Dwight Morris
{{Short description|American colonel}}
{{Infobox military person
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|name = Dwight Morris
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|image = Dwight Morris.jpg
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|birth_date = {{birth date|1817|11|22}}
|birth_place = South Farm, Connecticut, United States
|death_date = {{death date and age|1894|9|26|1817|11|22}}
|death_place = Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States
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|allegiance = {{flag|United States|1863}} (Union)
|branch = 25px United States Army (Union Army)
|branch_label = Branch
|serviceyears = 1861–1863
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|rank = Colonel
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|commands = 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment
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|battles = American Civil War
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|alma_mater = Union College
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Timothy Dwight Morris (1817-1894) was an American colonel who commanded the 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War as well as commanding the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Corps during the Battle of Antietam. In his civilian life he was a lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the United States Consul in Le Havre, France and as Connecticut Secretary of State.
Biography
=Earlier years=
Dwight was born on November 22, 1817, at South Farm, Connecticut as the son of James Morris III who was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War.{{Cite book |last=Keefer |first=C. Murray |title=Handbook of the James Morris Museum and the Aline Brothier Morris Reading Room |publisher=Yale University Press|year=1947 |location=Morris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1iuHAAACAAJ|pages=36}} Morris would graduate from Union College in 1832 and would be a Judge of Probate in his district in 1845 until 1851.{{Cite book|author=George H. Washburn|title=A Complete Military History and Record of the 108th Regiment N.Y. Vols., from 1862 to 1894: Together with Roster, Letters, Rebel Oaths of Allegiance, Rebel Passes, Reminiscences, Life Sketches, Photographs, Etc., Etc|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dkoWAAAAYAAJ&dq=col.+dwight+morris&pg=PA199|publisher=Press of E.R. Andrews|date=1894|pages=203|access-date=March 2, 2022}} He would later be a member of the Connecticut State Legislature and served three different terms. In 1850 and in 1860, Morris would travel to Europe and Asia as he traveled to places like Jerusalem, Greece, Russia and Turkey as well as travelling to Africa in the Nile River region.
=American Civil War=
By the time Morris returned, the War Department would accept an additional regiment for Connecticut on May 21, 1861, and Dwight Morris was chosen to assemble the regiment at Hartford, Connecticut.{{Cite book|author=Charles Davis Page|title=History of the Fourteenth Regiment, Connecticut Vol. Infantry|year=1906|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwY0RR_tT0sC|pages=14|access-date=March 2, 2022}} On May 25, 1862, Morris was appointed as the commander of the 2nd brigade of the 3rd Division of the Army of the Potomac which he would go on to command them at the Battle of Antietam.{{Cite web|title=Army of the Potomac - Second Corps|url=https://home.nps.gov/anti/learn/historyculture/org-cht-2-corps.htm|website=National Park Service|access-date=March 3, 2022}} During the battle itself, his brigade would relieve Colonel Max Weber's Brigade at Sunken Road and took positions at the northern parts of Bloody Lane and the 14th Connecticut was sent to relieve Israel B. Richardson’s Division.{{Cite web|title=Morris' Brigade, French's Division, marker 42|url=https://antietam.stonesentinels.com/war-department-markers-us/morris-brigade-frenchs-division-marker-42/|website=antietam.stonesentinels.com|access-date=March 3, 2022}}{{Cite web|title=Antietam: Col Dwight Morris' Official Report|url=https://antietam.aotw.org/exhibit.php?exhibit_id=92|website=Antietam on the Web|access-date=March 3, 2022}} After Antietam, Morris would be involved in several skirmishes until he was honorably discharged on October 23, 1863, for disability.{{Cite web|title=Antietam: Col Dwight Morris|url=https://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=901|website=Antietam on the Web|access-date=March 3, 2022}}
=Later years=
After his discharge, Morris was appointed as a U.S. Consul of Le Havre, France in 1864, serving there from 1866 to 1869. When he returned, Morris settled down in Bridgeport, Connecticut and resumed his legal and judicial careers after a time. A Democrat, Morris was elected Secretary of State, serving from 1877 to 1879. He died in Bridgeport on September 26, 1894."Death of Dwight Morris", Daily Norwalk Gazette, September 27, 1894, p. 2