Leonard Morris (sheriff)
Honorable Leonard Morris | |
|---|---|
| Justice of Kanawha County | |
| In office October 6, 1789 – May, 1831 | |
| Appointed by | Virginia House of Delegates |
| Sheriff of Kanawha County | |
| In office 1798–1801 | |
| Appointed by | Virginia House of Delegates |
| Preceded by | Thomas Lewis Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Morris |
| Commissioner of Kanawha County | |
| In office 1794 – May 17, 1831 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Orange County, Virginia |
| Died | May 17, 1831 Marmet, West Virginia |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Price (m.1770); Margaret Larkin (m.1789) |
| Occupation | Spy; Pioneer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Thirteen Colonies |
| Branch | Virginia Militia |
| Service years | 1774-1789 |
| Unit | Kanawha County Militia |
| Conflict | Battle of Point Pleasant Revolutionary War |
Leonard Morris (1748 – May 17, 1831) was an early American pioneer, soldier, and sheriff, who was one of the founders of Charleston, West Virginia in 1788.[1] Leonard replaced John Alderson, his cousin, as Sheriff. Alderson's resignation was due to political pressure, when Alderson demanded backdated taxes to be paid on lands owned by Bushrod Washington or risk forfeiture[2], Bushrod sent a letter to his uncle, President George Washington, on January 9, 1798 stating the Sheriff of Kanawha County, John Alderson, was levying heavy tax deficits against Bushrod and George's property in Kanawha; George responds ten days later in a letter to Bushrod agreeing to assist in the matter.[3] Five years later Leonard was named as a trustee of Charleston when the town was incorporated by the Virginia House of Delegates in 1794, alongside Ruben Slaughter, Andrew Donnally Sr, and William Morris.[4]
Early Life and Family
Leonard was born in Orange County, Virginia to William Morris Sr and Elizabeth Stapp. In the spring of 1774, the entire Morris family moved to the Kanawha Valley, becoming the first permanent white settlement in the region.
Leonard had sixteen children, six by his first wife Margaret Price - John, Meredith, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Leonard Jr.; and ten children by his second wife Margaret Larkin - Charles, Nancy, Parthenia, Joshua, Hiram, Peter, Andrew, Cynthia, Madison and Dickinson.[5]
Leonard's brother William Morris served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Kanawha County; John Morris was a Captain in the County Militia and father of US Congressman Calvary Morris, and Bishop Thomas Asbury Morris; Leonard's nephew (through her sister), John Hansford also served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1812 - 1818.
Lord Dunmore's War
Leonard Morris fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant under Colonel Andrew Lewis (soldier) in Lord Dunmore's War in 1774.[1] During the Battle of Point Pleasant and through the American Revolution Leonard commanded Fort Morris (also known as Kelly's Post).[6] The Morris Fort was already established by 1774 near the mouth of Catfish Shoals on the Kanawha River twelve miles away from Leonard Morris' Fort.
Fort Morris was built by Leonard, William, and their father William Sr in 1774; but Leonard thought it would be strategic to have a secondary fort further down the Kanawha River. Both of these forts were established prior to Colonel Lewis and Dunmore's men coming to engage with Chief Cornstalk. Morris, and five of his brothers joined Colonel Lewis on the march to Point Pleasant and was in the battle on October 10, 1774.
In November 1774, while occupying Fort Morris, Leonard received from the Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, a guard of ten soldiers who remained until the settlers were safe from Indians.[7] In one of the last raids the Indians kidnapped Sallie, one of Leonard's maids, and though Morris and twenty men followed the Indians as far as Guyandotte they were unable to obtain her release. The war party was of a couple hundred, and their ransom was too great that they could not get Sallie back.[8]
From 1775 - 1782, Morris was a scout and Indian spy during the American Revolution, tracking hostile Indian movements in Greenbrier and Kanawha along with his brother-in-law John Jones.[9] Morris also worked alongside Lt. John Young who was newly commissioned under Captain William Morris's Company as a spy.[10][11]
Revolutionary and Indian Wars
On August 10, 1789, Leonard Morris and William Morris were listed as having sold, and provided war materials in support of the Northwest Indian Wars to Colonel George Clendenin, 26 Privates, 2 Sergeants, one Ensign, one Lieutenant, and one Captain from March to July 1789 in support of the Northwest Indian Wars for the Kanawha County Militia Rangers, renamed in October 1789 as the Morris' Company of Rangers amounting to £118, 3 shilling and 9 pence.[12]
Leonard Morris's farm and stock raising was instrumental to the war effort, from May 1791 Leonard's Brother Captain John Morris, Commander of the Morris' Company of Rangers provided Leonard's farm with soldiers until September 30, 1791, protecting the lands from hostile forces. The Ranger company was listed in a March 24, 1792 report to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Lee III as "having adopted full and effectual measures for the defense of the Western Frontier."[13]
Appointment to Justice
On October 6, 1789, the Virginia House of Delegates appointed Leonard Morris as Justice of the newly established Kanawha County, and was sworn in as member of the County Court. The first official court appearance in Kanawha County was held in the house of Colonel George Clendenin. On this occasion several of the newly appointed Justices were sworn in as members of the Court including Thomas Lewis Jr., and Daniel Boone.[14][15]
In late 1792, Leonard Morris, testified before the court regarding a land dispute between George Washington and Ruben Slaughter. Slaughter notified Washington of his taking custody of the 250-acre tract of land known as the Burning Springs Tract. Burning Springs was previously patented by General George Washington in 1774 after Captain Thomas Bullitt's group of surveyors mapped out the Kanawha in the year previous, which included Joshua Morris, Capt. Matthew Arbuckle, the Reverend John Alderson, John and Peter Van Bibber, McAfee brothers, McCown, Adams from the New River settlements, along with Hancock Taylor[16]. Leonard stated that in 1775, he saw surveyors Samuel Lewis and John Stuart making a survey of the tract. Samuel Lewis son of General Andrew Lewis was well known friend of the Morris family who fought alongside Lewis in the Battle of Point Pleasant; a portion of the patent was later granted to Washington and Lewis, and signed by Thomas Jefferson, Governor of Virginia.[17]
"And the said Leonard Morris, being produced as a witness for the plaintiff, after being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That in the year 1775, this deponent was residing on Kanawha river about six miles from Burning Spring Tract. During that year, Messrs. Samuel Lewis, a surveyor, Colo John Stuart, of Greenbrier, and Thomas Bullitt were on the Kanawha surveying lands, and procured from out of this deponent's family, Mungo Price and his son as chain carriers; that after the party returned from surveying, this deponent understood from them that they had surveyed the Burning Spring Tract for the late General George Washington (now President) and Andrew Lewis. This deponent, with the exception of some periods when the Indian wars made it hazardous to keep a family on Kanawha, has made it his principal residence since 1775. Sometimes during the Indian troubles, this deponent's family resided altogether in Greenbrier."
In 1794 Morris was named Commissioner for Kanawha County, and in 1798 named Sheriff of Kanawha County.[18][19]
Later Life
Historical records show Leonard Morris owned 18 slaves in Kanawha County, Virginia in 1820.[20] In 1836, Mararget Larkin erected a Church in Leonard Morris's honor, Ebenezer Chapel (Marmet, West Virginia) which was built by Morris's slaves. Leonard Morris is the founder of the City of Marmet, and the great-grandfather of Benjamin Franklin Morris who served as Marmet's mayor. Leonard Morris also founded Lens Creek on the Kanawha River[21]
References
- ^ a b Graham, Miller (1885). History of Kanawha County and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men (1 ed.). Charleston: Miller & Graham; Printers and Publishers. p. 5. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Washington, Bushrod (January 9, 1798). "To George Washington from Bushrod Washington, 9 January 1798". National Archives. Princeton University. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Washington, George (January 19, 1798). "From George Washington to Bushrod Washington, 19 January 1798". National Archives. Princeton University. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ Shepherd, Samuel (1835). Statutes at Large of Virginia from October Session 1792 to December Session 1806 (1 ed.). Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia. p. 322. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Laidley, W.S. (1992). "The William Morris Family: Pioneers of Kanawha Valley". Genealogies of West Virginia Families from the West Virginia Historical Magazine Quarterly, 1901-1905. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co. p. 174.
- ^ Johnson, Erna (March 1969). The Tacketts in Kanawha County Virginia (PDF) (1 ed.). Kanawha County: C.L. Ewen. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Morris, Alfred Nelson (1941). Genealogy of the Morris Family with Historical Sketches. Salt Lake City, UT: Department of Culture and History, Charleston, West Virginia. p. 157.
- ^ Wintz, Julia (April 1, 1934). "Charleston Mail". No. April 1, 1934, p.2. Charleston Mail. Charleston Mail.
- ^ McAllister, J.T (1913). Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. Hot Springs, Virginia: McAllister Publishing Co. p. 213. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ Young, John (1833). Revolutionary War Pension 1833 of John Young (PDF) (1 ed.). Kanawha County: Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Harris, C. Leon (January 15, 1833). John Jones Revolutionary War Pension 1833 (PDF) (1 ed.). Kanawha County: Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Palmer, M.D., Wm P (1885). Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts (5 ed.). Richmond: Rush U. Derr, Superintendent of Public Printing. p. 14. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Palmer, M.D., Wm P (1885). Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts (5 ed.). Richmond: Rush U. Derr, Superintendent of Public Printing. p. 475. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Hale, J.P. (1901). West Virginia Historical Magazine Quarterly (1-2 ed.). Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society. p. 13. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ Atkinson, George W (1876). History of Kanawha County from 1789 until Present Time (1 ed.). Charleston: The West Virginia Journal. p. 28. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Hale, John P. (1891). History of the Great Kanawha Valley with Family Sketches and Biographical Sketches. Vol. 1. Madison, Wisconsin: Brand, Fuller & Co. pp. 158–159. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ Samples, Lori (1938). Historical Booklet - Greenbrier County: History of Oil and Gas (1 ed.). Greenbrier, West Virginia: Greenbrier County. p. 1. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Shepherd, Samuel (1835). Statutes at Large of Virginia from October Session 1792 to December Session 1806 (1 ed.). Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia. p. 312. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Laidley, William S. (January 1904). West Virginia Historical Magazine Quarterly (4 ed.). Charleston, West Virginia: West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society. p. 80. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Morris, Leonard (August 7, 1820). 1820 US Census (Fourth ed.). Washington, D.C.: NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls. p. 28.
- ^ Metro Staff, Clint Thomas (November 20, 2020). "Marmet Landmark Church Receives Restoration Grant". WV Gazette Mail. No. Web. WV Gazette Mail. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
