Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-07-21
DELAWARE, OHIO, JULY 81, 1866.
THE HOME nF ANnREW InHMsnM


Rev. Randall Ross, chaplain of the 10TH
Ohio Regiment, writes an interesting let
| ter to the United Presbwertan, descrip.
tive of the village of Greenville, East
| Tennessee, the home of President John
son. The place contains only about one
! thousand Inhabitants, and consists of four
squares, with streets running through at
right angles The writer mentions the
principal buildings-churches taverns,
the old mill, etc., and also notes the
spot in the garden of Mrs. Williams,
where the notorious ohm Morgan was
shot and mortally wounded by a Union
soldier. He was shot while crouching
under grape vine, and the vine has
since been cut away by soldiers who have
taken the cutting" to plant. Mr.. Ross
| then continues:
But Greenville is especially noted and
honored as being the home of Andrew
johnson, present President of the United
States. This renders this village inter
esting to all, and everything connected
with Andrew Johnson s residence in it is
of the deepest interest to the American
people Many years ago, on a certain
evening, a rude, black-headed, black
eyed, good-looking boy, said my inform
ant, drove into town with a poor old
horse in little one-horse vehicle, in
which he had his mother and a few house
hold things. They succeeded in securing
an humble habitation by rent. This Sc
cured, the next object was to secure la
Dor by which to live. He began to in
quire for tailoring to do. His honest
appearance, together with his anxiety to
obtain work, however, induced an influ-
7entlal citizen to give him a coat to make,
and if he made good job of it, he then
would have no difficulty in getting work.
He did his best, he succeeded with the
| job, and he began Immediately to gain
| the confidence of the public and get
plenty to do. This was the first appear
ance of Andrew johnson in Greenville,
Tenn, and this is the first job of work he
did on his own responsibility. The first
house he lived in, was told, is not now
standing. He was industrious and at
tentiYe to business, and he succeeded
well. In process of time he was mar
ried. The marriage ceremony was per-
formed by Mordica Lincoln, ESQ.,, said to
be distant relation of the late President
Lincoln. The house in which he was
married has been removed. At this
time, my informant told me, Andrew
y Johnson could not read, and was taught
to read by his wife, after their marriage
Things prospered with them, and in due
time he became able to own his own
house and lot. just down there at the
base of this hill stands small brick
building, with back porch, and around
it the necessary fixtures. It stands on
the corner OF the square, near where the
mill race passes under the street. on its
way down to the little old mill That is
the first house ever Andrew johnson
owned. 1t now belongs to another per-
son. But down there, about due west
from where / sit, and almost directly op-
posite the little old mill, whose large
wheel is still moving, but whose motion
is scarcely pereeptible, you will see a
rather humble, old-fashioned looking
| tWo-story brick house, standing near the
south end of Main street. It has but one
entrance from the street. In front of it
stand three or four small shade trees
The fences of the lot and windows of the
house show evident signs of dilapidation,
the consequence of rebellion and rebel
rule. Like many other windows in the
South, number of panes of glass are
broken out and their places supplied with
paper. Glass could net be obtained in
the Confederacy. As you pass along the
pavement on Main street, by looking into
the lot You see several young apple trees,
and In the spaces between them are
potatoes growing. In the rear of the
kitchen stands a small aspen shade tree,
and down there in the lower end of the
/ lot Is a grape vine, trained upon a trellls,
forming pleasant bower, Scattered over
the lot are a number of rose, currant and
gooseberry bushes. At the lower end of
the lot, and just outside, stand two large
weeping willows, and under their shade
is very beautiful spring. This is the
residence of Andrew johnson, President
of the United States. Up street stands
his former tailor shop. with the old sign
still on it; and in an old store-room up
street is the remains of his library. At
present it consists of law books and pub
1 lie documents, most of his more valuable
books having been destroyed by the rebel
soldiery.
Such is the brief description of the
home of Andrew johnson, nov Presi-
dent of the United States It Is in a
lovely and unpretending little mountain
village of East Tennessee-just such a
place as men would be least likely to look
for President of the United States in,
but is the place from which Providence
has called our present Chief Magistrate;
and that he comes from such a home is
his greatest honor, and the plainest evi-
dence that he is the chosen instrument of
Providence to carry out his purposes with
this nation. May he, as his lamented
predecessor, always feel the responsible
/ ity of his position, and with the same
honest, Christian trust, be enabled to
carry out the designs of Providence in
placing him in the position he now oc-
cupies.