Lucy (Sims) Morgan

© Kathy Duncan, 2015

Lucy Sims, daughter of Rev. James and Dolly (Spillers) Sims, married Henry Morgan.

7 Nov 1850, Sangamon County, Illinois, p. 235:

1472 - 1512
Henry Morgan 56 M Farmer $1,800 b. KY
Lucy Morgan 51 F b. SC
Clinton Morgan 18 M Farmer b. IL
James Morgan 25 M Farmer b. IL
Elizabeth Morgan 14 F b IL
John Morgan 11 M b. IL
Evan Morgan 28 M b. IL

Evan Morgan married Nancy Donley 25 Nov 1848 in Sangamon County, Illinois
Clinton C. Morgan married Elizabeth M. Barnhart 29 Oct 1857 in Sangamon County, Illinois

1860, 17th Subdivision, Sangamon County, Illinois:

Morgan, Henry W M 66 b. KY
-----, L. F 61 b. SC
----- J. S. M 35 b. IL
-----R. F 30 b. O

Cemetery Records for Lucy and Henry Morgan:

Tombstone: Henry Morgan age 7? years, 2 months, 2? days; Died Nov. 8, 1867. Buried Anderson Cemetery, Sangamon County, Illinois.

Tombstone: Lucy, wife of Henry; Born Feb. 9, 1799; Died Sept. 2, 1869. Buried Fredonia City Cemetery; Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas.

Family history written by son, J.H. Morgan:

"Interesting Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln"
By J. H. Morgan, Petersburg, IL

Editor State Register--In the very early days my father, Henry Morgan, in company with John Constant and four other young men, rode horseback from Dayton, Ohio, to Springfield, Ill. This village at that time had one store, Elijah Iles, and five other buildings, all log cabins. Soon afterwards John Constant located in Springfield and passed the rest of his life there. Henry Morgan married a daughter of James Sims, the first Methodist preacher in the county, and settled on a farm ten miles west of Springfield, near the Beardstown road, where he resided until his death in 1868. In the early days he patronized New Salem mills. When Lincoln arrived there he and father became warm friends and remained such as long as they lived. In 1850 father and our next door neighbor, Uncle Neddy Perkins, a staunch old Kentucky democrat, were on jury service in Springfield and listened to Lincoln make a powerful plea in a very important case. Uncle Neddy was so impressed by the speech that in the evening he came over to our home to talk it over with father. He declared it was the greatest speech he ever heard, and said, "I tell you what, Henry, Lincoln has got the right name, "Honest Abe." "Yes," replied father, "and I hope I live to vote for him for president." This repulse seemed so absurd at that time that it raised a loud laugh by all who heard it. But he did live to vote for him twice. Thus, he was the first man who ever declared for Abraham Lincoln for president.

In 1865 I heard Lincoln make his closing speech in his senatorial campaign It was on the northeast corner of the square. At that time Senator Thomas Corwin of Ohio was considered about the greatest orator in the country. While Lincoln was speaking a man mounted on a goods box on the northwest corner and began to speak. Word came that it was Tom Corwin. I and about half the crowd left Lincoln to hear the great Corwin. I saw that the speaker was Tom Cowan, a blacksmith of Petersburg. He was a witty old shyster and those who thought it was Senator Corwin pronounced it a good speech.

In 1860, being of legal age, I came to Petersburg. Here I helped organize a company of wide-a-wakes. We were well uniformed and drilled like soldiers. In August we went to Springfield, sixty-four strong, with a large delegation. On the morning of the 8th we joined about 4,000 wide-a-wakes and paraded in review past Lincoln and his house. After marching over two hours we arrived at the old fair grounds, where several speakers stands were erected. One was near the entrance where we halted. The enclosure soon became a compact crowd. Lincoln arrived in a carriage, but the crowd was so compact he could not reach the speaker's stand. We took him and passed him from hand to hand over the heads of the crowd. His long arms and legs waving like a windmill. His hat was passed up the same way. After a short talk he could not get out until someone forced a horse up to the stand. That was the last I ever saw Abraham Lincoln. I entered the army in 1861 and remained until January, 1866. When I was a boy I was told how Springfield became the county seat. When the time came to locate the county seat there was a village called Sangamontown on the river east of Salisbury. It was as large, if not larger, than Springfield. Three commissioners were appointed with full power to locate the county seat. One of them set his stake at Sangamontown and one at Springfield. The third member having the deciding vote, delayed for several weeks. At last he decided in favor of Springfield and Major Iles was so well pleased that he made him a present of five hundred dollars, a large sum in those days.

--J.H. Morgan, Petersburg, Ill.

[Source: Daily Illinois State Register; Springfield, IL; Sun. 25 April 1915]