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D. Morrison
(1821 - 1896)
Home State: New York
Command Billet: Commanding Regiment
Branch of Service: Infantry
Unit: 79th New York Infantry
Before Antietam
He was a Scot, former British officer in the 42nd Highland Infantry (Black Watch), and had fought in the Crimean War. He came to New York in 1842 and was a brass manufacturer before the war.
On 27 May 1861, age 40, he enrolled in New York City and mustered as Captain, Company E, 79th New York Infantry. He was promoted to Major of 21 October, to Lieutenant Colonel on 17 January 1863, and mustered as Colonel on 17 February.
On the Campaign
He commanded the regiment in Maryland.
The rest of the War
He was in command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps from March 1863, and was wounded in action at the "Mule Shoe" salient at Spotsylvania, VA on 12 May 1864. He mustered out with his regiment on 31 May 1864 in New York City. He was honored by brevet to Brigadier General of Volunteers on 13 March 1865 for his actions at Spotsylvania.
After the War
He returned to his brass business and lived in Manhattan. He died of Bright's Disease at age 73 in 1896.
References & notes
His service from the Adjutant General.1 Details from his bio sketch from Green-Wood Cemetery. His gravesite is on Findagrave.
An 1880-vintage escutcheon - a "brag wall" plaque celebrating his wartime career - was offered for sale for about $2000 on eBay in 2020.
Birth
07/12/1821; Glasgow, SCOTLAND
Death
02/25/1896; burial in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
1 State of New York, Adjutant-General, Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York [year]: Registers of the [units], 43 Volumes, Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer, 1893-1905, For the Year 1901, Ser. No. 29, pg. 980 [AotW citation 22485]
