A groom named Jack W. Morgan!

Garrard Warren Morgan

This picture of Garrard Morgan's youngest son, Garrard Morgan IV, has always intrigued me because of his serious lamb-chop-side-burns. The rest of the hair on his head is trimmed so neatly. He isn't a 4th generation Garrard Morgan as my mother thought because Warren is his middle name. Following some further searching I've found him listed as Jap W. Morgan, Jack W. Morgan, Girard Morgan, and George Morgan.  There may yet be other versions.

In an 1863 letter John Morgan wrote home to his mother during his Civil War service (letter posted here on The Ancestor Files), John mentions each of his brothers and his sister.

"I get letters frequently from Will. Reced one from Lu[ella] last evning also one from Morg [Perhaps Morg Hamilton buried in South Park Cemetery in Greensburg, Indiana]. Kiss Jap for me. [His dog?] I would give a thousand dollars to see. Is Lon [Leonidas] studying any now. Tell him to improve his time above everything else. Let novels and such trash alone. Let him have something solid and something that will give him information to read. Knowledge is more than gold and silver. Poor Jimmie. I am sorry his jaw troubles him yet. He is a good boy and has the go aheaditiveness about him to make a man of himself one that will make his mark."

I’ve always had difficulty hearing people use the word “Jap”.  When I first read it used by great grandfather John Morgan in his Civil War letter home to his mother, I was admittedly less concerned with its use than imagining him wanting his mother to kiss his dog.

"JAP W. MORGAN, station agent and telegraph operator. C. & A. R. R.,  [Chicago and Alton Railway ][1] P.O. Stanford: son of Gerard Morgan, who was born in Nicholas Co., Ky., May 16, 1806 and married Eliza A. Hamilton Jan. 1, 1832. She was born in the same county July 15, 1810. They moved to Decatur Co., Ind., in 1834, and to Coles Co., Ill. April 11, 1857, and to McLean County in 1875. They have six children, viz., William H., John W., Louellie, Leonidas, James, A. and Jap. W., the subject of this sketch; he was born in Decatur Co., Ind., May 5, 1854. In September 1872, went West on a visiting and prospecting tour to California and most of the Territories. Returning to Mattoon Ill., in October 1874, he then made a tour through the Southern States, Texas, and Indian Territory, returning to Bloomington May 5, 1875. He soon commenced studying telegraphy in the employ of the C. & A. R. R. Co. April 18, 1878 he married Miss Emma R. Meagher daughter of Capt., J. C. Meagher, of Cambridge, Ohio. She was born in Kimbolton, Guernsey. Co., Ohio, Aug. 3, 1860 and came to Stanford in June 1872." [2]

Emma R. Meagher's marriage record is available from McLean County Illinois vital records where it is listed alphabetically: MEAGHER, EMMA R married 18 Apr 1878 in MC LEAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS, U. S. A. a groom named JACK W MORGAN.  7,411,742 

"Jap's" Older brother Elder John Morgan traveled to and through Mc Lean County, Illinois in 1875 as a missionary, teaching family and friends in Illinois and on into Indiana the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Standing and John Morgan specifically taught his father and brother James as mentioned here and here. [3] Perhaps Garrard "Jap" Warren Morgan was introduced to his brother's new understanding of the Gospel during this time.

Thanks to descendant Eliza's work Garrard's FamilyTree page has been updated. You can see there that "Jap" later returned to the lands and territories he explored as a young man, living in Texas and Oklahoma. He was buried in Missouri following his 1920 passing when his wife Fannie was left a widow. 

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[1] http://www.r2parks.net/alton.html

[2]   --The History of McLean County, Illinois: Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, by W. Le Baron, Jr., 1879, McClean County, Ill., - 1078 pages.
[3] John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah.