Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/436

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
398
MORGAN
MORGAN

and Fargo and United States express cuinpanies, of which corporations he was for many years an officer. He was elected and twice re-elected to congress as a Republican, serving from 5 Dec, . till 3 March, . With Will- iam E. Dodge he erected, at a cost of $40,000, the Dodge-Morgan li- brary building of the Auburn, N. Y., theological semi- nary, of which in- stitution he was long a trustee. Subsequently Mr. Morgan gave to the seminary a dormitory build- ing that is now called " Morgan Hall." He was a

^ charter trustee of

Wells college, Aurora, to which he not only de- voted his personal supervision for a long period, but gave over a quarter of a million dollars. His wife built for the college the new " Morgan Hall." He was also a trustee of Cornell university, and sent Prof. Charles F. Hartt, of that institution, on a scientific journey to Brazil. His donations to individuals and to other institutions besides those named above were very large. He helped many young men to acquire an education and establish themselves in business. On one occasion, when a gentleman of wealth complained that he found it difficult to employ his capital profitably, he re- plied : " Why not invest in some worthy charities % I have found them the best investments." — His brother, Christopher, lawyer, b. in Aurora, Ca- yuga CO.. N. Y., 4 June, 1808 ; d. in Auburn, N. Y., 3 April, 1877, was graduated at Yale in 1828, stud- ied law with William H. Seward, and, after being admitted to the bar. became his partner at Auburn, N. Y. He was elected and re-elected to congress as a Whig, serving from 2 Dec, 1839, till 3 March, 1843. He was secretary of state of New York from 1848 till 1852, and many years a trustee of the State lunatic asylum at Utica. He was at one time en- gaged in mercantile pursuits in Aurora, N. Y.


MORGAN, Edwin Dennison, governor of New York, b. in Washington, Berkshire co., Mass., 8 Feb., 1811; d. in New York city, 14 Feb., 1883. At the age of seventeen he removed to Hartford, Conn., where he entered the store of his un- cle, Nathan Mor- gan, and becam(i a partner in 1831. He was a member of the citv coun- cil there in 1832. Removing to New York in 1836, he established him- self in business and became a suc- cessful merchant. During the chol- era epidemic he remained in the city to assist the poor. From 1850 till 1863 he was a mem- ber of the state senate, serving at one time as president pro tempore. He was vice-president of the National Republican convention that met in Pittsburg, 22 Feb., 1856, and from 1856 till 1864 was chairman of the Republican national com- mittee. In 1858 he was elected governor of New York, which office he held until 1862. During his term the state debt was reduced, an increase in canal revenue was made. 223,000 troops were sent from New York to the army, and New York harbor was put in a state of defence. On 28 Sept., 1861, he was made a major-general of volun- teers, the state of New York being created a mili- tary department under his command, and for his services under this commission he declined com- pensation. On the expiration of his term he was elected to the U. S. senate as a Republican, serving from 4 March, 1863, till 3 March, 1869. He opened the proceedings of the Baltiuiore convention of 1864, and was a delegate to the Philadelphia loyal- ists' convention of 1866, but took no part in its ac- tion. In 1865 he declined the office of secretary of the U. S. treasury, which was offered him by President Lincoln. In 1872 he was chairman of the National Republican committee, and conduct- ed the successful campaign that resulted in the second election of Gen. Grant. He was a Repub- lican candidate for U. S. senator in 1875, and in 1876 for governor of New York. In 1881 Presi- dent Arthur offered him the portfolio of secretary of the treasury, which he declined, owing to his ad- vanced age. Gov. Morgan gave more than $200,000 to the New York union theological seminary and to Williams college library buildings, and $100,000 for a dormitory. His bequests for charitable and religious purposes amounted to $795,000. In 1867 he rft'eived the degree of LL. D. from Williams.


MORGAN, Edwin Wright, soldier, b. in Penn- sylvania in 1814 ; d. in Bethlehem, Pa., 16 April, 1869. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1837 and assigned to the 2d artillery, serving in the Florida war of 1837-'8, and super- intending the removal of the Cherokees from Georgia to the west. He became 1st lieutenant on 7 July, 1838, and was engaged on the northern frontier in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1838-'9 during the Canada border disturbances. He resigned on 31 May, 1839, and was employed as principal assist- ant state engineer of Pennsylvania in the prosecu- tion of extended public works until the close of . On 9 April, 1847, he was reappointed in the U. S. army as major of the 11th infantry, and he served in the Mexican war in 1847-'8, being made lieutenant-colonel of the 13th infantry, 13 Sept., . He was mustered out on 31 July, 1848, and was superintendent of Western military institute. Blue Licks, Ky., from 1849 till 1851, chief engineer of Shelby railroad, Ky., in 1852-'4, vice-president of Shelby college, Ky., in 1853-'4, joint superin- tendent with Thornton Johnson of Kentucky mili- tary institute at Harrodsburg in 1854-'6, and in entire charge of it from 1856 till 1861. From 1866 till his death he was professor of mathematics in Lehigh university.


MORGAN, George Nelson, b. on Messina island, St. Lawrence river, N. F., 7 Sept.. 1825 ; d. in Minneapolis, Minn., 24 July, 1866. He removed from Canada to Minnesota in 1856, and, settling at St. Anthony, assisted in erecting the first foundry and machine-shop at the falls. At the beginning of the civil war he enlisted in the 1st Minnesota regiment, was elected captain of a company in 1861, was promoted major, and became lieutenant-colonel in 1862. Immediately after the battle of Antietam he succeeded to the colonelcy of the same