John Morgan 1867 Civil Suit
Jackson County, Alabama
Bradley Wilson & Co. vs
Benj Snodgrass defs
John Morgan
John H. Liney
Robert Jackson
James Hillion
Charles Ivey
Carter Kirby
Miller Kirby
Mat Chandler
Egypt Land
A.P. Moore
Garnishees
October 3rd comes the plaintiffs by their attorneys and also comes into open court the following garnishees who have been heretofor summons (sic) as such and filed this written answer as such which was ordered to be placed upon file in this court who answer as following to wit
NOTE: This record means that the garnishees owed debts to Bradley, Wilson and Co. and a portion of their crops have been “condemned” or garnisheed as owed to Bradley, Wilson and Co. when they are harvested, and that the garnishees are prevented from doing anything else with those crops, or from paying Bradley, Wilson & Co. any money in lieu of those crops. The John Morgan named here is more likely John Malon Morgan and not John Benton Morgan. John Malon Morgan, son of John Benton Morgan, married Margaret Snodgrass. Bradley, Wilson & Co. were commission merchants and bankers in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a branch in Huntsville, Alabama. Commission merchants made loans, sold seed and supplies to planters and farmers, and bought crops and acted as agents at market. Their holdings were extensive before the war, but by 1867, the firm was in debt and “financially embarrassed”.
Egypt Land answers to ½ of corn crop now growing in 15 acres of land and one half cotton & pea crop made on 3 acres of land & half syrup made on 8 & 10 acres, Mathew Chandler answers to ½ of the cotton made on 8 acres of land and half of the corn made on seven acres of land, A.P. Moore continues for further answer, J.M. Kirby answers to one third of the corn made on two acres of land and one third of the cotton made on two acres of land, J. Carter Kirby answers to one third of the crop of corn made on 8 acres of land.
It is therefore ordered by the court that the foregoing property be condemned to the satisfaction of the plaintiffs attachment and the parties are hereby restrained from paying the amount to the defendant or any other person except upon order of the court and in addition comes on court James Hillion who files his written answer as one of the garnishees in this cause acknowledging and indebtedness one third of 8 acres of corn which is restrained in his hands as in the above order.
Jackson County Court Minutes 1865-1869, Book C: 422-423, Jackson County Heritage Society, Scottsboro, Alabama. There is a note in margin “recorded page 332”, but I do not have that record. These original minute books are held in archives at the society, and cannot be photocopied, but digital photos are allowed.