Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-08-04
ANDREW JOHNSON
How the News Was Received In
Knoxville.
Special Meeting Of the City Council
Interesting Facts About His Last
Hours.
from the Daily Chronicle, Aug. l


The information given in the col
umns of the morning papers yesterday,
prepared our readers and the public
generally, for the sad intelligence re-
ceived here about the middle of the
forenoon, that Ex-President Andrew
Johnson had died at half past two
O'Clock yesterday morning, at the resi-
dence of his daughter Mr.. Brown, in
Carter county, Tennessee. But not
withstanding previous announcements
the news of his death was quite a
shock to the community, and soon the
telegraph and newspaper offices were
crowded with anxious inquiries for
particulars of the sad event.
Mr. Johnson was born in Raleigh,
N. c., on the Goth day of December,
1908, so that at the time of his death
he was sixty-six years and six months
old. His parents were poor, and when
he was only four years old his father
died leaving him to the protection of a
widowed mother struggling with pow
erty.
At the age of ten he was appren-
ticed to tailor, with whom he served
seven years. His mother was unable
to afford him any educational advan-
tages, and he never attended school a
day in his life, but through his own
efforts he secured the rudiments of an
English education. Having completed
his apprenticeship in the autumn OF
1924, when he was sixteen years of age,
lacking a few months, he went to
Laurens c. H., S. c., where he worked
about two years as a journeyman tail
or. In May, 1926, he returned tc
Raleigh, where he procured employ
ment and remained until September,
He then set out to seek his fortune
elsewhere, taking his mother, who
was dependent on him for support
with him, and stopped at Greeneville
where he worked at his trade about
but not finding place that suited him
better he soon after returned and ha;
made that his home ever since.
Up to that time his education had
been very limited, he being unable tc
write or cipher-could barely read
With that unconquerable will which
has all through life been one of hi:
strong characteristics, he set to work
to learn this, which he did under the
instructions of his faithful wife. HI
was forced to labor for his daily bread
so that the only time that he could de
vote to obtaining even this limited ed
ucation was the dead hour of night
when men less ambitious and less in,
dustrious were asleep.
The first office he ever held was AL
derman of the town Of Gieeneville, t,
which he was elected in the year 1928
He was reelected in lS29,and again il
1880. In that year he was chosen May
or, which position he held for thre
years. In 1885 he was elected to tn,
State Legislature, where he distin
guished himself by opposing scheme
for giving State aid to internal improve
ments. This was at time when Their
were very few railroads in the Stat
and his position was unpopular s.
that in 1887 when he was a candidat,
for reelection he was defeated. II
1889 he was again a candidate for tn
Legislature, at which time certain de
velopments had made his former posi-
ton on the internal improvement
question more popular and he was cleo
ted. In 1S40 he served as a Presiden
tial Elector on the Democratic tickle
and canvassed the State in the interes
of Martin Van Buren, as against vii
liam Henry Harrison. In 1871 he wa
elected to the State Senate. The Leg
islature that year was closely divide
between the Wings and Democrats
the former having one orItwo majority
ed to prevent the election of Unite
States Senator, which combinatio
was ever afterwards known as tn
Immortal Thirteen. " Mr.. John
son took prominent paI
in the matter, and by his cours
incurred the displeasure of the Whig
to an extent perhaps that was not fel
toward any other Democratic leade
in the State.
In lS43 he was elected to Congres
from the First District in this Stat,
and was chosen to that position eac
successive election until 1853. His il
fluence with the masses W as now full
developed and understood, and it We
impossible to defeat him. His con
petitor in one of these elections ws
Chancellor o. p. Temple, of this city
who received a larger vote than an
nna WIN ever ran yainst him for Cor