The Morse's (1858-1869)

A young couple named John and Maria Morse were the first family to live in the house in it's current location. Union Street was a short little street, just a block long, that was in a part of town that began being developed around the time of the Civil War. Moving west from the center of town, it is preceded by Lincoln Street and intersected at the end by Garfield Street- named after a president who served a total of four months from March 5, 1881 to September 19, 1881 before he was shot by a lone gunman. (But apparently it wasn't the bullets that killed him, but rather, the doctors who tried to save him from the apparently non-life threatening injury. Historian Candice Millard described it this way: "twelve different doctors inserted unsterilized fingers and instruments in Garfield's back probing for this bullet," Millard recounted, "and the first examination took place on the train station floor. I mean, you can't imagine a more germ-infested environment." How doctors killed President Garfield)

Maria was only 17 when they were married in 1856. John was 5 years her senior. They had a baby named George in 1859, just about the time they would have bought the house on Union Street. In October of 1862 he enlisted in the Union Army. He was part of the Fifteenth New Hampshire Regiment, Company I. This unit was organized at Concord, NH from October 6-16, 1862 for nine months' service in response to Lincoln's call for 300,000 9 month men.

His regiment left for New York on November 13th and sailed for New Orleans on December 5th on board the Prometheus. Arriving on December 23rd, they were attached to Thomas Sherman's Division, Department of the Gulf to January 1863. They moved from Carrollton to Camp Parapet, Louisiana on January 28, 1863 until May where they fought at the Siege of Port Hudson, La., leading to the surrender of Port Hudson on July 9th, 1863. In total, 27 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded and 134 were lost by disease. The remainder of the regiment moved to Concord, N.H. between July 26 and August 8, and mustered out August, 13, 1863. (source: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nh/topic/civilwar/nh15thcoi1.htm)

John W. Morse is listed on the 1860 census as a shoe maker. He probably worked at the nearby Gale Brothers Shoe Factory on Front Street up until he enlisted. 

John probably worked here at Gale Bros. shoe factory.

Front Street Towers-

formerly Gale Bros. Shoe Factory

After the war, times were apparently financially tough for the Morse's. On the 1864 tax record he was assessed for taxes as "peddler class." I assume this means that he worked for himself selling things. On March 6th, 1866 his mortgage was foreclosed on. Two men "made peaceable entry upon and took possession of" his home and property on behalf of Charles G. Conner, his mortgage holder.

John probably worked here at Gale Bros. shoe factory.

In the original purchase deed, The Morse's were to pay William C. Clark the sum of $175.00 over a period of four years. Clark sold the mortgage along the way, which ended up extended four years past the original pay off date. The mortgage passed though several hands, at this point landing with Daniel Smith, who was apparently willing to take it on. John managed to pay Daniel Smith back within two years, but Maria appears to have died sometime between 1866 and 1868. I wonder if she died in childbirth with their second baby.

John sold the house on Union Street, remarried a woman named Caroline and had another baby named Frank. The family was listed on the 1870 census in New Market which is a small town about 20 miles north of Exeter. He was 35 at this point and listed as a farm laborer. 

Just two years later he died. Sort of a short, tragic life. Caroline was left with a mortgage and two boys, ages 1 and 11.

John W. Morse's death certificate- March 5, 1872

In 1869 John sold the house to Nathan and Everlin Stover.