this.

James H. Morris I want you to write me every week and tell Joseph I want him to be sure and write. I want to hear from you all I want you all to rite and I will try and answer them.

I seen George Mcfadden. I don’t know how to spell his name and I seen bill Taylor and bill Hammers at the Fredricktown fight and they didn’t any of them know me. I seen others there that I knowed. I seen charley Milligan. I was well acquainted with him he fought by George McFaddin’s side he was wounded. He was shot above the right eye I think I saw him after he was shot but I almost forget whitch eye it was.

I must bring my letter to a close. I don’t suppose I will get to come home this winter. the colonel wont let any one come hom that is able to do duty. if a person is sick and cant go home alone he must say he won’t let any well man go home with him and a well person cant get a furlow. there is so many sick and unable to do duty that the colonel cant spare them.

I must close so no more at present but remain your affectionate brother David Morris. Write as soon as you get this.

Source: Transcribed and privately held by Keith Riggle, San Antonio, Texas.

RESEARCH NOTES

2 Apr 2014 - Searched Land Entry Case Files (Homestead Records) for Nebraska at http://www.fold3.com/title_650/homestead_records_ne/ and found a David Morris, but it was not the right one.

17 Apr 2016 - Searched BLM GLO Records at http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx for Morris in Nemaha County, Nebraska, but there was no David or D.M.

3 Feb 2017 - Searched Nemaha County Republican at Newspapers.com but did not find him.