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The Jefferson, William and Evan Morgan Families of Ellis County, Texas
In 1853 brothers Jefferson (January 22, 1830-July 7, 1864) and William Martin Morgan (December 8, 1825-March 28, 1888) along with their cousin Evan Morgan (June 9, 1818-June 3, 1900) left Chariton County, Missouri for Texas. An unmarried Amanda Ann Sportsman (March 4, 1838-May 19, 1904) accompanied her sister Delisa Sportsman (May 20, 1832-March 14, 1894) the wife of William Morgan. Shortly after the arrival of the Morgan caravan in Ellis County, Jefferson Morgan married Amanda Ann Sportsman on October 17, 1853. Henry Tremble, JP of Ellis County, performed the ceremony.
The three Morgan men and their families settled within a 4-mile radius of what will eventually become Mountain Peak. The Evan Morgan family settled approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Mountain Peak near the current intersection of Tower Road and FM663. Jefferson Morgan filed a Settlers' Claim (recorded June 3, 1858) for land approximately 4 miles northeast of Mountain Peak at the current intersection of Ashford Lane and Plainview Road. The William Morgan land was between these two homesteads.
In the 1850's the Morgan families cleared the Ellis County land, built log cabins, planted gardens, and each built a new life in Texas. An account with the N. Oldham Store indicated that Jefferson Morgan constructed chairs and traded them for staples, books, and dry goods. War became a reality when Texas succeeded from the Union in January 1861. William Martin Morgan and Evan Morgan's sons David Jonah, John, Robert, and William J. enlisted in the 12th Texas Cavalry. Jefferson Morgan did not enlist until 1863 when he joined Burns Battalion which later merged with Likens 35th Texas Cavalry. Evan's son John Morgan was killed at Yellow Bayou in Louisiana on May 18,1864, and Jefferson Morgan died of typhoid fever July 7, 1864 near Alexandria, Louisiana.
After the war the Jefferson Morgan's widow Amanda raised her three young children alone. She rode sidesaddle and managed to pay taxes and kept the Morgan land. The daughters, Nancy Elizabeth and Molly Jeff, eventually married and moved to Oklahoma, but her son Hughey Martin Morgan remained in Ellis County for all of his 94 years. 'Mart' eventually bought the Jefferson Morgan homestead and it remained in the family for nearly 100 years.
The William Morgan family moved to Eastland County, Texas by 1880, but the Evan and Jefferson Morgan families remained in the Midlothian/Mountain Peak area. Many descendants of these Morgan families can still be found in Ellis County and in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Jefferson and Amanda Sportsman Morgan Family
1 Jefferson MORGAN b: January 22, 1830 in Chariton County, MO
d: July 7, 1864 in Alexandria, La
+Amanda (Mandy) Ann SPORTSMAN b: March 4, 1838 in Chariton County, MO
m: October 17, 1853 in Ellis County, TX by Henry Tremble JP d: May 19, 1904
in Midlothian, TX Morgan lot in the Midlothian Cemetery
......... 2 Nancy Elizabeth (Betty) MORGAN b: March 21, 1856 in Midlothian, TX
d: December 15, 1917 in Ringling, OK Cornish Cemetery
............. +James Hankins (Hank) NEWBY b: August 19, 1853 in Cedar Hill, TX
m: September 25, 1875 in Ellis County, TX by C. H. Barker, M. G. d: April 16,
1919
in Ringling, Ok Cornish Cemetery
......... 2 Baby Girl MORGAN b: Abt. 1858 in On the Farm in Ellis County, Texas
......... 2 Hughey Martin (Mart) MORGAN b: March 21, 1860 in Midlothian, TX
d: July 24, 1954 in Midlothian, TX
............. +Lewis Elendor (Ella) COOPER b: April 11, 1862 near Macon Ga. m:
August 5,
1883 in Mt. Peak, TX by P. W. Lowe, JP Vol. E. p93 d: February 9, 1937 in
Waxahachie, TX
......... 2 Molly Jeff MORGAN b: Abt. January 19, 1864 in Midlothian, TX d:
April
13, 1923 in Ringling, OK Cornish Cemetery
............. +D. Lampkin GRAHAM
Evan and Sarah Elizabeth Moore Morgan Family
1 Evan MORGAN b: June 9, 1818 in Prairie Hill Township, Chariton County, and MO
d: June 3, 1900 in Midlothian, TX
.. +Sarah Elizabeth MOORE b: 1823 in TN. m: 1836 in Keytesville, Chariton
County,
MO d: August 27, 1901 in Midlothian, TX
......... 2 David Jonah MORGAN b: January 10, 1839 in Chariton County, MO d:
February 25, 1925 in Midlothian, TX
............. +Mary S.HARRISON b: Abt. 1842 in TX m: October 9, 1857 in Cedar
Hill,
TX
......... 2 John MORGAN b: 1842 in Keytesville, Chariton County, MO d: May 18,
1864
in Yellow Bayou, La. Battle of Yellow Bayou
......... 2 Robert (Bob) MORGAN b: January 27, 1843 in Prairie Hill Township,
Chariton
County, and MO d: October 18, 1927 in Midlothian, TX
............. +Jane L. JACKSON b: March 6, 1850 in Yell County, AK. m: January
13,
1870 in Sardis, Ellis County, Texas d: May 30, 1924 in Midlothian, TX
......... 2 William (Bill) J MORGAN b: February 22, 1845 in Prairie Hill
Township,
Chariton County, and MO
............. +Lizzie UNKNOWN
......... *2nd Wife of William (Bill) J Morgan:
............. +Sarah Catherine GROUND m: February 2, 1865 in Dallas, TX by R.
M. White, MG
......... 2 Wesley Walker MORGAN b: October 27, 1847 in Keytesville, Chariton
County, MO
d: March 4, 1928 in Seadrift, Calhoun County, TX
............. +Clarinda LARNER m: October 12, 1871 in Dallas County, TX
......... 2 George Tillman MORGAN b: March 14, 1848 in Keytesville, Chariton
County,
MO d: January 10, 1913 in Cedar Hill, TX buried at Sardis
............. +Lizzie Grimes BUSBY
......... *2nd Wife of George Tillman Morgan:
............. +Sarah Martha PEARSON m: August 6, 1865 in Dallas County, TX
......... 2 Thomas Adams MORGAN b: May 14, 1849 in Keytesville, Chariton
County,
MO d: September 16, 1925 in Midlothian, TX
............. +Addie HICKS m: December 29, 1872
......... 2 Mary Elizabeth MORGAN b: January 1, 1853 in Keytesville, Chariton
County, MO
............. +Milton POWERS m: April 29, 1869 in Dallas County, TX
William and Delisa Sportsman Morgan Family
1 William Martin MORGAN b: December 8, 1825 in Chariton County, MO
d: March 28, 1888 in Cisco, Eastland County, TX buried in the Morgan/Hale
Cemetery
.. +Delisa SPORTSMAN b: May 20, 1832 in Sangamon County, Ill m: June 28, 1849
in Chariton County, MO by A. Cash d: March 14, 1894 in Cisco, Eastland
County TX buried Morgan/Hale Cemetery
......... 2 John Madison MORGAN b: August 5, 1851 in Chariton County, MO
d: February 25, 1908 in Knox City, TX
............. +Rachel W. JENKINS b: 1853 in Ellis County, TX m: September 3,
1871 in
Ellis County, TX
......... 2 James Robert MORGAN b: July 24, 1854 in Ellis County, TX
d: January 22, 1873 in Easland County, TX
......... 2 Sarah Frances MORGAN b: September 21, 1857 in Ellis County, TX
(Clemets lists
same date, but 1856) d: February 18, 1900 in Scranton, Eastland County, Texas
............. +Joseph Jackson RAY b: January 21, 1851 in Mississippi m:
December 6, 1874 in
Ellis County, TX d: June 29, 1928 in Scranton, Eastland County, Texas
......... 2 Jaly Ann MORGAN b: December 23, 1858 in Ellis County, TX d: 1954
in Eastland County, TX buried Morgan/Hale Cemetery
............. +John HALE b: May 21, 1854 m: September 4, 1879 in Ellis County,
TX by JM
Morgan d: November 5, 1902
......... 2 Amanda "Elizabeth" MORGAN b: March 8, 1861 in Ellis
County, TX
d: March 17, 1916 in Fisher County, TX
............. +Nat HENDRICKSON m: September 4, 1879 in Ellis County, TX by JM
Morgan
......... 2 William M. MORGAN b: May 17, 1866 in Ellis County, TX d: April
2, 1904 in Eastland County, TX
............. +Mattie Harrell UNKNOWN
......... 2 Laura D MORGAN b: Abt. April 1, 1868 d: 1906 in Kiowa, OK
Washita...Ouchita, OK
......... 2 Robert Lee MORGAN b: August 8, 1870 in Ellis County, TX d:
January 21, 1873 in Ellis County, TX
......... 2 Enos Jefferson (E.J) MORGAN b: January 6, 1872 in Wheeler, TX d:
October 9, 1948 in Mobeetee, TX
............. +Rachel Agnes PARKS b: October 6, 1869 m: 1890 d: December 11,
1924 in
Corn Valley, TX buried Old Mobeetie, TX
......... 2 Henry Martin MORGAN b: January 6, 1878
............. +Ollie UNKNOWN