James Morgan, brother of John Hamilton Morgan. Part 2.

(Continued from Part 1 here.)

James' mother, Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan, wrote a news filled letter from her Champaign, Illinois home on April 29, 1895 to daughter-in-law, Mellie Morgan, which is posted here. The paragraph in it, where she writes about James [Jimmie], is below.

James Morgan [1850- ]

Picture taken 1905.

Mr. Richard sent the 20 dollars as you requested (thanks to you both). We gave it out for insurance on the property for the next 3 years and Jimmie sent us 40 dollars to pay taxes. We manage to keep even by being economical and working.

Additional information about James is contained in a July 9, 1900 letter from G. M. [Garrard Morgan] Hamilton of Greensburg, Indiana to Mellie Morgan in Salt Lake City. It appears G.M. is Eliza Ann's brother. John Hamilton Morgan writes in his journal of visiting this same Uncle Morgan.

On October 27, 1882, John wrote in his journal entry, posted here, Started early this a.m. and drove to town and at 10 a.m. took train for Indianapolis where I visited cousin Robbins and uncle Morgan Hamilton. Attended the Grand Opera with cousin Gail Hamilton and saw the Hanlons play. Stayed all night at uncle Hamiltons.

A sample portion of the original 4 page letter follows here. A typed version of the paragraph about James from this letter follows.

Greensburg, Ind., July 9, 1900
Mrs. Helen M. Morgan:
Dear Niece

Your very kind and welcome letter came in Saturday, July 7th ... Eliza Morgan, John’s mother is now in Middletown Neura County Indiana living with her son, Dr. Wm. Morgan. She came near dying last winter in Chicago but she pulled through all right and the last from her was doing very well. Don’t know anything about Jim Morgan only he is N G and if he is dead or his wife is dead I don’t know it. The last I heard from her she was living in Denver with the children. She is a good woman. The last I heard from him was about 1 year ago he was at Bills Worthington [illegible]with a woman he called his wife but not the woman we know as his wife ...

I found a James Morgan in the 1910 census in an Indiana prison. After conferring with the Indiana archivist, I determined he was our James Morgan, and ordered all of the material in his file, including his picture. The left hand side of the 17x22 ledger sheet they sent me is below. Perhaps James didn't know both of his parents were deceased by 1901.


James' wife is shown as Irene. When I read this yesterday, it looked like June to me. James was incarcerated for six years, the last three in a hospital. Many questions answered, so many more to find answers to. The letters are from cousin Karen M., with a big, Thank You! Entries from John Hamilton Morgan's journal at the Marriott Library, University of Utah. Prison documents from Indiana State Archives, Commission on Public Records, 6550 E. 30th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46219.