180? He doesn't look a day over 40!

It was on this date back in 1830 that this dapper fellow was born in rural Campbell County, Virginia.

My ancestor James Lorenzo Morgan went on to have some pretty interesting adventures.

If ye socks don't believe me, pick up a copy of the book I wrote about him:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Like-The-Cats-Of-Kilkenny/William-Morgan/e/9781425912017/?itm=2&USRI=like+the+cats+of+kilkenny

To honor "Movie Quotes Week"

The first of ye socks to email me the list of films (in correct order) where these lines were spoken wins an autographed copy of my book "Like the Cats of Kilkenny." (Make sure to put "MOVIE LINES" in the reference of your email.)

1. Aim small, miss small.

2. May I ask what you are doing sitting at my table? I'm eating your chocolate cake!

3. Every man dies. Not every man really lives.

4. Don't mind him. He used to be an Irishman . . .

5. Their bravery is worthy of a better cause.

6. It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage!

7. Ah, dessert! Chilled monkey brains!

8. I'm like a bad penny, I always turn up.

9. Nice try, kid, but it looks like you brought a knife to a gunfight . . .

10. I am what I am . . . someone has to be!

Autographed stocking stuffers, anyone?

OK, for "Cyber Monday," yours truly is offering an "inventory blow-out" on paperback copies of my book, Like the Cats of Kilkenny: A True Story of the Civil War.

Any of ye faithful socks in the dryer who are interested in a copy for Yuletide purposes, shoot an email to: wsmorganv@aol.com

I'm offering free shipping, and will be glad to add a personalized message before signing. Just mention that you read about the offer in this blog.

Ansearchin' by flashlight

The 58th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is inviting bloggers to post on the theme of "Halloween Hauntings . . . Fact or Fiction?"

Kinda appropriate since Hallowe'en is only a few weeks away . . .

I'll let ye socks determine just how much truth is in the following second-hand account:

Twenty years ago, Skip Morgan's full time job was as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. His part-time obsession was genealogy. The little library near his base in West Texas had a remarkably good collection of research material, and it was there he discovered a book that listed the final resting place of his great great grandparents James Lorenzo Morgan and Martha Virginia Brown Morgan.

(Shameless plug: For a compelling account of James and Martha's experiences during the U.S. Civil War, check out my book Like the Cats of Kilkenny.)

Their names were recorded among the many early burials at the Washington Cemetery in the little Missouri River town of Glasgow--about halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis.

As luck would have it, just a few days after Skip discovered this little genealogical tidbit, he was sent on a mission to Whiteman Air Force Base. It was just over 90 miles away from Glasgow, a trip that would take over two hours to make-- even for somebody who knew the backroads of rural Missouri. And, he was only going to be there overnight. But, Skip was undeterred.

Upon landing at Whiteman, the intrepid genealogical sleuth commandeered one of those old blue Air Force trucks all of we brats recall so fondly from our childhood bases. You know the ones with the yellow lettering and bad suspension. Soon, it was carrying him up bumpy Highway 65 to Marshall, and east on county roads 41 and 240 to Glasgow.

Unfortunately, by the time he got to the little river town, the sun had long since set and all the businesses were closed. There was no one about to tell a stranger where the cemetery was. And, it would be a peculiar question to ask, anyway. So, Skip decided to just cruise up and down the streets until he found it.

Fortunately, Glasgow is a small town, and his cruising did not take too long. He found the cemetery just before midnight, which would have deterred almost any non-genealogy addict.

Grabbing a flashlight from the glove compartment of the truck, Skip began exploring the eerily quiet cemetery. There were none of the proverbial hoot owls or spooky winds that generally accompany late night visits to such places, just a lot of quiet and a lot of dark.

He made his way to the biggest monument he could see outlined against the night sky, and flashed his beam onto the obelisk. Amazingly, it had been erected in memory of his namesake William D. Swinney--an uncle to both James and Martha! Surely, their stones must be nearby!

So, Skip began circling the Swinney plot as slowly and methodically as his excitement would allow. Around and around he went, shining his small light on stone after stone, looking for his elusive ancestors. But, all his patience was for nought.

It should be mentioned that the cemetery in question is not on a level piece of ground. So, before too long, our intrepid genealogist found himself atop a small rise. Frustrated, he was just about to admit defeat. Then, out of nowhere, a breeze blew across the garden of stones and he could have sworn it whispered something in his ear, "Over here!"

He spun around to see whose voice might have been carried on the wind, turning so quickly as to lose his footing. His flashlight fell from his hand and rolled down the rise, and Skip would have gone tumbling after if he hadn't reached out to grab a nearby stone to regain his balance.

Muttering a curse of resignation, he carefully made his way down the rise to recover his still shining flashlight. He knew he better get out of there before he caused any alarm amongst the townfolk, and he had to cover the 90+ miles back to his base for the return flight the next morning. But, as he knelt to pick up the flashlight, he noticed its beam was illuminating the same stone that had steadied him atop the rise.

A chill went down his spine as he read the name: James Lorenzo Morgan.

Ye Olde Ancestral Home

If ye socks read my book Like the Cats of Kilkenny, you've seen a picture of the Morgan family's ancestral home in Virginia. It's an historically significant structure, which is probably why it is still standing.

Unfortunately, so many of the places our ancestors have called home do not survive the tests of time or the wrecking ball.

I'll never forget how disappointed I was back in 2004 when I visited Sandusky, Ohio, with address in hand only to find an urban wasteland where a thriving working class neighborhood once stood.

Nowadays, though, it is no longer necessary to go on such wild goose chases, as almost every local taxing authority has gone digital. My little corner of heaven has been searchable online for quite some time (at http://www.ocpafl.org/ ).

More recently, I discovered Monmouth County, New Jersey, is online ( http://oprs.co.monmouth.nj.us/ ). And, imagine my surprise to discover the home of my great-grandmother Ann Jackson Gleeson in Long Branch is not only still standing, the local officials had even posted a recent photograph!

This is 132 Rockwell Avenue as it appears today. It was built back in 1903, and appears to be holding up pretty well, don't ya think?!

Talk about trying to collect on an old debt . . .

I've gone thru some pretty odd wranglings trying to collect on some accounts receivable in my day, but this one takes the cake!



It seems way back on 21 June 1861, the City of Tampa was scrambling to prepare its Civil War defenses. So, acting mayor John Jackson agreed to pay the firm of Kennedy & Darling the sum of $299.58 plus 8% annual interest to repair a cannon and provide some ammunition.

The thing is, they never paid the bill.

So, now Kennedy descendant Joan Biddle (age 77) is suing the city for principal plus interest (and, perhaps, nearly a century-and-a-half of mental anguish) totalling $22,700,000.00!!

But, something tells me the modern City of Tampa has some fat cat lawyers who will be able to shoot down her claim.

For one thing, Mrs. Biddle seems to have lost sight of the fact that the City of Tampa incorporated in 1855 but was abolished for insolvency in 1869. It is most likely that any legitimate claim for collection would have died at that time. The modern City of Tampa was not incorporated until 1887, so realistically cannot be held to account for the expense of what was technically another entity.

For another thing, Biddle's ancestor Thomas Pugh Kennedy was only one-half of the Kennedy & Darling enterprise. Presumably, the descendants of his partner John Darling would be entitled to half of any claim.

But, really, can't we all just agree this is one of the most frivolous lawsuits to come down the pike? Talk about a classic case for tort reform . . .

Ah, well, if you want to check out a REAL account of the Civil War, try reading my book: Like the Cats of Kilkenny.

Another author in the family

There must be something in the Morgan genes that predisposes us to writing . . .

The most recent publication to hit the bookstores comes from our cousin Andrea de Robilant.

His Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon [ISBN 9781400044139] is actually a sequel to his very successful first novel A Venetian Affair.

I just picked up my copy yesterday, so haven't had a chance to finish reading the book. But, I can tell you the basics. It recounts the life of Andrea's 4th great-grandmother Lucia Mocenigo (1770-1854), a noblewoman from Venice, Italy, who moves to Paris, France, and rubs shoulders with a bunch of folks whose names you'd probably recognize from your history textbooks (including the Empress Josephine). She was an interesting person, to say the least. Unfortunately, she is perhaps best known as the much-despised landlady of Lord Byron.

Anyway, this book (besides being a very good read) is also serving as yet another reminder to yours truly that I need to get off my rear end and finish the sequel to my own recent masterpiece.

Ron Paul is an idiot

Lest ye socks be drawn into the spellbinding powers of the RINO candidate for President after his recent appearance on "Meet the Press," let me assure you that he is as irrelevant to the '08 campaign as Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.

But, that didn't prevent the idiot from trying to make it relevant.

Don't get me wrong. As anyone who read my recent book will tell you, I love talking about the Civil War Era. But, it just does not need to be a focus of a presidential primary in this day and age . . . especially when the guy talking about it is a complete idiot.

In case you missed it, Idiot Paul believes Abraham Lincoln is to blame for singlehandedly starting the Civil War because he thought it would be cheaper to expend the lives of 600,000 people on both sides than it would be to have the federal government simply buy all the slaves and set them free.

Specifics as to why this argument makes him a complete idiot:

1. Not even Abraham Lincoln, as big an historical figure as he is, had THAT much influence. The war had been brewing for decades.

2. Putting morals aside for a moment, isn't the Idiot Paul the person who screams loudest whenever anyone proposes a big federal spending plan? This would have been the biggest ever contemplated!!

3. The war could not have been avoided as late as 1860, when Lincoln was elected president. And, the issue wasn't even slavery. It was, rather, whether the individual states had the wherewithall (if not the right) to withdraw from the Union as freely as they entered it. It had to be decided. And, unfortunately, it involved going to war. It happens, and it's horrible. But, it happens.

I think that's what the idiot was really trying to accomplish in his public display. He was, I believe, trying in some round about way to make George W. Bush's leadership in the war on terror appear as "unnecessary" as Abraham Lincoln's leadership in the Civil War.

Way to go, Ron, you just succeeded in making yourself look like an idiot again.

What I don't understand is how idiotic the people must be who keep sending you money!!

Phooey on Edward Ball

Ye socks are all too familiar with my attempts to encourage people to read with my numerous book recommendations in the dryer. So, it is with a heavy heart that I feel it necessary to tell you all NOT to bother reading a certain book.

You may recognize the name of Edward Ball as the best-selling author of "Slaves in the Family," in which he explored several generations of relations between his white southern family and their slaves/descendants. It was a good read.

But, his latest book "The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History through DNA" is absolute tripe. Don't bother spending good money on it.

I was fooled by the premise: Ball finds nine locks of hair in an old desk and sends them off to some genetics labs to find out what they could reveal about his ancestors' DNA. Sounds interesting, no?

Unfortunately, this guy is so condescending. He even went so far as to point out that most people have eight great-grandparents. Well, duh!

He also quickly reveals himself as one of those self-loathing liberal elites who have nothing nice to say about Western culture and traditions, and looks down his nose at "average" Americans. Here's one particularly offensive quote (pages 129-130):

Most people who do family research are white,

and most of them look for ancestors with the goal

to unearth the whitest, most moneyed forebears

they can.

What an absolute load of crap and nonsense! I know lots of genealogy buffs, both amateur and professional. I can tell you they are not all of one ethnic background, and actually do their research to find out the truth--palatable as it may or may not be to prats like Mr. Ball.

Ball concludes this unworthy book by urging his readers (if indeed he has any left at this point) not to trust science in general and DNA testing in particular. Now, to be sure, scientists make mistakes all the time, and DNA testing is not yet a perfect science. But, they at least try to support their claims with fact--something Ball miserably fails to do.

On the other hand, if you'd like to get your hands on a true literary masterpiece, might I suggest Like the Cats of Kilkenny: A True Story of the Civil War? Autographed copies are available upon request to yours truly.

Amasa Blakesley

That's the name of one of my Civil War ancestors.

I've known about him for awhile, having traced the old family tree for many years now. And, I even wrote a book about some of them who fought in the War-Between-the-States.

But, imagine my surprise when I discovered his name appears on the national African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC!

(If you're in the neighborhood, check out plaque #C-76.)

If you've ever watched the movie "Glory," you're probably aware the "all-black" regiments in the Civil War were not really "all-black." All of their officers and most of their non-commissioned officers were white. My Amasa fell into the latter category, serving for a time as the regimental musician for the 66th U.S. Colored Troops.

Apparently, in memorializing the "colored" regiments, the designers of the memorial made no distinction between the men and the officers, black or white.

And, that's appropriate, don't you think?

An Empire of Wealth

That's the title of economic historian John Steele Gordon's most recent book. (The subtitle is "The Epic History of American Economic Power.") I got over my own recent economic jitteriness this weekend to actually part with some money and buy a copy, and I have not been disappointed.

How could one feel disappointment after reading anything by Gordon, anyway? I mean, the guy is such an optimist. And, I guess when you approach history from a broad perspective, it's hard not to be optimistic about the good old USofA.

Gordon has good credentials both as an optimist and an economic historian. Both of his grandfathers held seats on the NYSE, and he is buddies with Steve Forbes. Some consider his works the literary descendants of Andrew Carnegie's Triumphant Democracy.

Gordon's critics will charge that he glosses over the stumbles we've had as a nation, and perhaps they have some merit. Indeed, he concludes his ringing endorsement with the events surrounding 9/11, reminding Americans (and the rest of the world) that wars are won by money, not guns alone. And, we have more wealth in the US than anywhere else.

I wonder if he will add a post-9/11 appendix in the next edition of this book, dealing not only with the impacts of the War on Terror, the hurricanes of 2004-5, and the impending credit crunch . . .

Anyway, great book. And, if you socks out there enjoy it as much as I have, you might want to check out some of Gordon's other books:

• Overlanding - which recounts a landrover trip he took from NYC to Tierra del Fuego.


• The Scarlet Woman - a history of a whorish Wall Street during the Civil War era.


• Hamilton's Blessing - in which he exalts our first Secretary of the Treasury for embracing the idea of a national debt as a unifying force.


• The Great Game - an overview of Wall Street history from 1653 to 2000.

Of course, if you really want to read a good book, I can recommend a true masterpiece . . .

Character Makes a Difference

That's the title of Mike Huckabee's awesome book. [ISBN 978-0-8054-4677-7] (Shameless plug: It's only slightly less-awesome than my own recent book.)

You may remember Mike not only for winning my ringing endorsement is several prior posts, but also for being the best governor Arkansas ever had. Bar none.

Anyway, I tossed-aside all the negative energy the financial markets have been trying to burden me with lately, and actually spent some of my hard-earned money to buy a copy.

And, I have not been disappointed.

I'm more than half way done with it already, page 135. And, the more I read his words, the more I'm convinced THIS MAN NEEDS TO BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT!

This was reaffirmed during his appearance on Fox News this afternoon, and I'm sure will be again tomorrow afternoon when he appears on CNN's "Situation Room."

Go, Mike, go!

Update on "The Last Confederate"

Some socks may recall my posting from early this year about Julian Adams' new film "The Last Confederate."



He's the guy who outdid me when it comes to paying tribute to our families' personal Civil War histories. I wrote a book about my people, and this guy went out and made a feature-length motion picture about his.


Hey, Julian, nobody likes an overachiever!


Just kidding. He's done a great job, and that is reflected in ten (that's right, TEN) recent film festival awards.

Like my book, Julian's film is based on a true story. Of course, his isn't about the Morgans, its about the Adams family. (That's Adams with one "d," not two. The "two d" family had their story told in a cheezy sitcom several decades ago. But, I digress.)


"The Last Confederate" centers on the tumultuous love story of Robert Adams and Eveline McCord, a guy from the South and a gal from the North. It was produced, written, and portrayed by their descendants with the help of someone most socks will recognize: Mickey Rooney.


To find out more about this incredible film, visit http://www.strongbowpictures.com/


And, pass the popcorn!

Remembering Jack Kerouac

I read with some bemusement how some fellow literary junkies at Naropa University in Boulder Colorado are marking the 50th anniversary of "On the Road," the iconic masterpiece of the Beat Generation.

They kicked-off their "Kerouac Festival" yesterday with a twelve-hour marathon reading.

Can you only imagine?

I mean, it's a great book and all. But, TWELVE STRAIGHT HOURS?!

Anyway, for you local socks, keep in mind that Mr. Kerouac was living right here in Central Florida when his masterpiece went to press.

To be precise, he was living with his mother at 1418-1/2 Clouser Avenue in the now-fashionable College Park section of Orlando, working on another book you may have heard of called "The Dharma Bums."

You can read all about this local connection at http://kerouacproject.org/

Or, you can spend your summertime reading hours devoted to my book about the Civil War.

It's your choice. Choose wisely!

Who knew Sanford was such a fun place?!

Getting home a little late tonight after the awesome book-signing appearance at Sanford's "Alive After Five" festivities.

I am a bit ashamed to admit that I have never attended in the past. But, after seeing things from the sidelines this month, I am already looking forward to July 12th when I can walk up and down First Street myself!

Thanks again to Yvette at Maya Books for playing the gracious hostess. You are awesome, and so is your store!

Thanks to "homey" for the ride, keepin' it real, and kickin' it old school.

And, a "shout out" to the many nice people I met during the course of the evening, particularly:

T. Brown, the friendly lady who had the space adjoining mine

Mr. & Mrs. Bob McManus

Pete & Ann from Osteen

Nancy Miller (Chuck Wight's generous mother-in-law)

my "neighbor" Bill Newman

the friendly folks for the fair tax

April's mom

And, with that, I bid you all a good night . . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So . . . what is this "Alive After Five"?!

Well, after yesterday's posting, I got a few questions about tomorrow's "Alive After Five" festivities.

A while back, the merchants in Sanford's historic district decided to get together to sponsor an "after hours" party on the second Thursday of every month.

You know how most small towns "roll up the sidewalks" after the 5 o'clock whistle? Well, they wanted to change that . . . even if it is for just one evening a month.

This month's theme is Summertime Blues and BBQ. For a $5 pass, you can go from storefront to storefront sampling food, beverages, etc. But, of course, the highlight of the evening will be the big "get to know the author"at Maya Books!

Hope to see some of you socks out there tomorrow!

Final book-signing for "Like the Cats of Kilkenny"?!

That's right, Thursday could be the last time I do an appearance for this particular book.

It's not that I'm not still proud of it, or anything like that. It's just that it's been nearly a year and I'm trying to wrap-up the sequel.

I want the new book to be my focus for the rest of this summer.

And, hopefully, the appearances I do this Fall will be for the NEW book!

Anyway, if you'd like to be there for this big Cats of Kilkenny "finale," it will be at Maya Books, 205-A East First Street in Sanford's historic district, during their montly "Alive After Five" celebration.

For more information, directions, etc., please feel free to contact the wonderful owner of the bookstore, Yvette, by phone (407-321-6504) or email (mayabooks@earthlink.net).

Hope to see you Thursday!

The Write Stuff

In case it escaped your attention, I wrote a book last year!

Ok, ok, ok. I know. That is not news.

But, I mention the fact yet again, because I got a royalty check in the mail today.

They seem to be getting smaller and smaller with the passing of time . . .

Anyway, included with the check was a notice of an upcoming writer's conference down in Fort Lauderdale (10/19 - 10/20) and a few web sites that you socks with literary ambitions may find useful:

http://www.writestuffwriters.com

http://www.authorsacrossamerica.com

Maybe, I'll find some inspiration out there to get around to completing the sequel . . .

Oh, and if you still haven't bought a copy of my book: First, shame on you! Second, I am doing a book-signing at Maya Books in the historic district of Sanford, Florida, next Thursday evening, 6/14.

Write on!

A concise visual history of the Civil War

As many of you loyal socks in the dryer know, the book I published last year was about my family's experiences during the Civil War.

Well, now thru the wonders of YouTube, you can get another good comprehensive account of that horrible conflict. Click on this link to check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06jNDhYo2I

In about four minutes, you can get a good visualization of how the battle lines moved as the war progressed. And, as a grim reminder of the war's staggering death toll, the video includes a running casualty total in the corner of the screen.

Pretty sobering history lesson, actually.

You know, you might be better off sticking with my book. It's a lot less grim.