American Civil War Soldiers (ancestry.com)
Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System Search Detail
(National Park Service):
Robert J.
Morrison - 2 Tennessee Infantry, Co E
Soldier's rank in - Pvt; Soldier's rank out -
Pvt
(Film # - M392, roll 11)
Robert J. Morrison - 3 North
Carolina Mtd. Inf., Co C,I
Soldier's rank in - 1 Lt.;
Soldier's rank out - Capt.
(Film # - M391, roll 2)
Civil War
Pension Index (ancestry.com):
Morrison,
Robert J.
Widow - Morrison, Hester A
Service - E 2 Tenn. Inf; I and C.
3 N.C. Mtd. Inf.
Date of filing - 1898 May 21;
Invalid; App # - 255417; Cert # - 294263
Date of filing - 1914 Oct 26;
Widow; Appl # - 1036226; Cert # 784788; State filed - Ill
National Graves Registration Database (Sons of Union
Veterans of the Civil War):
Will County Illinois USGenWeb
Necrologist Reports (© 2002
The ILGenWeb Project All Rights
Reserved):
Oct. 18, 1914 -
Robert J. Morrison, a native of
Canada and a civil war veteran, aged 74 years. He was many times
assessor of Joliet township.
Nove. 6, 1915 - Mrs. Hester Morrison
, 75 years old, at her home in
Grover street, Joliet. Widow of the late
Robert Morrison.
Headstone Reading, Oakwood Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois;
Block 17 north, Lot 145:
(One Large Stone - has GAR marker)
R. J. Morrison
1839-1914
Hester A. his wife 1840-1915
Mary A. 1866-1889
Elizabeth Van Loan 1862-1945
Published Obituaries:
Joliet
Evening Herald, Vol. X, Monday, October 19, 1914
DEAD:
CAPTAIN ROBERT J.
MORRISON, 74 years old,
township assessor-elect of Joliet, for many years a public official,
and one of
Will county’s best-known businessmen.
JOHN H.
MORRISON, 72 years old, Civil War veteran and retired farmer.
Brother of Captain Morrison.
On August
23 seventy-six families petitioned the State Public Utilities
commission to
have a guard and a gate placed at the crossing.
It
was dangerous, they said.
The commission
replied a few days
later.
It has induced the railroad to
cut off a few trees near the tracks at the crossing and to remove the
roof from
a large wooden tank.
Thus were the only
serious obstacles to a perfect view of the tracks removed, said the
commission.
The crossing no longer was
dangerous, said
the commission. It would give the crossing in its present condition a
three
months’ trial.
Three months
have not yet
passed.
Two clear-headed men, who had
seen danger in their lives and had used cool judgment in escaping, were
killed
instantly at a crossing that no longer was dangerous, according to the
Public
Utility commission; that no longer would be a source of worry to
mothers whose
children had to cross the tracks to get to school; that no longer might
strike
the breath from the bodies of physically weary and mentally fatigued
men going
home after working long hours in shop and factory.
Thomas Miller,
driver of the
engine, says the two men were killed because the captain had nearly
stopped his
automobile at the tracks and Miller thought that the auto would allow
the
engine to pass first.
The engine was
backing north after
dropping a train in
Frankfort.
The Morrison vehicle was going east.
The captain and the railway driver had a full
and perfect view of each other.
Miller and the
fireman of the
engine, J. M. Luman, refused to talk.
Their
side of the story was told this morning by O. R.
Gnadinger, claim
agent of the road, in his office.
Miller
and Luman were with him.
“Of course I
can’t allow the employees
to talk,” said Grandinger.
“They
aren’t
going to say a word before the coroner’s inquest.
But
here’s the story:
“Miller was
backing his engine
toward the yards at
Jackson street,
after unhooking his train at
Frankfort.
Twelve hundred feet from the
Washington
crossing his blew his whistle.
Two
hundred feet away he saw the Morrison auto.
Miller
was driving eight or ten miles an hour at this
time and Morrison
was driving four or five miles an hour.
“Miller
applied the brakes and
reduced his speed to four or five miles an hour.
By
this time he was twenty or twenty-five
feet from the crossing and he saw that the auto was within a few feet
of the
tracks but was only creeping, positively going at a snail’s pace.
Naturally he thought that the auto would stop
within a couple of inches and he released his air brake.
“The engine
hit the auto just as it
was crossing the track.
It pushed it
about 25 feet north before Miller could stop.
By
that time the auto was practically demolished.
Both
the Morrisons had been run over.
They
probably were thrown out of their car by
the jar.
They were not struck by the
wheels of the engine.”
John A.
Marquardt, Jr., Chicago and
Joliet Electric railway motorman, contradicted Miller’s statement
that
he had
blown his whistle.
“Didn’t hear a
sign of a whistle,”
he declared.
Mrs. Mary J.
Rose, who conducts a
grocery store at the crossing, absolutely refused to talk of the
accident.
“I saw it
right here from my store
window,” said she.
“Oh,
I’ve had the worst
nervous strain I ever had in my life.
I
just can’t talk!”
William
Hills,
109
Parks avenue, a passenger on the funeral
car,
heard a crash.
“I jumped up
and looked out of the
window,” he said today.
“I saw
the
engine backing.
It stopped about one
hundred
feet away.
And then I noticed the wheels
of an automobile projecting from behind it.
“I rushed up
to the wreck and saw
their bodies, fearfully mangled.
They
were dead when we got there.
Mr. Gnadinger,
the claim agent,
asserted that Miller was one of the most careful engineers on the road
and had
driven an engine for twenty-three years.
Captain
Morrison’s automobile was a
one-cylinder car.
It was almost utterly
demolished.
After the accident it was
pulled from the tracks north of
Washington
street,
where the engine had pushed it to a field beside the roadway.
Two front wheels cling perilously to the
remains of the car.
The only thing about
it that is untouched is the license number, “91002,” a
reminder of the
happy
motor-car trips planned by the aged civil war veteran when he sent his
check to
the office of the secretary of state.
Captain
Morrison was born in
Toronto, Canada,
May 1, 1840.
He was the son of Robert Morrison, a Scotchman
and Mrs.
Elizabeth Bell
Morrison, a native of
Ireland
but of Scotch descent.
The parents
crossed the
Atlantic in 1833.
In 1856 the
elder Morrison and his
family, who had left Toronto and were living in Baltimore, Md., removed
to
Carter county, Tennesse, where the father engaged in farming and became
minister of the local Methodist church.
Morrison
was a strong anti-slavery man, and his home was
a station on
the underground railroad for helping negro refugees to escape to
Canada.
Robert
Morrison died after the war,
at the age of 62 years, in Carroll county,
Mo.,
where he had removed with his family after the war.
Robert J.
Morrison was educated
largely in
Canada
schools.
As a youth he engaged in the
painter’s trade.
On
April 15, 1861, immediately
after the
fall of
Fort Sumter,
he enlisted in Company F.,
Second Tennessee Infantry, and served through the war.
In the fall of 1861 he went through the
Confederate lines to
Tennessee
to
recruit for the Federals.
He began his
return trip with 89 men.
After many
hardships during one of which he and his comrades went without food for
four
days and nights, they reached the Northern army in the spring of 1862.
He fought in
Kentucky
and later in
Ohio
against the
Confederate cavalry leader, General John H. Morgan, and at another time
in
West Virginia.
After spending a little time in
Canton,
Ill.,
he returned to
Tennessee,
where
he helped to mount the Eight, Ninth and Thirteenth Tennessee regiments,
which
composed Gilham’s brigade of cavalry.
In September,
1864, he became first
lieutenant of Company C, Third North Carolina mounted infantry.
In February, 1865, he organized Company I of
the same regiment, and became its captain.
Mr. Morrison
was married to Miss
Hester Snider, of
Tennessee,
in
Elizabeth, Carter county,
Tennessee,
on
January 22, 1862.
He was mustered out at
Knoxville,
Tenn., on
August 6, 1865, and returned
to Carter county.
A month later, however,
he came to
Kendall
county,
Illinois, with
his
wife.
There he rented a farm and tilled
it.
Subsequently he moved to
Plainfield
township, Will county, and became a farmer there.
He was a
Republican continuously until the election last spring, when he was
elected
township assessor on the non-partisan ticket.
In 1895
Captain Morrison left the real estate business.
Until
his death, however, he devoted a large part of his
time to
handling his extensive real estate holdings.
He was
appointed deputy city and township assessor in 1894.
In 1895 he was elected township assessor and
held the office continuously until 1905.
He was a
member of the Mason, the Blue Lodge, and the G.A.R.
From the
Joliet
Evening Herald, Vol. X, No. 294, Monday,
October 19, 1914, Page 3
DEATHS
MORRISON – The double funeral of John and
Robert J.
Morrison, who met death in an auto accident yesterday afternoon,
will
be held
from the
Masonic Temple.
The time is pending the arrival of Dr. John
Morrison, son of R.J. Morrison and Edward Morrison, son of John
Morrison from
the West.
R.J. Morrison is survived by a
widow, a daughter, Miss Elizabeth and two sons, Dr. John of
Montana
and Will of Peoria.
John Morrison is
survived by his widow and one son, Edward.
Additional Biographical Material:
Genealogical
and
Biographical Record of WillCounty, Illinois
Biographical
Publishing Company,
Chicago 1900
CAPT. ROBERT
J. MORRISON
For his heroism
displayed
during the Civil war, Captain Morrison received the highest praise of
his
colonel, George W. Kirk, and the commendation of all patriotic citizens
who
appreciate self-sacrifice in behalf of our country.
At the close of the war, in September, 1865,
he came to this county, bringing with him a wagon and also two horses
that had
been with him in the army.
For a time he
rented a farm on the edge of Kendall County, after which he bought a
place in
Plainfield Township and later bought and sold other property.
Coming to
Joliet
in 1879. he embarked in the lumber business and also from 1880 to 1883
was call
man in the fire department, then from 1883 to 1888 was driver of
steamer No. 1,
being transferred in 1888 to East Side No. 3.
In
1891 he resigned and began to devote his attention
entirely to the
real-estate business, in which he had previously become interested.
In 1894 he was appointed deputy city and
township assessor.
The following year he
was elected city and township assessor on the Republican ticket, by a
majority
of three hundred and sixty over his town opponents.
In 1896, 1897, 1898 and 1899 he was
re-elected, the last time without opposition, and he now gives his
whole time
to the duties of the office, superintending the work of his corps of
assistants.
William
Morrison, a Scotchman, removed to
Manchester,
England,
and years later settled on a farm near
Belfast,
Ireland,
where he
died.
His grandson, Robert Morrison, was
born in
Manchester, England,
but grew to manhood in
Ireland,
where he learned the painter’s trade.
In
1832 he married Elizabeth Bell, who was born in
Belfast,
Ireland,
her father,
David, having removed from his native place, near
Glasgow,
Scotland,
to
Belfast, Ireland,
in order to
establish a shoe factory there.
The year
after his marriage Mr. Morrison brought his wife to American and
settled in
New York City,
where he worked at his trade.
In 1842 he
went to
Toronto, Canada,
where he remained
until 1845, and then settled in
Baltimore,
Md.,
afterward went to
Philadelphia,
thence to
New York City,
and in
1847 returned to
Toronto,
from there
going back to
Baltimore.
October
26, 1856, he removed his family to Carter County, Tenn.,
where he
cultivated a farm and also worked as a contracting painter.
A man of strong Union sympathies, he had on
his farm an underground railroad for escaping Federal prisoners, and
one of his
sons, William was a pilot for the refugees.
He
himself was several times taken prisoner by
Confederates, but, being
a great favorite throughout the entire region on account of his fine
business qualities,
his genial manners and his work as a Methodist Episcopal local
preacher, his
life was spared.
Not so fortunate was
his brother-in-law, James Bell, who, falling into the hands of the
rebels, was
shot twenty-six times, his brains being beaten out.
Two of his sons, William and David, slept
outdoors every night during the four years of the war.
When the war ended the family moved to
Carroll
County, Mo., where the
father
died at sixty-two years of age.
His
death was caused by an attack of pneumonia brought on by fording a
stream to
keep an appointment for preaching.
After
his death his wife went to
Canada,
where she died.
They had four sons and
four daughters, and all but one of the daughters still survive.
William lives in Johnson City, Tenn.;
John,
who was a prisoner for eighteen months during the Civil war, served in
the
Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry as orderly sergeant of Company B, and is
now
living in Kendall County, Ill.; David lives in Nebraska, making his
home at
Wood River; Mrs. Ann Hill lives at Norborne, Mo.; Mrs. Sarah McKey is
at
Pinkerton, Canada; and Mrs. Elizabeth Walker is in Kansas City, Mo.
Mrs. Mary McDevitt died at
Linton,
Canada,
April 25, 1898.
The
second of the sons,
Robert J.,
was born in
New
York City May 1, 1840.
His
education was received principally in
Canada.
With his older brother he learned the
painter’s trade, and afterward was with an uncle, Dr. David Bell,
for
two
years, then returned to assist his brother.
April 15, 1861,
he
enlisted in Company F, Second Tennessee Infantry, and was mustered in
as a
private at Camp Dick Robinson,
Ky. After the battles of Wild Cat, Mills Springs
and
Cumberland Gap, he returned through the
rebel lines
to
Tennessee, in order
to recruit
for the Union army.
Securing eighty-nine
men, he started back to the Union army in the fall of 1861.
During the following winter he camped in the
mountains of
Tennessee,
hiding
from the Confederates, who were in search of him and his recruits.
Their food was brought to them by his sister,
who would put a note in a biscuit telling where the next installment of
provisions would be hid.
Sometimes it
would be impossible to get food to the men, who would then be reduced
to the
necessity of eating crow or such game as could be found.
In 1862 they started to go through the rebel lines,
traveling at night, wading rivers, and enduring hardships of every kind.
When within one mile of the
Kentucky
line they were attacked by Confederates and eleven escaped out of
eighty-nine.
Afterward these eleven were
in hiding for four days and nights without anything to eat.
Growing desperate with hunger, several of the
men swam across Powell’s River, then crossed the
Cumberland
mountains, where their hunger was partially appeased by
some
huckleberries they fortunately found.
About
six o’clock
one evening
they came within sight of a man chopping wood and drew lots as to which
of the
men should speak to him.
The lot fell on
our subject, who forward, scarcely knowing what fate might befall him.
However, the mountaineer was a Union man and
called to him, “Come on.”
The
meal they
had of mush and milk and honey seemed to them the best they had ever
eaten.
They had been for four days and
nights without food and water, and were almost starved.
A little later they found five of their
comrades, which made their company number eleven, and two others got
through
three weeks later, but the other seventy-six were killed or lost.
Returning
to his old regiment, our subject fought at Deep Creek Gap.
From
Kentucky
he went to
Ohio and took
part in
several battles with Gen. John H. Morgan; later marched into
West
Virginia.
After
the battle of
Murfreesboro
he assisted in the taking of Rogersville, where afterward all of his
regiment
but seventy-five men were captured.
He
was one of the number that escaped.
At
the end of three years he was mustered out and came to
Illinois,
spending a short time at
Canton,
Fulton County,
and then returning to
Tennessee,
where he helped to
mount Gilham’s
brigade of cavalry, the Eighth, Ninth and Thirteenth Tennessee.
Next he went to
Knoxville
and organized Company C, Third North Carolina Mounted Infantry, of
which he was
commissioned first lieutenant in September, 1864, and which engaged in
scouting.
He led his men three hundred
miles into
North Carolina,
where
he captured three hundred and twenty-five prisoners.
In February, 1865, he organized Company I, of
the same regiment, and was commissioned its captain, serving under
General
George Stoneman, being detached to command twenty-five scouts.
He took part in many desperate cavalry
dashes, where death seemed imminent at any moment, but he seemed to
bear a
charmed life; and in all his service was only wounded once, and that
was a mere
flesh wound.
He was constantly on the
move.
At one time he was in the saddle
for eighteen days and nights, never making a stop longer than three
hours.
More than once his friends were in
doubt as
to his fate, and once his family were told that he was dead.
Nor did they know the report was false until
he appeared before them in person, when a scene of rejoicing followed
that
could be imagined, but not described.
During
an engagement at
Morristown, Tenn.,
he captured one of his old schoolmates, who is now an attorney in that
state.
After the war closed he was
mustered out at
Knoxville, Tenn.,
August 8, 1865,
and returned
to his old home, but a month later came to
Illinois,
and has since made
Will County
his home.
In
politics
Captain Morrison has
always affiliated with the Republicans.
For
many years he has been chaplain of
Bartleson Post No. 6, G.A.R., also of Mount Joliet Lodge, A. F. &
A. M.,
and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
With his wife, he belongs to the Eastern Star
and the Ottawa Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
His
marriage took place in
Elizabethtown,
Carter County, Tenn.,
January
22, 1862,
and united him with Miss Hester Snider, daughter of William Snider, a
native of
Sullivan County,
that state, and a farmer and blacksmith.
Several
times during the war he was taken a prisoner.
In
February, 1865, he moved to
Troy
Township, Will
County, Ill., where
he died at seventy-eight years.
His
father, William, Sr., who was born near
Philadelphia,
Pa., served in the war of
1812 and
afterward became the owner of large tracts of land in
Tennessee.
The mother of Mrs. Morrison was Mary,
daughter of William Jones, an early settler of
Tennessee
and a solder in the war of 1812.
She
died in 1874.
Of her eleven children
eight attained mature years.
A
half-brother of Mrs. Morrison, Joseph Snider, was with our subject and
made his
way through the lines to Cumberland Gap; her own brother was taken a
prisoner
at one time during the war.
Captain and
Mrs. Morison became the parents of five children, namely: Lizzie, who
has
charge of the millinery department of the Joliet Dry Goods Company;
Mary, who
died in 1888; Minnie H., deceased; William R., a graduate of the
University of
Illinois, and now superintendent at Wichita, Kans., of the city street
railroad; and John H., who graduated from the medical department of the
Northwestern University in 1898, and is now engaged in practice at
Plainfield,
this county.
He married Catherine E.
Downey and they have one daughter, Martha Hester.
Souvenir of Settlement and
Progress of Will County, Ill, Historical Dirctory Publishing
Co., 1884:
R. J. Morrison, 3rd North Carolina
Cav. - Member Bartleson Post No. 6 G.A.R., organized October 25, 1882