Ouachita County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Morgan, Col. Ferdinand November 7, 1830


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Lora Peppers loradpeppers@hotmail.com July 10, 2006, 10:39 am

National Gazette and Literary Register (Philadelphia, PA) October 19, 1830
The Murder of Captain Ferdinand Morgan
Transcribed by Lora Peppers

National Gazette and Literary Register
Philadelphia, PA
Vol. XI, No. 1505
Tuesday, October 19, 1830
Page 1, Column 5
From the Boston Commercial Gazette, Oct. 13.
Horrible Murder. - We have been favored with the following letter from Monroe, 
Louisiana, dated 11th ult., to a gentleman in this city.  Gen. Morgan, referred 
to by the writer, was formerly a resident of this city, in which he served an 
honorable apprenticeship.  Like many other young men of New England, he 
emigrated to the western states some years since, where his enterprizing [sic] 
efforts were crowned with success.
	"It becomes my most painful and melancholy duty to inform you that your 
brother, Ferdinand Morgan, was on the 7th inst. murdered by a base and infamous 
assassin.  The circumstances are these: - On the 6th September he had some 
words with a man by the name of Hemken.  H. immediately sent him a challenge by 
one Col. Morehouse, register of the land office in this place, which he refused 
to receive.  The following morning he had business with a gentleman; in going 
to see him he had to pass the office of Morehouse.  Not finding the gentleman 
in he went to see, he returned, and on passing the register office again, 
Morhouse called to him, and in the street presented him with the same challenge 
again.  Your brother refused to receive any communication from him or his 
principal, and turned and walked off, ten paces perhaps, when Morehouse 
observed, You are a ______ coward.  Your brother wheeled instantly, and 
advanced towards Morehouse, with a sword cane in his hand. - Morehouse 
presented a pistol and snapped it, and missed fire.  Morehouse then struck at 
him with the pistol, and then threw it at him and struck him on the head, which 
brought him very near the ground, say more than half bent.  At the same instant 
Robt. H. Sterling, brother in law to M., was in the office, concealed behind 
the door.  He saw an opportunity at the instant above, and shot your brother 
from inside the door.  The ball entered about 2 1/2 inches to the left of the 
left of the back bone, and came out between the nipple and the breast bone on 
the same side.  He fell and expired instantly.  A more base outrage could not 
be committed.  The grand point of difference between your brother and Morehouse 
was, that at the election for senator your brother beat him, and was elected 
for the next four years.  Stirling is now in jail and in chains, where he will 
have to await his trial in November.  If there is justice, I hope the poor 
miserable wretch will receive that punishment which is due to all murderers.  I 
shall write you again shortly and more fully, for at this moment there is great 
excitement.  General Morgan was very popular among all classes of people.

Additional Comments:
Notes:
General Ferdinand Morgan was the brother of Judge Oliver J. Morgan.  He was 
married to Hannah Simmons Tennille, daughter of the Revolutionary War Soldier, 
Benjamin Tennille.  They had no children.

Col. Morehouse is Charles Morhouse, the son of Abraham Morhouse.  Charles died 
in 1832.

Robert H. Sterling married Charles Morhouse's sister Eliza Caroline Morhouse on 
Aug. 1, 1821.  It is not known what eventually happened to Robert.  His brother 
John T. lived near the Sterlington area and the town is named for him.

Hemkin is Bernard Bollenhagen Hemkin, a German immigrant who died in 1846.  His 
son Bernard, Jr. became mayor of Monroe in 1860 and was killed fighting near 
Richmond, VA in the Civil War.  Both father and son have monuments in the Old 
Monroe City Cemetery.

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