Staats Long Morris

Who was Staats Long Morris?

Staats Long Morris was an American colonist who served as a major-general in the British army during the American Revolution. He was the grandson of Lewis Morris, the brother of Lewis Morris, and the half-brother of Gouverneur Morris.

He studied at Yale College. On 31 May 1756, he joined the British army, and became captain of the 36th Regiment of Foot. He was quickly promoted lieutenant-colonel in the 89th Regiment of Foot, with which he served at the siege of the French colony of Pondicherry, India in 1761. He became Colonel in the 61st Foot. On 7 July 1763, he was made brigadier-general, in 1777 he obtained major-general, and in 1796 he became a general. He was appointed to succeed James Johnston as Governor of the garrison at Quebec in 1797, holding the office until his death.

In 1769, he took out a patent of some 30,000 acres, at Butternuts Creek, near Otsego Lake, and developed a settlement. In 1785, the patent was reassigned to Lewis Morris, and Richard Morris. He inherited Morrisiana, which he sold to Gouveneur Morris in 1787. On 1 June 1769, he purchased 967.37 acres, for £2,902 near Morristown, New Jersey. On 28 August 1790, he sold land in New Jersey to John Ramsey, John Dickson, and Thomas Coyle.