Military career At the outbreak of the
American Civil War, Morgan was one of the first volunteers from Wisconsin to enlist in the
Union Army. He was enrolled as a
private in Company I of the
1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and went with the regiment to
Virginia in June 1861. At the time, the regiment was only established as a three-month enlistment, and the regiment only participated in the
Battle of Hoke's Run in present day
West Virginia before the expiration in August 1861. Morgan decided to re-enlist for a three year term, and at the re-organization of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry, he was assigned to Company K and promoted to sergeant. At the reorganization, he was joined by his brother Benjamin and his cousin William. In the Spring of 1862, Morgan was promoted to
sergeant major of the regiment. At the end of the war, he marched in the
Grand Review of the Armies. During the
Spanish–American War he returned to service as
lieutenant colonel of the Fifth Missouri Infantry Regiment.
Law career He began
practicing law in
Lamar, Missouri. In 1868 he was
prosecuting attorney of
Barton County, Missouri; member of the
Missouri House of Representatives in 1872–74. He practiced until 1884, and then he went into
coal and
zinc mining.
Political career He served as a
Democratic congressman in 1875–79, 1883–85 (during which he was chairman,
Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department) and 1893–95. He was elected as a
Republican in 1908 and served 1909–1911. In 1907 he moved to
Joplin, Missouri. ==Personal life==