Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Indians made an attack on Agawam and
nearly destroyed the town, his house was
the central place of refuge for the be-
leaguered inhabitants. His sons, following
the footsteps of their father, were two
noted Indian hunters, and one of them,
Pelatiah Morgan, was killed by the Indians.
In the "records or list of ye names
of the townsmen or men of this Towne of
Springfield in February, 1664, written by
Elizur Holyoke,"he appears as Serj. Miles
Morgan. In 1655-57-1660-62-68 he was a
selectman. He served as constable one
year, and at different times as fence
viewer, highway surveyor, and overseer
of highways, and also on various town
committees. He died May 28, 1699. A
bronze statue of a Puritan soldier stand-
ing in one of the public parks of Spring-
field enduringly commemorates his fame.
He married (first) in 1643, Prudence
Gilbert, of Beverly, Massachusetts. The
tradition is that on the vessel on which he
came to Boston, Prudence Gilbert was
also a passenger, and there he made her
acquaintance. She was coming to the
New World to join members of her family
already located in Beverly. After he had
settled in Springfield he sent word to her
and proposed marriage. She accepted
the offer, and the young man, with two
friends and an Indian guide leading pack
horses, marched across Massachusetts
from the Connecticut river to the "land of
the people of the east," where the two
young people were married. After the
marriage the household goods of the
young couple were laden on the pack
horses, and the bride, on foot, tramped
back to Springfield, one hundred and
twenty miles, escorted by the bridegroom
and his friends. She died January 14,
1660. He married (second) February 15,
1670, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and
Margaret Bliss.
(II) Nathaniel, son of Miles and Eliza-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
beth (Bliss) Morgan, was born in Springfield,
June 14, 1671. He settled in West
Springfield, where he made his home dur-
ing his entire life and was a successful
farmer. He died August 30, 1752. He
married, January 17, 1691, Hannah Bird,
who died June 7, 1751. Of the seven sons
and two daughters of this marriage, all
the sons and one daughter lived to be
over seventy years of age.
(III) Joseph, son of Nathaniel and
Hannah (Bird) Morgan, was born December
3, 1702. He lived on the paternal
farm in West Springfield. He died November
7, 1773. He married, in 1735,
Mary Stebbins, daughter of Benjamin
Stebbins ; she was born July 6, 1712, and
died December 6, 1798.
(IV) Joseph (2), son of Joseph ( 1 ) and
Mary (Stebbins) Morgan, was born February
19, 1736. He was a captain of
militia, and in character as well as in
physique he was reckoned one of the
staunchest men of Western Massachu-
setts. He married, September 9, 1765,
Experience Smith, born October 23, 1741.
(V) Joseph (3), son of Joseph (2) and
Experience (Smith) Morgan, was born
January 4, 1780. Leaving home when he
was a young man, he settled in Hartford,
Connecticut, and became a successful and
respected hotelkeeper. He died in 1847.
He married Sarah Spencer, of Middletown,
Connecticut.
(VI) Junius Spencer, son of Joseph (3)
and Sarah (Spencer) Morgan, was born
in West Springfield, Massachusetts, April
14, 1813. His early years were spent in
Hartford, Connecticut, where he was educated.
When he had grown to manhood
he went to Boston and entered the banking
house of Albert Wells, where he
gained his first knowledge of that busi-
ness, in which he afterward became suc-
cessful and distinguished. In July, 1834,
he moved to New York, entering the