Daniel Morgan's GRAVE MATTERS (the first body snatch 1865)
This claim ? Did New Jersey try to take Morgan's remains in 1865? Not sure. We're only taking Cartmell's word for it. Thomas Cartmell is known for his book, Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Descendants published in 1909. Read how another researcher evaluated that claim in that book. But before we get to that researcher's observations, let us note the humorous exasperation of a local Winchester man aghast at South Carolina's town of Cowpens attempt in 1951 to snatch Daniel Morgan's body: "I wonder why Quebec doesn't put in a claim? After all he fought a battle there."
That quote is found in Life Magazine issue of 3 Sept 1751. The article attributes that defiant declaration to Winchester's Lion Club President.
Well, according to Cartmell, New Jersey tried to do so.
We are heavily relying on the research done from this source:
Winchester Frederick County Historical Society Journal Volume XIV 2002 issue on Daniel Morgan, pages 112 to 130, by Elizabeth Gold Crawford Engle and Mary Thomason Morris [historian and archivist for the Clarke Co Historical Association] for an article entitled: Cannons and Marble: A Monument for Daniel Morgan. All italics in blue is from Engle. Orange Italics are original source. Links and other text are by Jim Moyer who compiled this blog.
Engles writes:
"Thomas Cartmell, in his book, Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Descendants [page 272] , wrote of Morgan's grave that during the Civil War "many depredations were made by Union soldiers. . . . Pieces . . . were broken off an carried away as relics." Apparently he felt that only Yankees would be souvenier hunters."
[But to be fair, I would say it is doubtful Winchester residents did that since the grave was put in 1835. Could it have been other southern troops like from South Carolina?]
"Cartmell also reported that a delegation from New Jersey came to Winchester in the summer of 1865 to take Morgan's remains back to that state [page 272] on the grounds that Morgan was a native son. Cartmell credits Col William R Denny and the citizens of Winchester with forestalling this attempt by hiding the slab until Morgan's body was moved from its resting place at the Old Stone Church to Mount Hebron Cemetery in the middle of the night."
"This story seems to have been embellished in the retelling."
The Actual Move of Morgan's Remains
"The Mount Hebron Cemetery minutes state that "General Morgan's remains were disinterred at the Old Presbyterian graveyard at 5pm on Saturday evening, June 13, 1868, and removed and buried in the Mount Hebron Cemetery. These were present on the occasion: "
These minutes indicating the date of removal disprove Cartmen's claim of moving it in the middle of the night and disprove that it was done during the alleged New Jersey 1865 attempt to take Morgan's Remains.
BTW, here it is important to list all of the people there.
It might help us solve another problem.
Missouri claims something on that coffin during the controversy of Cowpens South Carolina wanting Morgan's remains.
Those people listed in Mt Hebron Cemetery minutes were:
H M Brent
R Y Conrad
John N Bell
O L Crum
J J Williams
William R Denny
all members of the Board of Managers of Mount Hebron Cemetery Co.
Also present:
E J Senseny, E S Brent, H M Brent Jr, Stephen Stackhouse, G Curry, Mr Thayer, and a number of boys, white and black. Joe Chapman, Superintendent of Mt Hebron, and Barney, a colored man, opened the grave and removed the remains, consisting of all or nearly all of the bones, which were contained in a mahogany coffin [and] placed [them] in a walnut coffin [made] by Mr Stackhouse. John F Wall and Dr James Conrad arrived on the ground before completed. Signed, P W Boyd Secretary."
Engles continues to observe, "Surprisingly, the newspapers of the day that were reviewed in the course of our research did not report on the moving of Morgan's body. The event may have been organized so as not to attract attention."
Engles researches what William Greenway Russell may have known about the date of moving Morgan's remains. Engles looked for what he may have known in his book, What I Know About Winchester published 1876. He did not know the date. So there is no 2nd source for the Mt Hebron Cemetery stating that the move of the body was "5pm on Saturday evening, June 13, 1868."
Enter Missouri in 1951
We learn also, as this furor became a national issue, in 1951
something else happened in 1920
regarding that day of the re-burial 13 June 1868,
that the Missouri Historical Society
revealed that the metal identification plate from Morgan’s original coffin was part of their collection. No one seems to know how the nameplate migrated to Missouri, but in 1920 a Henry Hanger of Saint Louis, Missouri had donated it to the Historical Society. The newspaper article from which this information was taken stated that Hanger could not remember how he acquired the artifact. There was inscription on the back of the plate:
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“Taken from the coffin of Maj. Gen. Daniel Morgan, whose remains were this day exhumed after having lain in the ground 66 years. June 13, 1868.”
Page 127, Engle.
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Where is that "metal identification plate from Morgan’s original coffin" ?
The original coffin was mahogany, The replacement coffin made in 1868 was made of walnut by Stephen Stackhouse according to Engle's quoting of the 1868 Mt Hebron Cemetery minutes.
Compiled, written by Jim Moyer January 9, 2016, updated 2/23/16, 4/22/2017, 11/27/23, 11/28/2023
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We have an answer
Making an inquiry by email we got a very quick reply, BUT we also have a new quest.
Along with pictures of the metal plate from Daniel Morgan's 1868 original coffin that is in Missouri's possession, there is a newspaper article dated Wednesday 29 Aug 1951 titled: "Relic Here Hints 2 Town's Feud over Dan'l Morgan Is Empty One."
But first, here's the reply from Missouri that Missouri does indeed still hold the metal plate in their possession.
This artifact is not part of the collections of the State Historical Society of Missouri, but instead is part of the collection of the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. A quick search of their website found an article and picture concerning the artifact. I have included the link below concerning information on the coffin handle. You will need to contact them for additional information.
Thanks, Amy L. Waters Senior Librarian The State Historical Society of Missouri 605 Elm Street, Columbia, MO 65201 Tel: 573.882.2501 | Main: 573.882.7083 watersa@shsmo.org | shsmo.org
Picture of Metal Plate
A newspaper article dated Wednesday 29 Aug 1951 titled: "Relic Here Hints 2 Town's Feud over Dan'l Morgan Is Empty One."
Perhaps it is because the metal plate really wasn't part of that orginal coffin. The metal plate was made to inform the viewer that only the wood itself was part of the original coffin.
The orginal coffin was made of mahogany. The replacement was made of walnut.
It would be interesting to verify what that wood is.
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Compiled, written by Jim Moyer January 9, 2016, updated 2/23/16, 4/22/2017, 11/27/23, 11/28/2023, 11/30/23
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