Leonard Morris, Gent born Morriss (1748 – May 17, 1831) was an American spy, justice and sheriff, and was one of the founders of Charleston, West Virginia in 1789.

While holding no official military rank in the militia, Leonard was serving as an agent for the state of Virginia under General Andrew Lewis and George Washington.

Five years later Leonard was named as one of the trustees of Charleston when the town was incorporated by the Virginia House of Delegates in 1794, alongside Ruben Slaughter, Andrew Donnally Sr, John Young and William Morris.

Leonard grew up in Culpeper County, Virginia and his father's land bordered Colonel Henry Field who served as in the House of Burgesses and Aide-de-camp of General Lewis.

Leonard had sixteen children, six by his first wife Margaret Price - John, Meredith, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Leonard Jr.; and ten children by his second wife Margaret Larkin - Charles, Nancy, Parthenia, Joshua, Hiram, Peter, Andrew, Cynthia, Madison and Dickinson.

Leonard's brother William Morris Jr served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Kanawha County.

In November 1774, while occupying Fort Morris, Leonard received a guard of ten soldiers who remained until the settlers were safe from Indians.

[8] From 1777 through 1782, Morris was commissioned as spy by Patrick Henry for the State of Virginia during the American Revolution, tracking hostile Indian movements in Greenbrier and Kanawha along with his brother-in-law John Jones.

The Ranger company was listed in a March 24, 1792 report to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Lee III as "having adopted full and effectual measures for the defense of the Western Frontier.

On this occasion several of the newly appointed Justices were sworn in as members of the Court including Thomas Lewis Jr., and Daniel Boone.

[17] "And the said Leonard Morris, being produced as a witness for the plaintiff, after being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That in the year 1775, this deponent was residing on Kanawha river about six miles from Burning Spring Tract.

This article incorporates text from these sources, which are in the public domain: History of West Virginia, by Virgil Anson Lewis (1887)