William Augustus Morgan was born on August 10, 1836, in Newport, Wales. He eventually immigrated to America, and in 1850, he became an apprentice to a shipmaster in Maine. According to an early biographer, he “continued in that employ in the European and general freighting business until 1856. He spent the next few years working as a sailor.
He joined the United States Navy as an acting ensign on June 2, 1863. He spent the next two years serving with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. He was promoted to acting master in October 1864, and he was discharged on January 14, 1866.
He rejoined the navy soon afterward. He was promoted to master in December 1868 and then to lieutenant in March 1870. From 1871 until 1878, he divided his time between the Boston Navy Yard and the North Atlantic Squadron, serving aboard several vessels. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in July 1884 and finally to commander on July 4, 1893. He retired on September 29, 1894. He died of Bright’s disease in San Francisco, California, on October 28, 1895.