A man who persevered through sweat, blood, and tears (Morton 1894) · Student Stories: Bringing Ancestors to Life

Title: A man who persevered through sweat, blood, and tears (Morton 1894)
Abstract: Morton, a man who lived through slavery, fought through the Civil War and escaped from his owners to Ohio. He later became a cook, but sadly he died of pulmonary tuberculous. From 1845 to 1863; Morgan was born in Virginia, a state that had slaves where he worked until he was 17 years old. He was drafted into the military as a laborer and although it was grueling work, it was still better than how his slave owners worked him.

He was moved to Fort Morgan a confederate camp, where he spent his days building homes, repairing walls, loading cannons, carrying gunpowder and all sorts of jobs. In his free time, he would cook meals for his fellow laborers although the meals were bland and lacked nutrition, they were delicious for him and his men and this is where he found his love for cooking.

On August 9, 1865, union soldiers attacked Fort Morgan and Morton took the opportunity to escape to Columbia Wisconsin. Wherever he went, he had to work taking all sorts of odd jobs.

At 44 Morgan traveled to Milwaukee and worked as a porter. At 46 Morgan’s body had given out, so he worked as a shoe shiner at the Plankton House.

Then sadly, at 49, Morton died of tuberculosis. After all the trials and turbulations, he just wanted to have a peaceful rest in death and to be remembered.
Note: Fictive Narrative
Date: November 5, 2025
Creator: Manuel, sophomore in high school