Philip Hicky Morgan (sometimes spelled "Hickey" was born in Baton Rouge on August 9, 1825,[1] a son of Thomas Gibbes (sometimes spelled "Gibbs") Morgan and the former Eliza Ann McKennan.[2] He was named for Colonel Philip Hicky, a Louisiana plantation owner and friend of his father.[3] He was educated locally and then attended the University of Paris in France from 1841 to 1846.[2] He was fluent in several languages, including French and Spanish, and translated Louisiana's civil code into both languages.[4]
Morgan joined the military for the Mexican–American War and attained the rank of first lieutenant as a member of Company K, 1st Louisiana Volunteer Militia Regiment.[5] After attaining admission to the bar, he joined his father's law practice in Baton Rouge in 1848.[2] In 1853, he relocated his practice to New Orleans and continued there until the 1870s.[2]
Morgan was a judge of the 2nd District Court of Louisiana from 1853 to 1857.[2] During the American Civil War, Morgan remained loyal to the Union.[2] After the war, President Andrew Johnson nominated him as the U.S. attorney in New Orleans.[2] He served from 1866 to 1867, but left office after the United States Senate did not approve the nomination.[2] The appointment was made again by Johnson's successor, Ulysses S. Grant. The Senate approved, and Morgan served from 1869 to 1870.[2]
In 1852, Morgan married Beatrice Ford (1826-1905), a native of Baton Rouge.[6] They were the parents of nine children, five of whom survived to adulthood.[2]
^Smeltzer, Harry (April 28, 2008). "Family Ties – Kilpatrick Part II". Bull Runnings: A Journal of the Digitization of a Civil War Battle. Pittsburgh, PA: Harry Smeltzer. Retrieved June 20, 2020.