For those of you who are into Presentation watches, check out my recent purchase. You can still find these gems out there; they are an invaluable piece of history with a story to tell.
This man, Pitcairn Morrison, had an amazing career in the Military. He started his military career in 1820. He was under the command of Zachary Taylor in the First Infantry in the 1820's. I found a letter on line that Zac Taylor had written from Ft. Snelling to a friend talking about how upset he was that he had to give up his "negroes" (he had a lot of slaves at the time), and had left them with P. Morrison to find them work. Apparently the US government didn't allow officers to own slaves.
In 1837, Osceola had been captured and was put in a temporary jail with 200 other Indians. P. Morrison was put in command of Osceola and had orders to move him and his followers to another prison,(Morrison put them on a boat and moved them to another prison), where Osceola died in early 1838. Osceola's head was removed by an onsite doctor, and all of Osceola's belongings were to be put in the grave, but Morrison ordered that not to happen and eventually they found their way to the Smithsonian. Morrison later moved several hundred more Seminole Indians to Ft, Gibson, OK (where he was in command) in the 1830's. This was the start of the first trail of tears to Oklahoma.
Colonel Morrison fought in the US/Mexican wars in the mid 1840's and fought beside U.S. Grant and Alexander Hayes in the 4th Infantry, where Morrison was a captain and Grant and Hays were lieutenants.
In 1855, while commander at Ft. Gibson, the 2nd US Calvary, came to visit Colonel Morrison on their way to Texas, with Lt. Colonel Robert E. Lee second in command. Jeb Stuart was also there.
The biggest event which actually changed the course of American History, was a direst result of an order Colonel Morrison at Ft. Buchanan in AZ in 1861. I'm sure you have probably heard of the "Bascom Affair". In early 1861, a rancher rode into Ft. Buchanan complaining of a kid napping of his step son and a loss of many of his mules and cattle stolen by the Apache Indians. Although the rancher wasn't there, he said the guilty party rode towards Apache Pass, according to the rancher's wife.. Having had problems previously with Cochise, Morrison assumed Cochise was the guilty party. Morrison wrote an order (order No.4) and sent an inexperienced Lt., George Bascom, with 54 men, to get back the child and the stolen cattle. Morrison's captain and 1st Lt were away on detachment. He gave orders to use whatever means and force necessary to get the child back. Cochise and Bascom eventually met, with Cochise and many of Cochise's relatives in a tent near Apache Pass. Cochise said he had nothing to do with it, but Bascom accused him of the kidnapping. Bascom held Cochise's relatives hostage, after Chochise made an escape from the tent. Cochise captured some white prisoners from the nearby Overland Express, but Bascom wouldn't do a prisoner exchange. A battle ensued. Cochise killed the white prisoners in retaliation. When Bascom found them the next day, he ordered the relatives of Cochise to be hung on the spot. Cochise's brother and two nephews were hung. This started the Apache wars for the next 25 years. Bascom died later in 1861 in a civil war battle. Ft. Buchanan was burned in March of 1861, so the confederates couldn't use the fort. Cochise vowed to kill every white man he and the Apaches could as long as he lived. There was a movie made about this and second battle at Apache Pass, in 1952, "Battle at Apache Pass"
Colonel Morrison was in charge of A POW prison in 1861, and was the current Colonel of the 8th infantry. Some of his companies were detached and sent to battles such as Bull Run and Antietam. He was also in charge of recruiting, and retired in 1863. He was put back to work in the military in 1864, at Benton Barracks. I found a letter on Fold3 that the governor of Illinois and General McClernand (who were both buddies of Abe Lincoln), in 1862, that had been written and signed by both and addressed to Lincoln requesting a Brevet to General for Morrison. He finally got the Brevet to General in 1865, before the war ended.
In 1867, Morrison was one of the military Jurors selected for General George A. Custer's court marshal. I would like to think this watch was ticking away at that court marshal.
The inscription on the watch reads "Presented to P. Morrison Commander of Draft Barracks by his Friends officers of Mo Regt's. under his command May 7th 1864"
If anyone would like to share their presentation watch, I for one would love to see it.
Robert
This man, Pitcairn Morrison, had an amazing career in the Military. He started his military career in 1820. He was under the command of Zachary Taylor in the First Infantry in the 1820's. I found a letter on line that Zac Taylor had written from Ft. Snelling to a friend talking about how upset he was that he had to give up his "negroes" (he had a lot of slaves at the time), and had left them with P. Morrison to find them work. Apparently the US government didn't allow officers to own slaves.
In 1837, Osceola had been captured and was put in a temporary jail with 200 other Indians. P. Morrison was put in command of Osceola and had orders to move him and his followers to another prison,(Morrison put them on a boat and moved them to another prison), where Osceola died in early 1838. Osceola's head was removed by an onsite doctor, and all of Osceola's belongings were to be put in the grave, but Morrison ordered that not to happen and eventually they found their way to the Smithsonian. Morrison later moved several hundred more Seminole Indians to Ft, Gibson, OK (where he was in command) in the 1830's. This was the start of the first trail of tears to Oklahoma.
Colonel Morrison fought in the US/Mexican wars in the mid 1840's and fought beside U.S. Grant and Alexander Hayes in the 4th Infantry, where Morrison was a captain and Grant and Hays were lieutenants.
In 1855, while commander at Ft. Gibson, the 2nd US Calvary, came to visit Colonel Morrison on their way to Texas, with Lt. Colonel Robert E. Lee second in command. Jeb Stuart was also there.
The biggest event which actually changed the course of American History, was a direst result of an order Colonel Morrison at Ft. Buchanan in AZ in 1861. I'm sure you have probably heard of the "Bascom Affair". In early 1861, a rancher rode into Ft. Buchanan complaining of a kid napping of his step son and a loss of many of his mules and cattle stolen by the Apache Indians. Although the rancher wasn't there, he said the guilty party rode towards Apache Pass, according to the rancher's wife.. Having had problems previously with Cochise, Morrison assumed Cochise was the guilty party. Morrison wrote an order (order No.4) and sent an inexperienced Lt., George Bascom, with 54 men, to get back the child and the stolen cattle. Morrison's captain and 1st Lt were away on detachment. He gave orders to use whatever means and force necessary to get the child back. Cochise and Bascom eventually met, with Cochise and many of Cochise's relatives in a tent near Apache Pass. Cochise said he had nothing to do with it, but Bascom accused him of the kidnapping. Bascom held Cochise's relatives hostage, after Chochise made an escape from the tent. Cochise captured some white prisoners from the nearby Overland Express, but Bascom wouldn't do a prisoner exchange. A battle ensued. Cochise killed the white prisoners in retaliation. When Bascom found them the next day, he ordered the relatives of Cochise to be hung on the spot. Cochise's brother and two nephews were hung. This started the Apache wars for the next 25 years. Bascom died later in 1861 in a civil war battle. Ft. Buchanan was burned in March of 1861, so the confederates couldn't use the fort. Cochise vowed to kill every white man he and the Apaches could as long as he lived. There was a movie made about this and second battle at Apache Pass, in 1952, "Battle at Apache Pass"
Colonel Morrison was in charge of A POW prison in 1861, and was the current Colonel of the 8th infantry. Some of his companies were detached and sent to battles such as Bull Run and Antietam. He was also in charge of recruiting, and retired in 1863. He was put back to work in the military in 1864, at Benton Barracks. I found a letter on Fold3 that the governor of Illinois and General McClernand (who were both buddies of Abe Lincoln), in 1862, that had been written and signed by both and addressed to Lincoln requesting a Brevet to General for Morrison. He finally got the Brevet to General in 1865, before the war ended.
In 1867, Morrison was one of the military Jurors selected for General George A. Custer's court marshal. I would like to think this watch was ticking away at that court marshal.
The inscription on the watch reads "Presented to P. Morrison Commander of Draft Barracks by his Friends officers of Mo Regt's. under his command May 7th 1864"
If anyone would like to share their presentation watch, I for one would love to see it.
Robert
Attachments
-
28 KB Views: 117
-
10.4 KB Views: 291
-
11.2 KB Views: 307
-
10.4 KB Views: 293
Last edited: