Oliver Morton
Presented by Oliver Morton Chapter of the DAR
Preparing for America’s 250th birthday in 2026
America, a budding new colony in the early 1700s, was under the rule of its mother land, Great Britain. Because of rising dissatisfaction with some of the laws and particularly the taxes being imposed upon the citizens, an uprising began that developed into a war with shots fired on April 17, 1775, in Massachusetts.
The Continental Army was composed of local citizens in each area defending their homelands. The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in June, 1776, began the framework for the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted July 4, 1776. People involved in the work of establishment of the country and defending it against its enemies were considered patriots of the American Revolution.
These patriots and their descendants who were from our local area or migrated to our area will be recognized and honored here as we approach the 250th anniversary of our great country. The Oliver Morton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and
salute these patriots.
Oliver Morton, for whom the local DAR chapter is named, will be the first Patriot honored.
Oliver Morton, born in 1763 in Massachusetts, was the sixth child of Silas Morton and Martha Morton. Oliver joined the Revolutionary War at the age of 12 as a sailor on the Massachusetts Bay Brigantine “Independence,” serving under Capt. Simeon Sampson. His rank was that of boy. He was engaged in several naval battles.
The Independence was in a battle with the British brig, “Hope,” near Halifax, Nova Scotia, after he had been on board about six months. The Independence was taken, and Morton was detained as a prisoner at Halifax for more than seven months. He was then taken to Rhode Island and New York. He made his escape on Long Island Sound on or about July 5, 1777, and went to Plymouth, where he substituted for his father, Silas Morton, in the Massachusetts Militia under Capt. Partridge for three months. He was engaged in several land battles. His service ended in 1780, when he was 17 years old.
Oliver Morton married his first wife, Sarah Everett, in North Carolina in 1788. They had 12 children. After the death of Sarah in 1828, Morton married Malinda Lary in Jones County. He died in Jones County in 1848. His widow applied for and received a pension for his service.
He is the patriot of eight members of the local Oliver Morton Chapter, NSDAR and numerous other citizens of Jones County.
