
Daniel W. MORRIS was born
in Maury County, Tenn., in 1825, and is now a prosperous farmer in
Burnside Township, Johnson County. His father, Reuben Morris, was a
Virginian, aud a farmer by occupation, who was taken to Tennessee when
a child by his parents, and there was reared on a farm. He was married
in his youth to Elizabeth Morris, a cousin, by whom he had nine
children, five sons and four daughters. Daniel W. had two sisters and
three brothers older than himself. He has a twin brother, James, who is
a farmer in Arkansas, where he has resided for the past thirty years.
The mother of these children died at the age of fifty-seven years,
about 1841. She had buried two daughters in early childhood and left
seven children at her death.
The maternal grandmother of Mr. Morris was Sarah Tibbs, probably of
Virginia, who was the daughter and wife of a farmer, and became the
mother of sixteen children. She died in Franklin County, Ill., in 1852,
at the great age of one hundred and five years, and kept house and did
her own cooking until within a short time of her death. Her sons were
brave soldiers under Gen. Jackson. Daniel Morris and Reuben, who were
married and were brothers-in-law, were comrades in the war. The latter
was married four times and had nine children by his first wife, and
four by the last, two sons and two daughters. He removed to southern
Illinois in the fall of 1841, and brought with him the subject of this
sketch and his twin brother, and also Elizabeth Brummet, a
granddaughter. His second wife and her child joined him the next year,
all coming with ox-teams and covered wagons, in very humble
circumstances. Daniel W. at first worked for $8 per month, and during
his first year's residence in Illinois he took up eighty acres of
timber land within two miles of Vienna, built a log cabin on the claim,
aud began at once to make a farm. One of his brothers, William, took up
an eighty-acre piece adjoining this, which he soon sold to the twin
brother of Daniel W.
Our subject was married in 1843, to Minerva J. Neely, of middle
Tennessee, who was a playmate of his in his youth. His brothers made
their home with him, and they lived on this farm about seventeen years,
clearing up fifty acres and building a good new house, with a plank
floor and clapboard roof, into which they moved from the original home.
On this first farm two sons and four daughters were born. Our subject
had bought his brother's eighty acres and sold the one hundred and
sixty acres for $1,300, buying two miles east one hundred and twenty
acres for $1,000. This was already improved with a good log house, and
sixty acres were under cultivation. Upon this farm they lived eight
years, and then sold it for $1,800, his farm then consisting of one
hundred and fifty acres. He afterward removed to Burnside Township and
bought two hundred and twenty acres adjoining his present home farm,
paying $1,600 for the improved farm, together with corn in the crib and
forty head of hogs, sheep and cattle. This was in the year 1866, and in
the fall of 1882 he sold one hundred and eighty-three acres for $1,800,
having previously sold the other portion for $360. This sale netted him
a profit of $500. He now possesses one hundred and sixty-two acres one
mile away from his home, besides a tract of one hundred and
twenty-seven acres in his home estate.
Our subject's first wife died June 6, 1880, aged forty-seven years, and
he was married in 1882 to his present wife, who was the widow of A. M.
Jackson. Her maiden name was Mary Johnson, and she was the daughter of
John Johnson. By his last marriage Mr. Morris had two children, both of
whom were sons. One of them died in infancy, and the other one, Danie
D., is a bright boy of ten years. He lias three sons and one daughter
in Kansas. One of his daughters, Sarah, wife of Nathaniel Nichols, died
at the age of twenty-six years, leaving one daughter. Awzonetta died at
the age of fifteen. The others died in infancy. Before the organization
of the Republican party, Mr. Morris was a Whig, but he has ever since
then been a Republican. He and wife are members of the Missionary
Baptist Church.
transcribed by Nan Starjak
Source:
The Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin
Counties
Chicago
Biographical Publishing Co., 1893
pp. 307 - 308
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