Morgan brothers – John and Joseph

Names: Morgan brothers – John and Joseph, both privates in the 29^th New Jersey Infantry Regiment

Local address: Freneau, NJ

John (born c.1838) and Joseph (c. 1843) were the fifth and sixth children of John C. Morgan (c. 1795-before 1860) and Catherine (maiden name unknown – c. 1793-1880). The family resided in the Middletown Point area from the mid-1800s – youngest daughter Agnes was reportedly born in Freneau in 1847. Father John was listed as a laborer in the 1850 census, and was not with his wife in 1860, most likely having died between the two census periods.

Little is known of the early history of John, Jr and Joseph. The 1860 census has John married to the former Eliza Jane Walling (1841-1930) living in Middletown Point and working as a farm laborer. The couple had two children – Emeline (1862-1940) and Ann (1863-1890). Joseph did not marry and was working on a farm in Marlboro, per the 1860 census.

To address the Confederate threat to Washington, DC, President Lincoln called for rapid recruitment and deployment of state infantry regiments in the fall of 1862. Two of these, the 28^th and 29^th New Jersey Infantry Regiments, were organized in Freehold and were to serve for nine months. Both Morgan brothers enlisted in Company “I” of the 29^th, which was commanded by Marlboro resident Captain Jeremiah V. Spader.

On September 28^th, 1862, the regiment departed Camp Vredenburgh in Freehold for Washington. The Monmouth Democrat reported a large crowd in attendance to see the troops off, where “strong men wept like children, on bidding good-bye to wives.”

Upon arriving in Washington, it was attached to Abercrombie’s Provisional Brigade, Casey’s Division, for the defense of the Capitol. That November, it was transferred to Aquia Creek, VA, to guard the railroad. In December, the 29^th was incorporated into the Army of the Potomac.

On January 19, 1863, it moved to the strategic Potomac crossing of Belle Plain, VA, where it took part in the unsuccessful “Mud March,” an effort to capture Richmond, VA. Between February and April, the regiment bivouacked at Belle Plain.

During the nine months the 29^th was activated, it lost 40 enlisted men – only one was killed, the other 39 died of disease (the one killed, John H Chasey of Company “I”, was knifed in Matawan the day before the unit left for Washington. Details of this can be read in the The African American Civil War Veterans of Middletown Point (Matawan) section of this website. Of the 39 who died of disease, five were from Company “I” – which included the Morgan brothers. Listed in the Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865 are Joseph Morgan, who died March 25, 1863 and John, who passed away four days later, March 29^th. Both died of typhoid fever at Belle Plain. John was originally buried at Hansford’s Farm, King George County, VA, but was later moved to the National Cemetery at Fredericksburg, VA. It is unknown where Joseph is buried – there are reportedly 1000s of unmarked graves in the Fredericksburg Cemetery.

Genealogical research has identified over 200 relatives of the Morgan brothers in New Jersey and elsewhere.