He married Mary Elizabeth Wilkerson (b.1834) of Knoxville, and they had 3 children, Mary (Rachel) Elizabeth, b.1855, Sarah Jane, b.1857, and John Bell, b.1860, before he left to fight in the War Between the States. He enlisted in the Union Army in the Tennessee Volunteers and was given the rank of Lieutenant of 4th Tennessee Volunteers, Co. C. He was then promoted to the rank of Captain in Co.C of 4th Tennessee Infantry by August, 1862. Due to his deeds during the war he was promoted to the rank of Major in the 1st Tennessee Volunteers, Cavalry, Co.C, USA. Upon returning from the war in 1864, he resumed his occupation as a "house carpenter", per the U S Census of 1870, taken on the 4th of July, 1870 by J.C. McCrary, Ass't.Marshall, of the "Inhabitants of the 6th district of Union County, Tennessee in Maynardville". He also resumed adding to his family, with Margaret b.1864, James Patton, b.1867 and Melvina Ann Viola,b.1868. His real estate was valued at over $1500 and personal estate valued the same. They were very happy until the death of his beloved wife on Christmas Eve of 1870. Morgan T. Burkhart did not remarry until 1874 when he married a widow, Mary M.Vittatoe who blessed him with one more child, a daughter they named Maggie, b.1874. Morgan lived a long life for a man in the late 1800's, actually living until 3 days before his 71st birthday on Apr 11, 1902. He is buried at Milan Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee, near his 1st wife, Mary Elizabeth Burkhart, whom he'd lost over 30 years before.
He married Mary Elizabeth Wilkerson (b.1834) of Knoxville, and they had 3 children, Mary (Rachel) Elizabeth, b.1855, Sarah Jane, b.1857, and John Bell, b.1860, before he left to fight in the War Between the States. He enlisted in the Union Army in the Tennessee Volunteers and was given the rank of Lieutenant of 4th Tennessee Volunteers, Co. C. He was then promoted to the rank of Captain in Co.C of 4th Tennessee Infantry by August, 1862. Due to his deeds during the war he was promoted to the rank of Major in the 1st Tennessee Volunteers, Cavalry, Co.C, USA. Upon returning from the war in 1864, he resumed his occupation as a "house carpenter", per the U S Census of 1870, taken on the 4th of July, 1870 by J.C. McCrary, Ass't.Marshall, of the "Inhabitants of the 6th district of Union County, Tennessee in Maynardville". He also resumed adding to his family, with Margaret b.1864, James Patton, b.1867 and Melvina Ann Viola,b.1868. His real estate was valued at over $1500 and personal estate valued the same. They were very happy until the death of his beloved wife on Christmas Eve of 1870. Morgan T. Burkhart did not remarry until 1874 when he married a widow, Mary M.Vittatoe who blessed him with one more child, a daughter they named Maggie, b.1874. Morgan lived a long life for a man in the late 1800's, actually living until 3 days before his 71st birthday on Apr 11, 1902. He is buried at Milan Cemetery, Union County, Tennessee, near his 1st wife, Mary Elizabeth Burkhart, whom he'd lost over 30 years before.
Inscription
Top line reads "Co, C, 1st Tenn. Vol."
"Dearest Father he has left us and our loss we deeply feel. But tis God who has bereft us. He can all our sorrows heal. Yet again we hope to meet Thee when the day of life has fled. When in Heaven with joy to greet Thee. Where no farewell tear is shed." Thank you to Howard Sutherland, a Burkhart relative, for transcribing this in July 2011 and for photographing his headstone, including close ups of the marker's writings.
Gravesite Details
Thank you Howard, for the great pictures. Morgan was my mother's 1st Cousin, 3x removed. Morgan's father, Peter Burkhart, and my 3x great grandfather, John Burkhart, were brothers.