James Morgan (1778 - 1860)

Born 12 Dec 1778 in Buffalo Creek, Monongalia County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Rachel (Bunner) Morgan — married 29 Apr 1801 (to 3 Aug 1844) in Monongalia County, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 2 Feb 1860 at age 81 in Fairmont, Marion County, Virginia, United States

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Biography

James Morgan^[1] was born on 12 December 1778^[2] or 1779 at Buffalo Creek, Monongalia County, Virginia, the sixth of fourteen children and the third of eight sons of Captain Morgan (III) and Mary Drusilla Prickett Morgan.

Alternate birth 17 Dec 1779. (His tombstone gives his dod as 8 Feb 1860 and says he was 80 years, 1 month, and 22 days old. Tf dob would be December 1779.

On 29 April 1801 at the age of twenty-two he married^[3] 18-year-old Rachel Bunner, who would bear him ten known children, all boys. One of them, Alphaeus, born c1833 is reported in the 1860 census (when he was living with his step-mother) as "idiotic."

(IV) Captain James Morgan, son of Captain Morgan Morgan, was captain in the war of 1812, in which was also commissioned a major, and during said war was, at one time, in command of Fort Meigs (now Toledo, Ohio). Children: David, John, James, Stephen, Alpheus, Sarah, Mary, Salinda, Marcus^[4]

For a larger view of the 1860 census image below, click here.

1860 census for James's widow shows his son Alpheus as "idiotic."

1850 census

James Morgan appears  in the 1850 United States Federal Census as the keeper of the poor house with $800 in real property, living with his second wife, Sarah, and twelve inmates, ranging in age from four months to seventy-five years.

For a larger view of the 1850 census image below, click here.

1860 census shows James as keeper of the poorhouse

Name: James Morgan; Age: 70; Birth Year: c1780; Birthplace: Virginia

Home in 1850: Eastern District, Marion, Virginia; Race: White; Gender: Male; Family Number: 360.

Household Members: Name Age

James Morgan 70

Sarah Morgan 59

Jane McCally 35

D P Seymour 80

Thomas Cooper 54

John Low 42

Mary Ann Cunningham 30

Sarah Cooper 15

Francis Cunningham 3

Hugh Bean 66

Lurama Merrifield 7

Mary Calpin 6

Nathan Kelly 75

Sarah E Cunningham 0^[5]

On 2 February 1860, when he was in his early eighties, he died in Marion County^[6] of unknown causes and was buried in Mount Zion Cemetery, Fairmont, Marion County.

Gravestone for James "Buffalo Jim" Morgan

From Findagrave.com

Capt James "Buffalo Jim" Morgan

Birth: Dec. 12, 1778, Monongalia County, Virginia; Death: Feb. 8, 1860, Fairmont, Marion County, Virginia, USA.

[Query: his tombstone says he died on 1860-02-08 and that he was 80 years, i month, and 22 days old. In that case his date of birth should be 17 December 1779.]

Buffalo Jim. No one can say for sure if this nickname came from his being born on Buffalo Creek, or because of his incredible strength. (One story says he picked up a mare and carried her a few steps before stopping.)

Jim was a Captain during the War of 1812 (proved for any female descendants who might wish to join the Daughters of 1812.)

Census records show that at the latter part of his life, Buffalo Jim owned and ran the County "Poor Farm". It is said that he always wore "old-fashioned knee breeches, and stockings." One can almost picture the buckles on his shoes!

Burial: Mount Zion Cemetery, Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, USA. "Find a Grave", database and images (accessed 20 July 2023), memorial page for Capt James “Buffalo Jim” Morgan (12 Dec 1778–8 Feb 1860), Find A Grave: Memorial #57488308, citing Mount Zion Cemetery, Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by 47117651 (contributor 47117651).

Sources

1. ↑ Crook, Valerie, Biography of FRENCH MORGAN Publication: from The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 610 1 Dec 2012 URL: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/upshur/bios/morgan.txt Accessed 14 June 2019.
2. ↑ "Monongalia County WV Registry of Births, vol. 1," database, USGenWeb, FamilySearch   E., transcriber Burns, USGenWeb Publication: (http://files.usgwarchives.net/ : n.d.) 16 Oct 2012 Transcribed from microfilm 464964, volume 1 Registry of Births. URL: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/monongalia/births/birth1853.txt Accessed 14 June 2019.
3. ↑ Marriage: "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database
   citing Monongalia, West Virginia, United States, , county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 840,910.
   FamilySearch Record: FBC7-WXM (accessed 20 July 2023)
   http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=840910&ImageNumber=7
   James Morgan marriage to Rachel Bunner in 1801 in Monongalia, West Virginia, United States.
4. ↑ http://genealogytrails.com/wva/monongalia/family_bios.html
5. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850," database with images
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 36;
   FamilySearch Record: M8D8-SJS (accessed 20 July 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6Q5S-BM2
   James Morgan (70) in Marion, Virginia, United States. Born in Virginia.
6. ↑ Morgan:www.swcp.com/~dhickman/gedcom/scott/d0001/g0000025.Htm Publication: printed Out 981004

See also:

• "DAR Record for James Morgan, 1779-1860," (First Marriage Date: 1800; Father: Morgan Morgan; Mother: Drucilla Prickett; Spouse: Rachel Bunner; Child: David Morgan) from Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR, Vol 152.

• "Monongalia County WV Registry of Births, vol. 1," database, USGenWeb, FamilySearch   E., transcriber Burns, USGenWeb Publication: (http://files.usgwarchives.net/ : n.d.) 16 Oct 2012 Transcribed from microfilm 464964, volume 1 Registry of Births. URL: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/monongalia/births/birth1853.txt Accessed 14 June 2019.

• Morgan:www.swcp.com/~dhickman/gedcom/scott/d0001/g0000025.Htm Publication: printed Out 981004

Acknowledgments

• Temp for Gedcom Lynch imported the data for James Morgan from Lynch-Tree.ged on 6 Aug 2010.