John Morgan (abt. 1810)

Hi Steven, My name is Tom Morgan, and I am the great, great, great, grandson of a person named Jonathon Morgan who lived, and bought land in the 1830's in Tazewell County, Illinois.

His son, my great, great, grandfather is Anson Morgan, who was killed at the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi fighting for the 15th Iowa Volunteers. He was born in Pekin Tazewell California in 1832.

We have DNA confirmation back to Jonathon, with no doubt, but Jonathon is a mystery. He disappeared. He was part of a group of four Quaker familiies, named Bonine, Morgan Gabbert, and Beeson who bought land throughout the Midwest as part of their Quaker faith, including building the first stations on the Underground Railroad to get slaves out slave states and into Canada.

There have been rumors that they planned to go to California on the first Oregon Trail route around 1842, and so when I saw your use of the name "California John" I was intrigued. In real life he had the special spelling Jonathon Morgan that showed his Quaker heritage.

But there have always been rumors in the family that he might have murdered by Kentucky militia members in 1845, because of his strong abolitionist views. I have never been able to confirm any of these rumors, or find out the true identity of this individual. But I have many clues that lead me directly to your California John including many written accounts of Achilles Morgan in Illinois and his activities there.

All seem to point to the fact that Achilles and Jonathon were brothers, including the fact that Achilles lived on Jonathon's land in Sangamon County for a time.

I would greatly appreciate any more information you might have. I would like to try and find a living heir to do DNA testing and see if this is the same person. I respect to the right to privacy of all parties though, and if you wish privacy, as a descendent of about ten generations of Quakers, I affirm I will honor it.

My great grandmother, Phoebe Bell Gabbert married into the Morgans. She married Anson's son, Oyer C. Morgan. and my grandmother remembered her, and her devout Quaker faith. Her father's brother was the trail master on the first Oregon Trail route and that is the reason that we are interested because Jonathon disappears from history at this time.

The Movie "The Revenant" has reinterested everyone in this, and they have been contacting me recently, because Jonathon Morgan knew many of the people described in the movie, and that has proven in family bibles and other written sources.

The Gabbert that led the first trail drive was going to California in 1842 on a branch of the Oregon Trail to review fur trapping conditions as reported to our family by T. J. Farnham who originally sailed to Oregon shortly after the War of 1812, and then returned overland.