George Lee Morton was born on December 10th, 1866, in Onslow County, North Carolina, the son of Stephen Henderson and Mary C. Wilder Morton. He received his early education at the Wilson Collegiate Institute and the Bingham School in North Carolina before going into the turpentine business, opening the George L. Morton Company of Wilmington, North Carolina. He would continue in that line of work until his death, being appointed as the Southern Manager of the Galena Signal Oil Company in 1910, and then Vice President of the company in 1918. In addition to his oil business he also served as the Postmaster of Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1894 to 1898, and served seven terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate, being elected from New Hanover County. He was married to Miss Eliza Ward, who died in 1891, and he was later married again to Miss Mildred Gracey Thompson (1878-1963) of Kentucky.
He was active in the local naval contingent of the North Carolina State Guard, first being appointed as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, of the Wilmington Division of the 1st Battalion of Naval Artillery on August 1st, 1892; he was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant on June 12th, 1893, and was made the Executive Officer, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, of the Naval Battalion on December 7th, 1893. On August 13th, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and placed in charge of the North Carolina Naval Battalion of the State Guard, and when the Naval Battalion was increased and designated as the Naval Brigade he was promoted to the rank of Captain commanding the brigade on March 6th, 1899. He continued his service until April 22nd, 1900, when he resigned to take care of his personal affairs, however on March 23rd, 1901, was appointed as a Naval Aide with the rank of Colonel on the staff of the Governor of North Carolina.
During the Spanish American War he was called to active service with the Naval Battalion and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy on May 12th, 1898, and served an Assistant to the Chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and was placed in command of the Sixth District of that force, as well as being placed in immediate command of the monitor USS Nantucket. He served on coastal duty aboard the Nantucket at Port Royal, South Carolina, for the next several months, until he was honorably discharged from the service on November 2nd, 1898, and returned to Wilmington.
Colonel Morton died of a heart attack on October 19th, 1930, while on a business trip to New York City, New York; his remains were brought back to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was buried on the 22nd of October at the Bellevue Cemetery.
He was active in the local naval contingent of the North Carolina State Guard, first being appointed as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, of the Wilmington Division of the 1st Battalion of Naval Artillery on August 1st, 1892; he was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant on June 12th, 1893, and was made the Executive Officer, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, of the Naval Battalion on December 7th, 1893. On August 13th, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and placed in charge of the North Carolina Naval Battalion of the State Guard, and when the Naval Battalion was increased and designated as the Naval Brigade he was promoted to the rank of Captain commanding the brigade on March 6th, 1899. He continued his service until April 22nd, 1900, when he resigned to take care of his personal affairs, however on March 23rd, 1901, was appointed as a Naval Aide with the rank of Colonel on the staff of the Governor of North Carolina.
During the Spanish American War he was called to active service with the Naval Battalion and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy on May 12th, 1898, and served an Assistant to the Chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and was placed in command of the Sixth District of that force, as well as being placed in immediate command of the monitor USS Nantucket. He served on coastal duty aboard the Nantucket at Port Royal, South Carolina, for the next several months, until he was honorably discharged from the service on November 2nd, 1898, and returned to Wilmington.
Colonel Morton died of a heart attack on October 19th, 1930, while on a business trip to New York City, New York; his remains were brought back to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was buried on the 22nd of October at the Bellevue Cemetery.
George Lee Morton was born on December 10th, 1866, in Onslow County, North Carolina, the son of Stephen Henderson and Mary C. Wilder Morton. He received his early education at the Wilson Collegiate Institute and the Bingham School in North Carolina before going into the turpentine business, opening the George L. Morton Company of Wilmington, North Carolina. He would continue in that line of work until his death, being appointed as the Southern Manager of the Galena Signal Oil Company in 1910, and then Vice President of the company in 1918. In addition to his oil business he also served as the Postmaster of Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1894 to 1898, and served seven terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate, being elected from New Hanover County. He was married to Miss Eliza Ward, who died in 1891, and he was later married again to Miss Mildred Gracey Thompson (1878-1963) of Kentucky.
He was active in the local naval contingent of the North Carolina State Guard, first being appointed as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, of the Wilmington Division of the 1st Battalion of Naval Artillery on August 1st, 1892; he was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant on June 12th, 1893, and was made the Executive Officer, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, of the Naval Battalion on December 7th, 1893. On August 13th, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and placed in charge of the North Carolina Naval Battalion of the State Guard, and when the Naval Battalion was increased and designated as the Naval Brigade he was promoted to the rank of Captain commanding the brigade on March 6th, 1899. He continued his service until April 22nd, 1900, when he resigned to take care of his personal affairs, however on March 23rd, 1901, was appointed as a Naval Aide with the rank of Colonel on the staff of the Governor of North Carolina.
During the Spanish American War he was called to active service with the Naval Battalion and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy on May 12th, 1898, and served an Assistant to the Chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and was placed in command of the Sixth District of that force, as well as being placed in immediate command of the monitor USS Nantucket. He served on coastal duty aboard the Nantucket at Port Royal, South Carolina, for the next several months, until he was honorably discharged from the service on November 2nd, 1898, and returned to Wilmington.
Colonel Morton died of a heart attack on October 19th, 1930, while on a business trip to New York City, New York; his remains were brought back to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was buried on the 22nd of October at the Bellevue Cemetery.
He was active in the local naval contingent of the North Carolina State Guard, first being appointed as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, of the Wilmington Division of the 1st Battalion of Naval Artillery on August 1st, 1892; he was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant on June 12th, 1893, and was made the Executive Officer, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, of the Naval Battalion on December 7th, 1893. On August 13th, 1897, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and placed in charge of the North Carolina Naval Battalion of the State Guard, and when the Naval Battalion was increased and designated as the Naval Brigade he was promoted to the rank of Captain commanding the brigade on March 6th, 1899. He continued his service until April 22nd, 1900, when he resigned to take care of his personal affairs, however on March 23rd, 1901, was appointed as a Naval Aide with the rank of Colonel on the staff of the Governor of North Carolina.
During the Spanish American War he was called to active service with the Naval Battalion and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy on May 12th, 1898, and served an Assistant to the Chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and was placed in command of the Sixth District of that force, as well as being placed in immediate command of the monitor USS Nantucket. He served on coastal duty aboard the Nantucket at Port Royal, South Carolina, for the next several months, until he was honorably discharged from the service on November 2nd, 1898, and returned to Wilmington.
Colonel Morton died of a heart attack on October 19th, 1930, while on a business trip to New York City, New York; his remains were brought back to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was buried on the 22nd of October at the Bellevue Cemetery.
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