1878 Elder Matthias Cowley served with President John Morgan in the Southern States Mission.

From John Hamilton Morgan, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. Used with permission. 

When  Heather Seferovich showed this picture during her lecture on November 14, and identified the missionary to John Morgan's right as Elder Matthias Cowley she solved one of my mysteries. Matthias Cowley was student and friend to John Morgan. He attended the Morgan College as a young man and served as a missionary under President John Morgan in the Southern States Mission. He was with John Morgan in 1894 when he died.

From John Morgan's journal of February 18-23, 1878, Salt Lake City, Utah. Have been busy all week getting information relative to the Southern Mission. Bro. Barnett came in from Payson on the 21st and on the 22nd he and Bro. Cowley and Bro. Weeks were set apart the two first to Kentucky, the latter to Illinois, Bro. Cowley was set apart under my hands, my first effort... Bro. Cowley had supper with me. 
 

The 1880 conference reported below by Elder Matthias Cowley may be the conference President  John Morgan was speaking at when he learned his friends hadn’t been able to attend because of an ill child. He insisted he travel to visit them following the meeting. Upon his arrival he learned their child had passed away. The incident was described in the letter posted here previously.  

The Work in the South.

Tilson’s Mill, Blande Co. Va., February 12, 1880.

Editors Deseret News.

Dear Brethren—The following are the minutes of a two day’s conference held in this district at the Litz School-house, Burk’s Garden, Tazewell County, Va., Saturday and Sunday, February 7^th and 8^th, 1880.

Saturday 10 a.m.

Elders present: Elder John Morgan, President of the Southern States mission; Wm. W. Fife and Matthias F. Cowley, traveling elders in the Virginia Conference.

President Morgan addressed the congregation on the gathering of the Saints, in which he spoke forcibly of Zion extending her borders, and the settlement of the Saints in Colorado,

Recommending the Saints to gather to that point and assist in building up the kingdom of God.

2 p.m.

Elder Fife addressed the people present on the first principles of the gospel and bore a strong testimony to the truth of the same.

Elder Cowley spoke of the necessity of the Saints living their religion and as soon as practicable gathering to Zion.

President Morgan followed with a spirited address, principally on gathering, and being governed by the revelations of God.

Sunday 10 a.m.

In addition to the Elders present on the first day, were Elders George R. Hill and Richad A. Ballantyne, from the Tennessee conference.

President Morgan delivered an excellent discourse on the pre-existent, present and future life of man, and the resurrection, by request of the children of Brother Philip Heninger, in honor of their father and mother, deceased members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A large congregation were in attendance and paid strict attention to the instructions given.

2 p.m.

Elder George R. Hill addressed the congregation in a spirited manner on the unchangeable character of the gospel, bearing a strong testimony to the truth of its principles.

Elder Cowley followed on the first principles of the gospel and promises made to the Saints on conditions of obedience to God’s commandments. 

Conference adjourned.

Since the 29^th of last June 51 souls have been added to the Church and 27 emigrated from this district. Prospects are favorable for more baptisms in the near future, and the Saints generally are anxious to gather to Zion. During the past summer the Elders have been going out into the surrounding country and finding openings to preach in different localities. Invitations have been given us to hold meetings in several neighborhoods, where we have not been able to devote any time on account of the limited force of elders in this district.

There are good openings for several more good energetic elders in this immediate section of country, while there are doubtless thousand of people in the surrounding counties, as well as throughout the Southern States who never heard the voice of an elder in Israel. This power of God has been manifest in our labors. The honest in heart are convinced of the truth by “hearing the word of God,” while the Pharises element who seek for a sign, thereby prove themselves to being a “wicked and an adulterous generation.”

John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Utah Digital Newspaper Project, http://digitalnewspapers.org/

A Faith Promoting Experience in the Ministry of President John Morgan. From a pamphlet compiled by his son in 1964.

 Faith Promoting Experiences in the Ministry of President John Morgan. 

Compiled and published by his son, Nicholas G. Morgan, Sr. in 1964.

(Continued from here.)

I recognized the letter Heather Seferovich read during her November 14th lecture, "Faith to Persevere; Southern States Mission" in the Assembly Hall. It is included in this pamphlet on pages 27-28. John Morgan's journal for all of 1880 is not included with the rest of his journal at the Marriott Library at the University of Utah.

 December 11, 1946

“Mr. N. G. Morgan

210 McIntyre Building

Salt Lake City, Utah

“Dear Brother Morgan:

“Agreeable to your request, I am pleased to furnish you with following information:

“In about 1910, when I was president of the Western States Mission, I had occasion to visit Pueblo, Colorado, to hold a regular conference. On my arrival at Pueblo, I met a brother who had driven from his home in Victor, Colorado, down to Pueblo, to attend the conference. He was a brother Henager and appeared to be about forty years of age.

“I was much impressed with his personality and during our several meetings of the conference he was constantly in my mind. During the final session, Sunday evening, I felt impressed to invite him to the stand to bear his testimony. He accepted my invitation and in his opening remarks gave expression, substantially, to the following:

“’My Father’s family lived in a mountainous region in Virginia, and during the period that President John Morgan was in charge of the Southern States Mission, he came into our country to hold a series of meetings; one of which was about thirty miles distant from our home.

“’Apparently he had known our family, and when the evening meeting was finished, he made inquiry concerning my father and mother. One member of our family who had gone to the meeting, told President Morgan that his folks were unable to attend because of the serious illness of his brother. “Well,” replied President Morgan, “I have a message for them and we must go to them immediately.”

“’He arrived at our home at about 3:00 o’clock the following morning. In the meantime the boy who was sick had died several hours previously and had been temporarily laid out on a cooling slab. President Morgan went into the room

Where the boy of ten years lay and prayed for him; blessed him and raised him to life.

“’The boy went to school the following morning, and when the teacher arrived, he was sitting on the fence in front of the school. She thought he was an apparition since the word had traveled around the neighborhood that he had died the night before, and she wouldn’t believe otherwise until she had looked for a scar that he had upon his wrist – I was that boy,’

“I may add that several years later I was called to Victor, Colorado, to preach at Brother Henager’s funeral. There I found the funeral parlor packed with local business people among whom he had evidently been very popular. At that time we had but few families of our Church living in Victor.

“I am happy to be of aid to you in furnishing you this information.

 “Sincerely your brother,

“(sgd) John L. Herrick” 

Note: Elder Matthias F. Cowley sent an account of a two day conference held February 7 and 8, 1880 at the Litz School-house, Burk’s Garden, Tazewell County, Va., to Salt Lake City. It was published in the Deseret News on March 3, 1880. Children of Brother Philip Heninger attended that conference.

Lookout Mountain and John Morgan and Southern States Missionaries.

The November 14, Men and Women of Faith in the Latter-days Lecture in the Assembly Hall “Faith to Persevere; Southern States Mission” was highlighted in yesterday’s Church News.  I attended the lecture and enjoyed hearing Heather Seferovich’s research and look into the lives and service of the missionaries who served there. Including Great Grandfather John Hamilton Morgan. The picture included in yesterday’s newspaper account caught my eye. Nicely dressed young men perched on the top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

John Morgan’s journal of his years in the South recounts numerous trips to that site. A hike up Lookout Mountain was a rite of passage with President John Morgan and all of his newly arrived missionaries, visiting friends and family.

He recorded two visits to that mountain in 1886. In January John Morgan’s sixteen-year-old daughter Mellie traveled with him as secretary to the SS Mission. She became ill during her stay there and her planned return home had to be delayed. After four-six weeks of convalescing in Tennessee he wrote of his daughter’s renewed health and stamina. Prior to their departure West in the latter part of March he took Mellie and some friends up to Lookout Mountain.

In November of that year his wife Mellie traveled from Salt Lake City to Kansas City to join him for a month in the SS Mission. She accompanied him on his mission work throughout the month, and traveled home with him and converts emigrating West. While they were in Chattanooga John took his wife Mellie to Lookout Mountain.

Lookout Mountain from Wikipedia

On November 24, 1863 the Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought on the slopes of the mountain. The majority of hand to hand combat took place near Cravens' house about halfway to the summit. Lookout Mountain’s shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon. After dawn, fog will sometimes descend from the cooler mountain top to the valley below and stop about halfway down, an event which took place the day of the battle and is the reason for its romantic name, the "Battle Above the Clouds". The battle was won by Union forces, enabling them to lift the siege of Union forces in Chattanooga.

An account of John Morgan's Civil War Service is posted here at The Ancestor Files.

John Hamilton Morgan Journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.