Thomas J. Morgan, Vermillion Parish, LA. Contributed by Margaret Rentrop Moore. Date: August 1997 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** This autobiography, written by Thomas J. Morgan about 1905, is a copy of a typed version that was handed down through family members. All misspellings and grammar errors are exactly as found. The surnames mentioned in the letter below are Casey, Curtis, Goodwin, Graham, Green, Hicks, Holman, Hosea, Johnson, Jones, Kennedy, Lloyd, Marsh, Mitchel, Morgan, Norman, Porter, Reeves, Riddle, Shamburger, Stewart, Whitehead. Henry, Louisiana November 16, 1904 Recollections of Thomas J. Morgan My father, James Stewart MORGAN, was born near Charleston, South Carolina on the 30th day of December, 1804 and died near Shiloh in Marengo County, Alabama on January 15, 1849. His mother was Miss Elizabeth STEWART before she married my grandfather MORGAN. My father had two brothers, William and Issac, also one daughter Eliza. All are dead of that family, except some children of Issac MORGAN in Antanga County, Alabama. I know nothing more of his ancestry. My mother, Susan GOODWIN MORGAN, was born near Milledgeville, Georgia on the 13th of March, 1808 and died near Shiloh, Marengo County, Alabama on November 15, 1865. Her mother was Miss Nancy GOODWIN before she married my grandfather LLOYD. I only know of one of her brothers, William GOODWIN. I recollect distinctly when he was killed by Dick GREEN, when I was a boy. I know nothing more worth while relating of the family. Both of my grandmothers were about 80 years old when they died. My mother had two brothers and three sisters as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth CASEY had three sons and four daughters, all lived in North Carolina. Thomas and Ann CASEY, her children, visited and stayed with us a good deal. The balance we never knew much about. Some have died, and the rest we lost sight of. Another sister, Mrs. Karen MITCHELL, married twice, no children, dead. Mrs. Nancy STEWART had four boys and four girls, all dead but two. Uncle Lewis LLOYD married Manervy JOHNSON, had four boys and three girls. Parents dead and children lost sight of. They live near Mobile, Alabama. Uncle John LLOYD married a Miss GODWIN, had four children, all dead. Remnants of their families live in Mississippi. After his first wife's death, he married a Miss WHITEHEAD, had two daughters, Mary and Anjelico. Both live near Meriden, Miss. I have heard no special news from any of them in the last 10 years. Thomas J. MORGAN and Mary L. JONES were married 16th day of September, 1857. Registry of the family of Thomas J. MORGAN and Mary L. MORGAN: Thomas J. MORGAN was born January 1, 1830. Mary L. MORGAN was born January 25, 1837. We had 10 children as follows: Elizabeth Mary was born July 24, 1858. William Jones was born October 30, 1860. Thomas James was born September 16, 1862. Daniel Bennett was born October 12, 1864. Lake Simonett was born December 4, 1866. John Gray was born May 2, 1868. Martha Ann was born October 12, 1869. Susan Mitchell was born May 20, 1874. Edward Kennedy was born October 11, 1876. Mary Elizabeth was born January 21, 1879. Deaths as follow: Mary Lucy MORGAN died October 26, 1889. Daniel Bennett MORGAN died November 13, 1873. Mrs. Elizabeth JONES died January 17, 1890, on Lake Simmonett and was buried on Jefferson Island. Martha Hannah GRAHAM died at her home in Smith County in Miss., on August 26, 1871. Recollection of My Wife's Family Mrs. JONES, the mother of my wife, was a Miss Elizabeth KENNEDY, daughter of a Miss Hannah SHAMBURGER and Judge KENNEDY. She had one brother, Bennett KENNEDY. He died young, and she was the only child left in the family. She married Mr. Gray B. JONES. They had four children, viz: Edward Kennedy, Mary L., Martha Hannah and Henry Bennett, of the above the two sisters were twins. Edward KENNEDY married Miss Lottis GRAHAM, had six children, all alive, I think, they live near Hattiesburg, Miss. Know little of hem for a long time. The marriage of Mary Lucy has already been recorded. Martha Hannah married Mr. Narcissus GRAHAM, both dead; had five children; they live neat Paulding, Miss. No news from them for along time. H. Bennett is the youngest, lives at Lake Charles, La., was married to Miss Laura REEVES, they had one child, both dead. I know nothing of the ancestors of Mr. Gray Barnes JONES. He had three sisters and one brother, Cuthbert JONES. I know but little of him or his family, they lived in Wilcox County of Ala. One sister married Bryan MARSH; they lived near Pushmataha, Miss. I only know one son of the family, Edward MARSH. He married a niece of Narcissus GRAHAM and was killed in the Civil War near Springfield, Ky. Another sister married a man by the name CURTIS, but I never knew Mr. or Mrs. CURTIS, but knew the children well; three boys and three girls; they lived in Clark County, Ala., know nothing of them for a long time. Another sister married a man by the name of HICKS; they also lived in Clark County, Ala. I never knew any of the family, except Henry HICKS; they also have been lost sight of. Another sister married Solomon PORTER, they lived in Clark County, Ala. I knew but little of the family, they also have passed out of my knowledge. Mr. JONES moved to Miss. some time before the war and after the surrender moved to La. He died at Lake Charles, La. Some time before his death, his wife died on Lake Simonette and was buried on Jefferson Island, Vermilion Parish, La. Mrs. JONES' mother was a Miss Hannah SHAMBURGER, she married first, Judge KENNEDY, had only two children, one died, she was afterwards married to Thomas HOSEA, no offspring from this union, was left a widow the second time, and died in Lake Charles, La. She and Mr.JONES were buried there. Mrs. HOSEA has some brothers and sisters, but I never knew enough about them to give any correct history of them. She was a nice old lady, and loved by everyone that knew her. Recollections of my Brothers and Sisters Thomas J. MORGAN, the oldest was born in Antang County, Ala. is now nearing 75 years old; being the oldest took charge of my father's estate after he died, and helped my mother (who was administratrix) to wind the estate up and had a division of property among the children. I also managed my mother's business for her until I went into the army in 1862. Shortly after the surrender - after all her boys got home from the war - she taken dropsy of the heart and lasted but a short time. I was absent from home at the time when she died, had gone into Mississippi for my family and when I came back, she had died and had been buried some days, so it was put on me to wind up her estate which was done without a murmur from any of the heirs. My father and mother lie side by side in the Baptist graveyard at Dayton, Marengo County, Ala., both enclosed in the same tomb. I have no regrets of unkindness to my parents, but sorry I did not do more. They left a Christian influence behind; that I will never forget. My next brother was William Issac. He also was a soldier in 1861, but was disabled by a gunshot wound in the hand, that had him discharged from the army early in the war, but previous to this he had sent to Texas to take charge of an estate of an uncle who died there. The estate has been wound up and he had volunteered from Texas. He has made Texas his home ever since that time, and is now living in Tehuacana, Texas. Has now living three sons and five daughters. He and his wife are both living. He is in his 73 year, his wife was Miss Sally HOLMAN. William Issac was born the 20th day of February, 1832. Next comes my sister, Ann Lloyd MORGAN. She was born the 9th day of May, 1834. After she grew up, she was married to Joseph C. CRUDUP, who was practicing law at the time of their marriage, but finally settled down on a farm after the death of mother. We all broke up in Alabama and the writer and one brother came to La. And J.C. CRUDUP and my sister moved to Ozark, Ark. Since which time about 1866 or 1867 they have since lived. J.C. CRUDUP has been dead many years, and my sister is still living in Ozark. They never had any children and must have lived lonely life. They have accumulated enough in younger days to keep the wolf from the door in declining years. Next comes Virgil James MORGAN born the 5th day of February, 1836 and died 30th day of March 1837. Next is Elizabeth Mary MORGAN born the 12th day of January, 1838 and died Sept. 27, 1847. She lived only about 9 years. Had she lived, she would have been the handsomest of the flock, had blue eyes, light hair and fair skin, very sprightly for a child of her age, she died at Pinhook Marengo Co., Ala. and lies beside her Pa and Ma. Next comes James Stewart MORGAN. Jim was born the 5th day of September, 1840. After the war, he married Miss Emma MORGAN (tho no kin) and moved to Vermillion Parish, Louisiana and is still a resident of the same. They have 5 sons 2 daughters living. Next comes Dixon Edmond MORGAN, born 27th day of April, 1843, and died the 10th day of February, 1844. Next, the youngest, Daniel Lewis MORGAN, was born the 12th day of July, 1845. After the war he married Miss Martha NORWOOD. About three years afterwards, she died, leaving one child. He then married Miss Ida RIDDLE of Linden, Ala. From that union 2 children are living. After his last marriage he moved from Alabama to Florida where he engaged in the orange culture. Failing in that he went into the log-rafting, got caught in a jam of logs and was mashed to death about the year 1900. About 12 months later his wife, Ida MORGAN, was thrown from a wagon by a runaway team and killed. Two children are left, Lloyd and Ida, they live in Birmingham, Ala. These lines were penned by Thomas J. MORGAN that my children and grandchildren may know something of their ancestry. (All my brothers were in the Civil War). T.J. MORGAN I AM GROWING OLD (By T.J.Morgan) 1. My days pass pleasantly away, My nights are blessed with sweetest sleep, I feel some symptoms of decay. 2. I have no cause to mourn or weep, My foes are diligent and sly, My friends are neither false or cold, And yet of late, I often sigh, I'm growing old. 3. I often talk of olden times, My growing thirst for early news. My dearly love of easy shoes, My growing hate for crowds and noise. 4. My increasing fear of taking cold, All whisper in the faintest voice That I am growing old, And makes me my lonliness aware. 5. I am growing fonder of my staff, I am growing dimmer in my eyes. I am growing fainter in my laugh I am growing deeper in my sighs. 6. I am growing careless of my dress I am growing jealous of my gold. I am growing feebler every day I am growing old, I'm growing old. 7. I see it in my changing taste, I see it in my changing hair, I see it in my growing waist, I see it in my growing care. 8. A thousand signs proclaim the truth, As plain as truth was ever told That even in my long past youth, That I am slowly growing old.