Jacob died of an apparent heart attack while ringing the town bell, shortly after rescuing three drowning men, when his son Andrew was three. Polly Johnson worked as a washerwoman and became the sole support of her family. Her occupation was then looked down on, as it often took her into other homes unaccompanied. Since Andrew did not resemble either of his siblings, there are rumors that he may have been fathered by another man. The Cabinet was divided on the issue.Johnson's first Reconstruction actions were two proclamations, with the unanimous backing of his Cabinet, on May 29. A bipartisan majority of the committee voted down impeachment charges; the committee adjourned on June 3.Later in June, Johnson and Stanton battled over the question of whether the military officers placed in command of the South could override the civil authorities.