Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of GARNETT PIERCE MORISON, M. D. This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 391-392 GARNETT PIERCE MORISON, M. D. A specialist in eye, ear, nose and throat diseases at Martinsburg, Doctor Morison for a number of years enjoyed a successful practice in Southern Michigan, went from that state to active duty in the Medical Corps in the great war, and after his return located in Berkeley County, where he was born and reared and where his family has been prominent for several genera- tions. Doctor Morison was born at Bunker Hill in Berkeley County. His father, George Porterfield Morison, was born in the same county. His grandfather was Daniel Buckles Morison, who was born on the Morison homestead at the mouth of Opequan Creek in Jefferson County. The great- grandfather of Doctor Morison was a farmer and planter, and for a number of years lived at Martinsburg. Daniel Buckles Morison owned and operated a farm near Beding- ton. George Porterfield Morison was born on a farm on Dry Spring Road, five miles from Martinsburg, August 10, 1854. He acquired his classical education at Shepherd College at Shepherdstown, and graduated in medicine from the University of New York. He began practice at Darkes- ville, remained there three years, spent one year at Eldo- rado, Kansas, and for the remainder of his life was a busy professional man in Martinsburg, where he died July 21, 1913. George Porterfield Morison married Anabel Lee locality April 14, 1834, a son of Paul Pierce. It is a family Pierce, who was born in dark County, Virginia. Her father, Capt. Alfred Newton Pierce, was born in the same tradition that the parents of Paul Pierce were murdered by Indians and their three sons grew up among strangers. Paul Pierce therefore had no inheritance of capital, and as a young man he was an overseer on a plantation, and from his earnings bought land of his own and in time became an extensive plantation owner and had many slaves. His plan- tation was located near Berryville in dark County. He lived to the age of 100 years. His first wife was a Clevenger, and her only child was Alfred Newton Pierce, who was educated under private tutors and at the age of twenty-one began farming with land, equipment and slaves supplied by his father. He was very successful, acquired much property of his own, but during the war between the states his plantation was devastated, the fences and out- buildings being destroyed and all stock taken away except one mare and colt. He served as a captain in the Virginia State Militia, and at one time was arrested as a spy and sentenced to death, but on the morning set for the execution he was reprieved and later pardoned. At the close of the war he set to work, and in time recovered some of the heavy losses sustained, and he continued to live on his estate known as Fountain Head until his death at the age of sixty- four. Alfred Newton Pierce married Elizabeth Bell, who was born near Middleburg, Jefferson County, August 29, 1839, daughter of Joseph E. and Catherine (Shaull) Bell. Joseph Bell was a native of Jefferson County, where his parents were pioneers. Joseph Bell was a millwright by trade. Elizabeth Bell Pierce died at the age of sixty-three, and her children were named: Anabel Lee, Gertrude N., Kate Ashby, Frank Hugh, Lula Best, Josephine, Lillie Margaret, Dudley Paul, Vance Bell, Mabel dark and Bueford E. Dr. G. Porterfield Morison and wife reared two children: Garnett Pierce and Elizabeth Tabb. Elizabeth is the wife of Lee A. Livers, and their two children are Katherine Lee and George Morison. Dr. Garnett P. Morison acquired a public school education at Martinsburg, attended Tinsley's Military Institute, and began the study of medicine in the University of Maryland. He left there before graduation and finished his course in Chicago in the College of Medicine and Surgery, where he graduated in 1914. Doctor Morison after receiving his medical degree located at Sturgis, Michigan, and practiced there until he entered war service. During the war he was prominent in Red Cross organization over St. Joseph County, Michigan, organizing a chapter in every township. He was also secretary and treasurer of several of the loan drives. On August 11, 1917, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Army Reserve Corps, and soon afterward was sent to Camp Greenleaf, Georgia, where he was on duty until February 17, 1918, and then went overseas with the Twentieth Engineers. Later he was transferred to a base hospital in treating eye, ear, throat and nose eases. April 20, 1919, he returned to this country, and received his honorable discharge April 29th, and soon afterward located at Martinsburg. Doctor Morison has taken a number of post-graduate courses in New York, Chicago and Phila- delphia, giving special attention to eye, ear, nose and throat, and is widely known as a successful specialist in that field. He is special examiner for the Pension Bureau, is special surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and is official physician handling eye, ear, nose and throat cases for the Pittsburgh Stone and Lime Company. In October, 3921, he was appointed a member of the Federal Board for Vocational Training. Doctor Morison is a member of "Washington Lodge No. 1 Knights of Pythias, belongs to the Eastern Pan Handle Medical Association and the American Legion. He is a republican, having cast his first vote for William H. Taft. In 1910 Doctor Morison married Melinda J. Peters, who was born at Latrobe, Pennsylvania, daughter of James P. and Susana Peters. They have two children, James Peters and Garnett P. Morison, Jr. Doctor Morison has always been much interested in athletic sports. He is a member of the Martinsburg Base- ball Association. He is commander of Martinsburg Post No. 14, of the American Legion. The ancestry of Doctor Morison runs back to William Morison, who was a native of Scotland and came to Amer- ica with two brothers, one settling in North Carolina anil another near the line of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Wil- liam Morison was a pioneer settler in Jefferson County in what is now West Virginia. He married a widow nameil Mrs. Buckles, whose maiden name was Chipley. Their son Daniel married Jane Porterfield. They were the grand- parents of Doctor Morison of Martinsburg.