The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-08-07
prATy OF ANDREW JOHNSON.

daughter Mrs. Vim. Il. Brown, formerly Mrs.
Stoner. about seven miles northwest OF Car
tcr's Station, some 40 miles east of Grcenvlle-
Tennessee He had left his home in Green
vile on Wednesday morning in apparent
good health, and travelling by railroad to Car
ter's Station, rode the remaining miles to
the home of his daughter in carriage, arrlv-
ing before noon, considerably fatigued. lie
ate hearty dinner, however, and in the AZ
ternoon walked over the farm. About four
O'clock he retained to the house, and sitting
in a chair laughing land talking cheerfully,
he suddenly fell from his chair TO the floor,
became speechless and was apparently in
great pain. He was helped to lounge,
where he soon regained his speech, and de-
claring il was nothing serious, requested that
no physician be sent for, The symptoms du'.
ing the night, however, growing serious, a
local physician was called next day, who pre-.
scribed for him and seemed to afford him
seme relief; bat at the urgent request OF this
physician, two of the ablest physicians at
Grcenvile were sent for, as well as the mem
hers of Mr.. Johnsons family, The physic-
ians on their arrival, saw that their patient
was past help, being in "A totally unconscious
state from which he rallied but once or twice
for few moments, until at 2 o'clock on FIJI
dav morning, when, as already stated, he
expired The disease, the doctors stated was
paralysis combined with heart disease.
After his death, the body was placed in a
burial case and conveyed on Saturday to the
family home in Greenvile, where, on Tues.
day it was buried in Il cemetery known as
"Johnson's Hill," a beautiful piece of ground
which Mr.. johnson had donated to the town
for cemetery, but Of which thus far letter
use had been made His faneral was attend
ed by some six thousand people principally
his old friends and ncighbors, but including
most of the state officers of Tennessee. No
member of the U. S. government, however,
was present, though all had been notified ct
| the time of the funeral from Grant down, and
none even condescended to send u little of re-
gret or coincidence. The services were con-
Quoted wholly by the Masonic fraternity, OF
which Mr.. johnson had long been member,
no clergymen beng inYited to take any part
! in them. This was doubtless in compliance
with Mr. Johnsons own wishes, as he had
never belonged to or attended any church or
made any religious profession. In accord
ance with his own request, also, his body
before being placed in the coffin, was wrap
ped in the AEerican 2ag, the flag procured
for the occasion being beautiful silk han
ner captured from Rosecrans' forces during
the late war by Gen. Rragg's troops, at TIT
I battle Of Chattanooga, sent to Richmond, ant
afterwards recaptured 'by Stoneman's cavalry
at Salisbury, N. c. Maj. Hambright being
provost marshal at the time, got possession o
it, and has kept it since.
Thus has passed to his final account ont
of the most remarkable men of his age ant
generation. His biography, of which We cal
give none but the briefest sketch, reads like
a romance. Born at Raleigh N. G., in 1908
of parents SO poor that they were unable ever
to send him TO the village school, he was, a
: the age of ten, apprenticed to the tailoring
trade. At sixteen, sort of literary lounge
about the tailor shop amused the boys by
reading to them speeches from school read
er, by which young Johnson was seized with
such desire to learn TO read that by dint o
hard study he comprised that primary liter
airy achievement At :21 he married, fortl,
Inatcly lady of some education, who laugh
him writing, arithmetic, and other minG
branches. Thus armed, johnson entered tn,
field of politics, in which he rapidly rost
from village alderman, Through the various
grades of the legislature, state senator, con
gress and L. 5. Senator, up 10 President o.
the United States
To sketch the character Of such man is
even more difficult than to detail his history
In his private relations he was not over
blessed. OF his three sons two died drunk
ards, and of the surviving one, the publisher
of the Greenville RtelligencCr, it is sufficient
TO say, that he is not model temperance
man. His three daughters, however, were
noble women, and the chief pride and com
fort of their father, their mother having died
when they were quite young of Mr.. John
son himself, whose personal habits and fail.
lnCs are so well known as at times to have
become national scandal, it may be sad he
was never social man, and had theaeputa-
ton among his ncighbors of being parsimoni-
Gus in the extreme.
But these minor blemishes do not deract
| from his many solid, meritorious qualities as
public servant ard statesman. No man
ever questioned his honesty or the genuine
ness OF his patriotism. HIS love OF country
was sort of Idolatry, and was maintained
through trials which few have been able to
appreciate or even understand. Though more
ferceiy assailed by his political opponents
and pursued with more obloquy than perhaps
any other of our public mel, no one ever
questioned his personal honesty, or had the
hardihood TO charge that pecuniarlly he
Inrof;,od nv any office he ever held beyOnd