James Brown Morrison
James Morrison c. 1890, from family photo collection
Intendent of McClellanville
In office 1926–1927
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Paul H. Seabrook (as mayor)
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Charleston County
In office 1918–1920
Preceded by	Richard Morrison Lofton
Succeeded by	Edward Henry Barnwell
In office 1914–1916
Preceded by	Arnoldus VanderHorst
Succeeded by	Edward Mitchell Seabrook
Sheriff of Berkeley County, South Carolina
In office 1891–1905
Preceded by	Archibald D. Rhame
Succeeded by	Thomas D. Mazyck
Member of South Carolina Constitutional Convention
In office 10 September 1895 – 4 December 1895
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Berkeley County
In office 1888–1890
Preceded by	Charles Boyle
Succeeded by	Edward James Dennis
Jury Commissioner for Berkeley County
In office 1883–1887
Personal details
Born	(1846-01-28)28 January 1846 Barbour County, Alabama, US
Died	19 February 1928(1928-02-19) (aged 82) McClellanville, South Carolina, US
Party	Democratic Party (United States) (Redeemers) Southern Democrat
Other political affiliations	Redshirts Solid South
Spouse	Eliza Hibben Leland (1847–1922)
Children	10
Parent(s)	Richard Morrison II, Elizabeth Ann Venning (1817–1859)
Occupation	Soldier Sheriff Politician Farmer Businessman
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America South Carolina
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1863–1865
Rank	Sergeant (CSA) Corporal (CSA) Private (CSA)
Unit	"Lamar Guards" Company B, 19th South Carolina Infantry, Army of Tennessee, Confederate States Army
Battles/wars	American Civil War Atlanta Campaign Battle of New Hope Church Siege of Atlanta Battle of Ezra Church Battle of Franklin Battle of Nashville Carolinas Campaign Battle of Bentonville Bennett Place Reconstruction era Nov. 1876 Charleston Redshirt Riots

James Brown Morrison (1846–1928) was an American soldier, politician, sheriff, and farmer, who served in the American Civil War and also played a role as a Red Shirt during the Reconstruction Era in Charleston, South Carolina, supporting Wade Hampton III as an anti-carpetbagger candidate for governor in the 1876 election.

James Brown Morrison Sr. was born to Richard Morrison II and Elizabeth Ann Venning. He joined the civil war in his early teenage years, and fought with the Army of Tennessee. He married his wife, Eliza Hibben Leland in 1870; they had seven children. His wife was a granddaughter of Rev. Aaron Leland, a great granddaughter of James Hibben, and a distant descendant of John Leland. Morrison was a fourth great-grandson of John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1675–1732), who was a leader of the Jacobite rising of 1715. He was also a 3rd great-grandson of Daniel Legare, a representative to the South Carolina Provincial Congress.

At around 18 years old, Morrison joined the 19th South Carolina Infantry Regiment and went with them to join the Army of Tennessee, gathering in the Deep South.^[1] He served with them throughout the war seeing many battles including the Siege of Atlanta, the Battle of Nashville, and the Battle of Bentonville. He surrendered with his unit when the rest of his army surrendered at Bennett Place.^[2][3][4]

Following the war, Morrison became active in local South Carolina politics during the Reconstruction era.^[5] He aligned himself with the Red Shirts, a paramilitary group that opposed the republican rule of the state as well as the African American vote. This group supported Wade Hampton III for governor in the election that year, a man who Morrison's father, Richard Morrison II, served under as an officer during the Civil War. Morrison and his constituents were a part of local rifle clubs that participated in voter intimidation campaigns and efforts to suppress political participation and drive out Federal occupying troops. This occurred in and around Charleston, South Carolina during the South Carolina civil disturbances of 1876.^[6] After the 1876 riots, and the election of Wade Hampton III, a republican would not be governor of South Carolina until 90 years later.

Morrison's political career included serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives for Berkeley County 1888-1889. After that he served as Sheriff of Berkeley County 1891-1905, resigning at the end with several years still left on his term. As sheriff, he exercised substantial influence over local law enforcement and elections, overseeing measures that reinforced the Democratic Parties dominance and maintained systems of voter suppression in accordance with the political norms of the post-Reconstruction era. He was also involved with court case Gibbes v. Morrison, 39 S.C. 369, 17 S.E. 803 (S.C. 1893).^[7] Morrison returned to the South Carolina House of Representatives representing Charleston County twice. Throughout his political career, he remained affiliated with the Democratic Party, which, during this period, was the primary vehicle for conservative political power in South Carolina. He also was the originator of the state highway and other bills.^[8] He also worked at the South Carolina Constitutional Convention in 1895. He ran in the 1922 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina but lost the primary.

He lived in McClellanville for the majority of his later years.^[9] His last public office was that of first Intendent of McClellanville which was their version of a de-facto Mayor, he served that role 1926-1927. He died in 1928 at the age of 82.

Morrison appears in the South Carolina Legislative Manual (1919 edition), which records his public service — including his tenure as sheriff of Berkeley County, his service in the state House of Representatives for Berkeley (1888–1889) and Charleston (1915–1916), and his participation in the 1895 South Carolina constitutional convention.^[10][11] His daughter Susan married John T. Hills, a Supervisor of Roads in Charleston County, South Carolina.