Charles Eldridge Morgan Jr. (1844–1917) was a Civil War veteran who co-founded the law firm Morgan Lewis at

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1873 with fellow lawyer

Francis Draper Lewis Francis Draper Lewis was a Pennsylvania lawyer who co-founded the law firm Morgan Lewis at Philadelphia in 1873 with Charles Eldridge Morgan, Jr. Early life and marriage Born in Boston on August 29, 1849, his parents were Ann Homer (née Kidde ...

. He was twice vice-president of the Philadelphia Law Academy, and served the City of Philadelphia as its first Assistant City Solicitor, and as a member of its Boards of Education and City Trusts.

Early life and family

Following his family's 1844 relocation from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, Morgan was born on September 23, 1844, in

, the first child of Charles Eldridge Morgan and Jane Bowen Morgan (née Buck). His brother, Randal (1853–1926), also graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, in 1873, and joined Morgan's newly opened law firm, then became, in 1882, the first vice-president of its principle client firm, United Gas Improvement Company (later

UGI Corporation UGI Corporation (formerly United Gas Improvement Corp.) is a natural gas and electric power distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with extensive operations in the United States and Europe. UGI owns AmeriGas, the ...

). Another brother, John Buck (1847–1919), graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, as well, receiving degrees in 1866 and 1869, and played on the cricket team captained by Morgan; he became a successful manufacturer, merchant and financier who served on the Boards of several Philadelphia institutions. Morgan married Elizabeth Belsham "Lillie" Merrick, daughter of Thomas B. Merrick and Elizabeth M. White, on April 27, 1875, at Philadelphia, with whom he had three children: Charles Eldridge Morgan III, who joined him at his firm in the practice of law; Elizabeth Merrick Morgan Perry; and Hallowell Vaughn Morgan.

Education

Morgan attended Germantown schools, then the

, where he was graduated in 1864.

The Landis Battery

Morgan's studies were interrupted by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, when he organized Landis' Battery in response to General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

's raid through Pennsylvania. Stationed at Carlisle during June through August 1863, as first-line reserves for the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

; contrary to some reports, the Battery did not see action at that historic engagement.

Cricket

Morgan was captain of the University of Pennsylvania's 1864 cricket team, on which his brother, John Buck Morgan (1847 - 1919), also played; the team was distinguished by playing the first intercollegiate cricket match in the college's history, against

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Fr ...

, on May 7, 1864. He later co-founded the

Germantown Cricket Club The Germantown Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was one of the four principal cricket clubs in the city and was one of the clubs contributing members to the Philadelphian cricket ...

Career

Following his Civil War service; Morgan

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

in the office of Judge William A. Porter, then was admitted to the bar in 1868. Five years later, he co-founded Morgan & Lewis with Francis Draper Lewis, on March 10, 1873, and remained an active practitioner throughout his career. In 1878, City Solicitor William Nelson West (co-founder of the banking firm Henry & West with W. Barklie Henry) appointed Morgan Philadelphia's first Assistant City Solicitor, an office he retained until 1884. He served as

vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

of the Philadelphia Law Academy in 1869, and 1878 to 1885, and on the Board of Education for five years, followed by the Board of City Trusts for Philadelphia.Warwick, Charles Franklin
''Warwick's Keystone Commonwealth: A Review of the History of the Great State of Pennsylvania, and a Brief Record of the Growth of Its Chief City, Philadelphia'', 1913 - Pennsylvania, US, page 407. Retrieved October 15, 2018.

References

External links

"Morgan Family of Llantarnam, Monmouthshire", ''Welsh Biography Online'', National Library of Wales, 1959. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Charles Eldridge Jr. 1844 births 1917 deaths Lawyers from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania alumni Cricketers from Philadelphia American cricketers People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War 19th-century American lawyers