Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/455

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MORRIS
MORRIS

of $400,000. Morris resigned his post as superin- tendent of finance in January, 1783, tired of the continual worry and excitement, but he was in- duced to continue until November, 1784. when he retired. The bank charter was annulled by the Pennsylvania legislature in the last-named year, but Morris was successful in having it renewed in 1786. In the latter year he was elected a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, and in 1787 he was a member of the convention that framed the U. S. constitution. On 1 Oct., 1788, he was elected a member of the first U. S. senate, which post he retained till 1795. When the new government was organized, he was offered the post of secretary of the treasury, but declined, recommending Alexander Hanulton. In partnership with Gouverneur Morris, he went largely into the East India and China trade. His speculations ultimately failed, and he spent sev- eral years in a debtor's cell. As a speaker and writer Morris was fluent and ready. See " Life of Morris." by Daniel Gould (Boston, 1834) ; and " Financial Administration of Robert Morris," by A. S. Bolles <1878). His letters are printed in Jared Sparks's " Diplomatical Correspondence of the American Kevolution " (12 vols.. 1829-30).— His wife, Mary, was the daughter of Thomas White, who came to this country from London in early life and settled on the eastern shore of Maryland. After the death of White's first wife he removed to Philadelphia, and married a widow named Newman, who resided in Burlington, N. J. By her he had a son and a daughter. The former was named William, and be- came the second bishop of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States. Mary, the elder of the two children, married Robert Morris, 2 March, 1769. when she was a little over twenty years of age. She has been described as " elegant, accomplished, and rich, and well qualified to carry the felicity of t'onnubial life to its highest perfection." Not only did she preside gracefully over her husband's lux- urious home during his days of prosperity, but, when misfortune had overtaken him, she showed herself a true wife. Through certain interests in the Holland land company, bequeathed to her by ■Gouverneur Morris, she obtained from that corpo- ration a life an- nuity of $2,000 before she would sign certain pa- pers to which her signature was indispen- sable. Robert Morris was con- fined in the Prune street pris- on, Philadelphia, from February, 1798, until liber- ated by the pas- sage of the na- tional bankrupt law in 1802. During her hus- band's imprison- ment Mrs. Mor-

ris received an

autograph letter signed by both President and Mar- tha Washington, addressed to her while residing temporarily at Winchester, Va., urging her to pay them a visit at Mount Vernon, and to make as long a stay under " our roof as you shall find convenient ; for be assured we ever have, and still do retain, the most affectionate regard for you, Mr. Morris, and the family." Mrs. Morris contiiuied to reside in Philadelphia, and on her husband's release he found shelter in the home that her decision and forethought had secured for him. — His grandson, Henry W., naval officer, b. in New York city in 1806: d. there, 14 Aug., 1863, was the son of Thomas, a member of the New York bar, and at one time U. S. marshal for the southern district of the state of New York. He entered the navv, 21 Aug., 1819, and from 1828 till 1838, under the commission of lieutenant, served in various posts. From 1839 till 1845 he was on special duty in New York city, passing through six degrees of oflficial promotion during the term of six years. He was then appointed to the command of the store-ship " Southampton," at that time belonging to the African squadron. In 1846 he was again ordered to the Brooklyn navy-yard, where for the next five years he was awaiting orders. In the mean time he was promoted commander, and in 1851 was ap- pointed to the charge of the rendezvous in New York until 1853, when he was ordered to the sloop- of-war " Germantown." of the Brazilian squadron. In 1855 he was transferred to the Mediterranean station, where he served as fleet-captain under Com. Stringhara. Upon his return to the United States, in 1856, he received his commission as cap- tain. Toward the close of 1861 he superintended the construction of the steam sloop-of-war " Pen- sacola" at Washington navy-yard. In January, 1862, that vessel, under his command, successfully passed the line of Confederate batteries on the Potomac, and, after anchoring a short time in Hampton roads, set sail to join the blockading squadron in the Gulf of Mexico. The " Pensacola " played a brilliant part in the attacks upon Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. After the capture of New Orleans, Com. Morris held the city and guarded the adjacent coasts till his health became seriously affected. He was made commodore, 16 July, 1862.


MORRIS, Robert, author, b. in Massachusetts, 31 Aug., 1818 ; d. in La Grange, Ky., 31 July. 1888. He entered the ministry, but left it to engage in business. In 1856 he was president of Oldham college. La Grange, Ky., and his later years were devoted to travelling and literature. He early became an active Freemason, and wrote and lec- tured largely on Masonry. In 1858 he was elected grand master of the order in Kentucky, and in 1884 he received the title of poet laureate of Free- masonry. Among his works are " Lights and Shadows of Freemasonry" (Louisville, Ky., 1852); " History of the Morgan Affair" (New York, 1852) ; "Code of Masonic Law" (Louisville, 1855) ; " His- tory of Freemasonry in Kentucky " (Frankfort, 1859) ; " Freemasonry in the Holy Land " (New York, 1882) ; " The Poetry of Freemasonry " ; and works on numismatics.


MORRIS, Roger, soldier, b. in England, 28 Jan., 1717; d. in York, England, 13 Sept., 1794. He obtained a captaincy in the 48th foot, and, accompanying Gen. Edward Braddock to Canada, served as his aide-de-camp, and was wounded at his defeat. He was with Lord Loudoun in 1757, exchanged to the 35th regiment in 1758-'9, was stationed at Fort Frederick, and occasionally engaged with the Indians that harassed the settlements in Nova Scotia. He was attached to the Louisburg grenadiers in Wolfe's expedition against Quebec, participated in the battle of the Plains of Abraham, and did good service at Sillery, 28 April, 1760. He became lieutenant-colonel of the 47th regiment in May of that year, and commanded the 3d battery in the expedition under Gen. James Murray (g. t'.) against Montreal. He retired from the army in 1764, settled in New York city, and in