Morrison, Archibald II

ARCHIBALD MORRISON (II) 

Born: May 4, 1811, Kentucky Died: May 28, 1864

Born in Woodford County Kentucky, Moved to Clark County, Missouri about 1838 - 1841, then moving to Saline County, Missouri in1855, living near Cambridge. 

Buried: Fish Creek Cemetery, Saline County, Missouri.

This author has not found much about Archibald's death. He was relatively young and left a young family. In his wife's obituary, it is stated, "He died during the civil war." A St Louis paper reported this: Archibald died "At his residence in Saline County, MO May 28th, 1864, aged 53 years. Born May 4th, 1811, in Woodford County, KY." (St Louis MO Republican, Wed. morning, June 15, 1864, Page 2 Column 5) The author is searching if the death was of natural causes or related to the war.

Saline County 1864

At the time of Archibald's death in June of 1864, there was much unrest in the area. While Arrow Rock was constantly garrisoned by federal troops, (E.M.M. & M.S.M.) the rural areas were left relatively unprotected from thieves, plunders, and bushwhackers. Michael Dickey in his book, Arrow Rock, Crossroads of the Missouri Frontier (2004) writes: "The plundering and pillaging of the rural population became truly unbearable" (p. 233).

The Arrow Rock community is about 10 miles south of Archibald's home. Below is a timeline of Saline County Civil War related events around the time of Archibald's death.

• June 7. Noted that a Saline County resident reported that Bushwhackers were committing "all sorts of depredations and infamies on the citizenry" (**p. 131).

• July 20. Arrow Rock was burned by about 200 men (**p. 143)

• August 5. The courthouse in Marshall, MO was burned.

• August 13. Captain Meredith (union) "overtook a band of Bushwhackers in the Eastern part of Saline County" (**p. 149)

• August 6-9. Lieutenant Colonel B.F. Lazear (union) scouted Saline County for Guerrillas and Bushwackers. He noted, "Saline county is one of the very worst that he scouted" (**p.147).

• October 15: A good portion of Glasgow, MO was burned in battles between the Confederates and Union armies over stock piled supplies. Glasgow was just across the Missouri River from the Morrison's farm and is in eye sight (about 2 miles).

I would certainly like to know the exact cause of Archibald's death. There is no conclusive information that Archibald was pro Confederate or pro Union. Archibald's son David was in the Missouri State Guards and other Confederate outfits. Archibald was from Kentucky and a slaveholder. Still, this does not indicate which side he supported, if any side at all. Missouri, like other border states, shared many scars of "brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor..." (**p. 1). The History of Saline County Missouri (1881) provides much local history and Civil War information; skirmishes, battles, murders, and other deaths. There is no information detailing Archibald's death or his allegiance to the north or the south.

**Source: The Civil War in Missouri Day by Day 1861-1865 by Carolyn M Bartels. Also see, Arrow Rock, Crossraods of the Missouri Frontier by Michael Dickey, p. 220-249.

Clark County Residence

Click here for information on Clark County Land Grant and Move FROM Clark County TO Saline County, Missouri. The Morrisons owned over 1000 acres of Clark County land in the 1830s.

Marriage

1. Married Mary Elizabeth Stone, Bond dated February 18, 1839. She died before 1841?

2. Married Catherine Coffman b. May 22, 1822 d. Feb. 19, 1905. Marriage bond signed September 25, 1841 in Jessamine County, Kentucky (next county south of Fayette Co.).

Archibald had four sons and three daughters:

• John W. b. 1840 d. 1881? (Mother was Mary Stone?)

• Mary F. (Wilhite) b. November 23, 1842 d. May 24, 1907 Buried at Fish Creek Cemetery (see obituary below)

• David Coffman b. May 12, 1844 Buried at the Odessa Cemetery.

• Cimantha Ann Field b. 1846 d. 1906 buried at Fish Creek Cemetery, Saline County. Married son of Judge Robert Field on Sept. 24, 1869. They had eight children, 4 boys and 4 girls. Judge Field later became Catherine's second husband. 

• William P. Morrison b. September 14, 1849. d. June 25, 1935.

• Alice Morrison b. 1855 d. 1936 Buried at Fish Creek Cemetery, Saline County.

• Archibald b. Oct 8, 1857, d. Feb 18 1921, buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, MO.  m. Enola Collins and had three boys.

The 1860 census of Saline County listed John W. (20 years old), Mary, David (15), Cimantha (13), William P. (10), Alice (4), and Archiblald (2) as living in the home with Archibald and Catherine.

*Fish Creek Cemetery and Fish Creek Baptist Church are located about four miles south east of Gilliam, MO (east of Slater). Go one mile east of Gilliam on 240 to gravel road. Go south and follow winding road to a T intersection. Turn south again and go through rock quarry and on for about another mile. Or, go south on state road "D" for 3 miles, turn east at church sign (county rd. 134) and follow signs (north on County rd. 129). Graves at far end of cemetery by road. The cemetery has a monument marking the site of the Glasgow to Marshall branch of the Santa Fe Trail Road. It reads: "Site of the Santa Fe Trail Road from Glasgow to Marshall. This branch followed an old Indian trail. 1821-1872. Erected 1993." There is a moderate depression in the land that appears to show the trail site. The cemetery and church appeared nostalgic.

Also see 1850 Census of Clark County, Missouri by Wilma Dunlap page 23, 24, & 39 and Biographical Sketches in History of Saline County (1881). P 535 - 875. St Louis, Missouri Historical Company.

Handwritten order appointing Shulmate and Pendelton Duncan to assist John W. Morrison and Catherine Morrison to administer the estate of Archibald Morrison, dated 7th day of January 1865. According to probate records, Archibald owned over 500 acres of Saline County land worth $3360. Other personal property included cows, calves, hogs, sheep (105 head), horses, and mules. Total property value was $9469.00. Loans to be paid from the estate including interest were $468.73. A sale of personal effects on Jan. 28, 1865 brought $1320.25. Probate notices on the estate were published in the Missouri Republican (St. Louis) Feb 17, 1865 and The Saline County Progress May, 1867. Final probate records in 1874 provide land and money to Archibald III and Alice (now of age) their portion of land and money. Alice received the home and 56 acres of land, Arch III a similar amount.

November 27, 2002 I viewed some of the Saline County land once owned by the Morrisons. The land is generally located south east of Gilliam or south west of Glasgow, MO. The land in this area is steeply rolling until it meets the Missouri River Bottoms. Two properties were in the hills about a mile or two west of the river.

Other properties appeared to be at the foot of the hills on the river bottom. (From Catherine Will 2-5-1905: 80 acres, E. ½ NE ¼ of sec. 14, R-19, T-51. 40 acres, SE ¼ SE ¼ of Sec. 26, T-51, R-19. 40 acres S. ½ S. ½, SW ¼ of Sec. 18, T-51, R-18) (Also, land listed in Probate records abt. 1875: N1/2 NW 1?4 sec 13, some in section 12, and 19) CEC

On November 29, 2002, I visited with Agnes Cott and her son Larry. We drove to where Archibald's farm home once stood as well as the Wilhite Farmstead East of there (both are about 1/2 mile east of the Fish Creek Church). Agnes Cott grew up just down the road from the Morrison farm. At Archibald's home place, only a well and a few outbuildings remained. Cattle pens were present where the front yard was. The house was torn down in the 70s. The Cott's have pictures of the house just before it was torn down.

South of the home place about a mile is a one room schoolhouse where the Morrisons, Wilhites, Cotts and others attended school. The building is still in fair shape and is presently used for farm storage. The black boards were still present. CEC Click here to see picture of school

Schedule 1, Free Inhabitants (1860 census, August) lists $8400 worth of real estate and $8700 worth of personal estate. Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants (1860 census, August) lists Archibald as owning nine slaves. No names are provides but ages and sex are; 48-m, 41-f, 38-f, 17-m, 16-m, 13-f, 7-m, 6-m, 6-m, and listed as "2" the number of slave houses. (Historical Society of MO)

Archibald died four years after the above census. His children were age: John W.-24, Mary-21, David-19, Cimamtha-17, William P.-14, Alice-8, Archibald-6.

Will of Archibald's Wife

Son David was named as executor of Catherine M. Field's (Archibald's wife that remarried Judge Robert Field*) estate. Will is dated February 1, 1900 and probated February 24, 1905 in Marshall, Saline County, Missouri. She lists Wm P. Morrison and Archibald Morrison (III) as given to them all that part of my estate I want them to have. Therefore I give and bequeath one dollar to each of them. Alice I. Morrison received a large silver spoon and one thousand dollars. Mary F. Wilhite received my medium sized silver spoons and five hundred dollars. The remainder of the proceeds from the sale of land and after paying debts and the expenses are to be divided equally among the children as follows: Mary, one-forth, David, one forth, Cimantha, one-forth, Alice, one-forth. Alice received all household goods. It is reported by that upon Alice Morrison's death, the remaining Morrison land was willed to The Missouri Baptists Orphanage and William Jewel College.

A 1930 Platt Book of Saline County shows Miss Alice Morrison's name on about 300 acres, (T 51 N., R 19 W., north half of section 13, east half of the northeast quarter section 15, and a center section in the bottom half of section 12).

*Judge Robert Field was born Dec. 4, 1803 and died Jan. 4, 1890. He had two previous marriages, Nancy Piper d. 1844 and Francis Combs d. 1869.