MORRISON, James, army contractor, born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1755; died in Washington, D. C., 23 April, 1823. He was the son of an Irish emigrant, and was for six years in the Revolutionary army, doing good service as one of Daniel Morgan's corps of riflemen. After the war he engaged in business in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and became sheriff. In 1792 he removed to Lexington, Kentucky There he became successively land-commissioner, representative in the legislature, supervisor of the revenue, navy agent, contractor for the northwestern army during the war of 1812, quartermaster-general, president of the Lexington branch of the United States bank. and chairman of the board of trustees of Transylvania university. He acquired great wealth, which he expended in refined hospitality, the judicious patronage of deserving young men, and the encouragement of literature. He was a man of great natural ability and much decision of character, and had made good early deficiencies by extensive reading. He died while he was prosecuting a large claim against the government in Washington.