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1 History By Michael S. Riggs Charles E. Morse 1    Of all of Justus Morse's children, Charles E. is the biggest mystery. Justus failed to mention him either in his 1869 or 1870 letters to his sister, Salley (Bissell) Church. Charles appeared on both the special 1852 Census for Los Angeles County (as an eight-year-old who was born in Missouri) and the 1860 San Bernardino County Census (as fifteen years old, having been born in Ohio). Both entries would put his birth year in the 1844 or 1845 time frame. The problem is fitting the birth date and place (either Missouri or Ohio) with a known wife of Justus Morse. The only possible named wife that might fit would be Betsy (Towne, Clark) Morse. She died, however, in March of 1845 in Illinois, while Justus was serving his above-mentioned mission in Ohio. While it was possible for her to have traveled with him at the beginning of his mission (as a pregnant woman), had Charles, returned home alone, and then died before Justus returned, it does not seem probable. It was possible Charles might well have been the consequence of one of Morse's additional plural marriages in which he was participating during 1843-1844. In 1900, Morse's step-granddaughter wrote from San Bernardino, Bro. Jasper Wixom was up a while yesterday afternoon ... I asked him about the Morses. I found out more* from him than any one else I have enquired of. He says he knew grandpa Morse as well as he knew his own father. Then he told the names of all the sons. He said Charles was dead but the rest were living. We know. therefore, that Charles E. Morse did exist, but that he existed raises intriguing questions about Justus Morse's polygamist marriages during the Nauvoo period. 2    .

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