John Edward Morgan letters

John Edward Morgan letters, 1862-1885

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Morgan, John Edward, rancher
Title: John Edward Morgan letters
Dates: 1862-1885 (inclusive)
18621885
Quantity: 0.2 linear ft.
Collection Number: Mss 441
Summary: This collection includes eighteen letters written by John Edward Morgan to his sister, Abbie Morgan, in Richmond, Indiana. The first eight letters are written during the Civil War and include information about the progress of Morgan's regiment. Subsequent letters are written from Sun River, Helena, Chestnut, and Ulida, Montana.
Repository: University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions: Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana--Missoula.
Additional Reference Guides: Finding aid in the repository.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

John Edward Morgan served in Company G, 5th Indiana Cavalry during the Civil War. He was captured and imprisoned in November 1864. By 1871 Morgan had made it to the West. While in Colorado, he joined Robert Ford, who made quite a profit herding Texas Longhorn cattle to Montana to sell. Ford purchased 1,400 cattle, paying only $10 a head for most of them. The party, including Morgan, left Colorado on July 28, 1871 for Montana Territory and arrived in November. The cattle were taken to the confluence of the Missouri and Sun rivers near Great Falls, Montana. Once he arrived, Morgan worked on the open cattle range for a living, requiring him to travel throughout the area. Morgan settled near the town of Ulidia, Montana, located across the Missouri River from the present-day city of Cascade, thirty miles southwest of Great Falls. Morgan married Belle Portes in October 1880 and they lived in a two-bedroom house near Ulidia. The couple had at least two children, a girl and a boy. Morgan eventually owned a ranch of his own in the Ulidia area.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection includes eighteen letters written by John Edward Morgan to his sister, Abbie Morgan, in Richmond, Indiana. Morgan begins several of the letters by writing "Dear Home," which includes his parents and friends. One of these letters is addressed to Nathan Morgan, Sr. The first eight letters are written during the Civil War and include information about the progress of Morgan's regiment. The first letter Morgan writes from Sun River, Montana, describes his travels from Colorado to Montana. The second letter from Sun River tells of the great numbers of buffalo and antelope, cold winter weather, relations with Indians, and the abundance of unused land in Montana and the West. The next letter from Sun River describes Morgan's work herding cattle. On December 14, 1876, Morgan writes from Helena, Montana, about having a very mild winter and traveling north to get rid of some horses. In a letter sent from Chestnut, Montana, in 1880, Morgan talks about women, marriage, and his living situation. In his first letter from Ulidia, Montana, Morgan tells of his engagement to Belle Portes and in the following one, his marriage and home in Ulidia. By 1885, Morgan is writing about his two children. On March 30,1885 Morgan responds to the death of his father while being sick himself with typhoid fever. Also included is a letter (1876) to Morgan's family from Robert Ford, his employer at the time, concerning his whereabouts.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document or photograph number], Robert Edward Morgan Letters, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of James B. McGregor.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Frontier and pioneer life--Montana-- Ulidia
Frontier and pioneer life--Montana--Sun River Valley
Overland journeys to Montana--Personal narratives
Soldiers--United States--Corrrespondence

Corporate Names

United States--Army-- Indiana Cavalry Regiment, 5th (1862-1865)

Family Names

Ford, Robert S.--(Robert Simpson), b. 1842--Correspondence
Morgan family
Morgan, Abbie--Correspondence
Morgan, Belle Portes
Morgan, Nathan,--Sr.

Archives West Finding Aid

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