4i6 



HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



finally in June. Each succeeding exliibition 

 and entertainment has been an improvement 

 upon the preceding, eliciting hearty appreci- 

 ation and congratulations from His brace 

 the Archbishop and other dislinguiMi^d 

 guests. Prizes are now distributed lor 

 proficiency in all tiiat is taught in the school 

 — Class work, elocution, drawing, stained 

 glass work, wood carving, stone cutting, 

 blacksmithing, plumbing, cabinet making, 

 clay modeling, sign painting, tailoring, 

 shoemaking, music, engineering, fresco 

 painting, and military drill. After the com- 

 mencement exercises the boys are placef'- 

 out as soon as practicable. 



JOHN M. MORGAN. The Morgan 

 family, of Walsh lineage, has been rep- 

 resented in America through several 

 generations. The great-grandfather of 

 John M. Morgan was a native of Wales, 

 and came to this state with a colony 

 whose members sought the advantages 

 of the new world and settled in Penn- 

 sylvania. He was a consistent member 

 of the Friends' meeting. Most of his de- 

 scendants have followed the occupation 

 of farming, living quiet but useful lives. 



David Morgan, grandfather of John 

 M. Morgan, was born in Montgomery 

 county, Pennsylvania, and after arriving 

 at years of maturity wedded Sarah Kin- 

 derdine, whose birth occurred in Hor- 

 sham township, Montgomery county. 

 Her ancestors were among the pioneer 

 settlers of that locality, removing thence 

 from the parish of Horsham in England. 

 The first of the name in America be- 

 ' longed to the Friends' meeting, and the 

 congregation of that society which was 

 organized in his locality he called by 

 the name of Horsham, and eventually 

 the township took the same name. To 

 David and Sarah (Kinderdine) Morgan 

 were born the following children : Enoch ; 

 David ; Margaret, who became the w'ife of 

 John Conard Morgan, a farmer ; Isaker ; 

 and Edward. 



Enoch Morgan, son of David Morgan, 

 was born and reared in Horsham town- 

 ship, Montgomery county, and early be- 

 came familiar with the duties and labors 

 that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. 

 Later he learned the tailor's trade, which 

 he followed for a number of years, and 

 then resumed farming. He possessed 

 considerable mechanical genius, being 

 able to construct any device which he 

 saw. Because of his ability in this di- 

 rection he kept everything about his 

 place in excellent repair, including the 

 buildings and farm machinery. He spent 

 the greater part of his life as an agricul- 

 , turist, and his loyalty to duty and hon- 

 esty in business transactions made him a 

 valued resident of his community. He 

 voted with the Whig party until its dis- 

 solution, when he joined the ranks of the 

 new Republican party. He always affili- 



ated with the l'~riends' meeting, and died 

 in that faith in 1876. In early manhood 

 he wedded Ann Spencer, whose death 

 occurred in I1S63. She was a daughter 

 of James Spencer, one of the early set- 

 tlers and prominent farmers of Mont- 

 gomery county, of German lineage, in 

 whose family were four children: Ann, 

 who became Mrs. Morgan; George; 

 Ruth; and John. To Enoch and Ann 

 Morgan were born three children: Lydia, 

 the wife of John Maxwell; John M.; and 

 Tacy. 



John M. Morgan was born in Hor- 

 sham township, August 16, 1845, reared 

 to farm life, and remained under the 

 parental roof until twelve years of age, 

 when he started out upon an indepen- 

 dent business career. He is a self-made 

 man, having since that time depended 

 entirely upon his own resources for a 

 livelihood. He tirst found employment 

 on a farm in Lancaster county, Penn- 

 sylvania, where he remained with one 

 man until sixteen years of age. He then 

 enlisted in 1861, in response to the 

 country's call for aid to crush out the 

 rebellion in its incipiency. He joined 

 the Fourth Pennsylvania Reserves for 

 three years or during the war, and went 

 to the front under command of Isaiah 

 Kimble and Colonel Cook. The regi- 

 ment was assigned to the Arnij^ of the 

 Potomac, and he soon went to the front 

 to battle for the Union. The first en- 

 gagement in which he participated w'as 

 the second battle of Bull Run, and he 

 afterward took part in a second battle of 

 Fredericksburg, and the engagements at 

 Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill. He was 

 then transferred to the Thirteenth Penn- 

 sylvania Cavalry, vmder command of 

 Colonel J. A. Gallaher, and participated 

 in the battles of Fair Oaks, Antietam, 

 the second day's fight in the Wilderness, 

 Gettysburg and Spottsylvania. At the 

 last" named place, the regiment was dis- 

 mounted. He there sustained a wound 

 caused by a minie ball which plowed its 

 way through the instep of his left foot. 

 Unwilling to leave his command he re- 

 mained with his company, but took cold 

 in his wound and was then forced to go 

 to the hospital on the i6th of June, 1864. 

 He remained there for four months, and 

 in order to save his life submitted to the 

 amputation of his foot, which was taken 

 off above the ankle. As soon as able, 

 however, he joined the Invalid Corps, 

 and continued in the service with an in- 

 dependent battalion, going to Harper's 

 Ferry, Virginia, and on to other points 

 in the south. He continued in active 

 duty until after the close of the war, and 

 then returned to York, Pennsylvania, be- 

 ing mustered out and receiving his hon- 

 orable discharge on the 17th of Maj', 

 1865. He was a courageous soldier, al- 

 ways found at his post of duty, whether 

 it called him to the lonely picket line or 

 to the midst of the fire. The govern- 



