Edwin D. Morgan

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Union Army general and politician (1811–1883)

title: "Edwin D. Morgan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1811-births", "1883-deaths", "people-from-washington,-massachusetts", "morgan-family", "american-people-of-welsh-descent", "republican-party-united-states-senators-from-new-york-(state)", "republican-national-committee-chairs", "governors-of-new-york-(state)", "republican-party-governors-of-new-york-(state)", "new-york-(state)-republicans", "new-york-(state)-whigs", "new-york-(state)-state-senators", "new-york-city-council-members", "politicians-from-hartford,-connecticut", "people-of-new-york-(state)-in-the-american-civil-war", "union-(american-civil-war)-state-governors", "union-army-generals", "burials-at-cedar-hill-cemetery-(hartford,-connecticut)", "bacon-academy-alumni", "19th-century-united-states-senators", "19th-century-members-of-the-new-york-state-legislature"] description: "Union Army general and politician (1811–1883)" topic_path: "people/1810s" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_D._Morgan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Union Army general and politician (1811–1883) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Senator"]

Field	Value
image name	EDMorgan.jpg
jr/sr1	United States Senator
state1	New York
party	Republican
otherparty	Whig
term_start1	March 4, 1863
term_end1	March 3, 1869
preceded1	Preston King
succeeded1	Reuben E. Fenton
order2	21st
office2	Governor of New York
term_start2	January 1, 1859
term_end2	December 31, 1862
lieutenant2	Robert Campbell
predecessor2	John Alsop King
successor2	Horatio Seymour
order3	1st and 5th
office3	Chair of the Republican National Committee
term_start3	1872
term_end3	1876
predecessor3	William Claflin
successor3	Zachariah Chandler
term_start4	1856
term_end4	1864
predecessor4	Position established
successor4	Henry J. Raymond
state_senate5	New York
district5	6th
term_start5	January 1, 1850
term_end5	December 31, 1853
preceded5	William Samuel Johnson
succeeded5	Erastus Brooks
birth_name	Edwin Denison Morgan
birth_date
birth_place	Washington, Massachusetts, U.S.
death_date
death_place	New York City, New York, U.S.
signature	Edwin Denison Morgan signature.svg
allegiance	United States
Union
branch	United States Army
Union Army
serviceyears	1861–1863
rank	[[File:Union Army major general rank insignia.svg
commands	Department of New York
battles	American Civil War
::

In 1836 he moved to New York City, becoming a successful wholesale grocer and bond broker. He served as an assistant alderman and member of the New York State Senate. Originally a Whig, he was one of the founders of the Republican Party, and he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1856 to 1864 and 1872 to 1876.

In 1858, Morgan was elected Governor of New York, and he served from 1859 to 1862. As governor during the American Civil War, Morgan supported the Union. Appointed a major general of volunteers in the Union Army, he commanded the military's Department of New York while serving as governor. In 1863, he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served one term. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1869, and the unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1876. Morgan had been a patron of Chester A. Arthur at the start of Arthur's career; when Arthur became president, he nominated Morgan as United States Secretary of the Treasury. Morgan was confirmed by the Senate, but declined on the grounds of age and ill health. Morgan died in New York City in 1883, and was buried in Connecticut.

Early life

Morgan was born on February 8, 1811, in Washington, Massachusetts, to Jasper and Catherine (Copp) Morgan. The family moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where Morgan received his early education before attending Bacon Academy in Colchester. Edwin Morgan was a cousin of Morgan G. Bulkeley, the Governor of Connecticut from 1889 to 1893. In addition, he was a cousin of Congressmen Edwin B. Morgan and Christopher Morgan.

Career

He began his business career as a grocer in Hartford, Connecticut. He became a partner with his uncle and served on the city council. In 1836, he moved to New York City and became a successful wholesaler, broker and banker.

In 1843, Morgan organized E.D. Morgan & Company, an import house, in partnership with George D. Morgan, his cousin, and Frederick Avery, who left the firm a year later and was replaced by John T. Terry. Solon Humphreys was taken in as a full partner in 1854 after working several years as an agent in St. Louis, Missouri. Largely through his connections, the firm became the principal agent for Missouri securities. Nearly two-thirds of the bonds issued by the State of Missouri from 1835 to 1860, plus a large share of securities of St. Louis, were sold through the house of Morgan – in all perhaps thirty million dollars' worth. All the while the firm maintained its wholesale grocery trade.

Political career

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Edwin_D.Morgan(portrait_by_George_Peter_Alexander_Healey).png" caption="isbn = 0-394-46095-2 }}"] ::

Morgan became highly influential in Republican politics of his time and twice served as chairman of the Republican National Committee, 1856 to 1864 and 1872 to 1876.

From 1859 until 1862, he served as Governor of New York, elected in 1858 and 1860. He was appointed major general of volunteers in September 1861 and commanded the Department of New York until he resigned on January 3, 1863, serving simultaneously as governor and head of the military department.

In February 1863, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and served one term until 1869. In January 1869, he sought re-nomination, but was voted down by the Republican caucus of State legislators who instead nominated Ex-Governor Reuben E. Fenton. In 1876, Morgan ran again for Governor but was defeated by Democrat Lucius Robinson.

In 1881, Morgan was nominated by President Chester A. Arthur as Treasury Secretary and was confirmed by the Senate, but declined the position.

Personal life

In 1833, he married Eliza Matilda Waterman (b. 1810), daughter of Henry Waterman (1782–1854). Together, they had:

Edwin Denison Morgan, M.D. (1834–1879), who married Sarah Elizabeth Archer, daughter of Thomas Archer.
Frederick Avery Morgan (1838–1841), died young
Gilbert Henry Morgan (1843–1843), died young
Caroline Matilda Morgan (1846–1847), died young
Alfred Waterman Morgan (1847–1848), died young

Known for generous contributions to charities and causes, he contributed large sums to the Union Theological Seminary.

Morgan died in New York City on February 14, 1883. He was buried at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford.

Descendants

Through his son Edwin, he was a grandfather of Edwin Denison Morgan III (1854–1933), who married Elizabeth Mary Moran. Through his grandson, he was the 2x great-grandfather of Edwin D. Morgan (1921–2001), businessman and Pioneer Fund director from 2000 to 2001.

Notes

References

Finding Aid to Edwin D. Morgan Papers, 1833–1883 at the New York State Library. Retrieved January 4, 2016
Mr. Lincoln and New York: Edwin D. Morgan
Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .

References

(1998). "Updated Morgan genealogy : a history of James Morgan, of New London, Connecticut, and his descendants, from 1607 to 1997". Bowie, Md. : Heritage Books.
"Edwin D. Morgan Papers, 1833–1883 (finding aid)". [[New York State Library]].
Archives and Special Collections. (2011). "Biographical Note, E. B. Morgan Collection". Wells College.
Reeves, Thomas C.. (1975). "Gentleman Boss". Alfred A. Knopf.
Eicher, John H., and [[David J. Eicher]], ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. {{ISBN. 0-8047-3641-3. p. 397
Reeves, Thomas C.. (1975). "Gentleman Boss". Alfred A. Knopf.
(February 15, 1883). "Edwin D. Morgan.". [[The New York Times]].
[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000949 Edwin Denison Morgan], ''[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]]''
(June 14, 1933). "E. D. MORGAN DIES; FAMED YACHTSMAN; Member of Successful Group That Time After Time Sent Lipton Back Without Cup. OWNER OF MANY VESSELS The Columbia and Gloriana Among Them—Former Commodore of New York Yacht Club.". [[The New York Times]].
"The Founders".

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