St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-29
PEN PICTUREs.
Gen. johnson and His Very Interesting
Military Career Briefly Re-
viewed.
The Peculiarities of Former Indian
Agent and Stirring Citizen
Discussed.
Capt. Barney Takes no Tea or Coffee,
Wine, Whisky or Tobacco
in His.
How an Old Settler Mounted Ban
quet Table and Kicked the
Dishes About.
Copyrighted by T. M. Newson.l
RICHARD w. JOHNSON.

lCOpyrlguteQ Dy Il. M. NeWSOQ.
RICHARD W. JOHNSON.
A large, fine-lOoking man, with gray
whiskers and gray hair, with portly APP
pearance and an energetic movement, affa-
BILE in his bearing, yet positive in his opin-
ions, Gen. Johnson exemplifies the man in
the character of the soldier. His stirring
nature, his brusque, off hand greetings, his
quick comprehension, his business activity,
his physique, backed by fountain of good
nature, mark him as man OF power, and
one noting his elastic step on the street
would take him to be a much younger man
than he really ,is, for the vigOr of strong
manhood still holds sway over the veteran
general Born in Lexington county, Ken
lucky, Feb. Z, 1927, he has the tempered
chivalry of the South, while at the same
time he has the hot blood of the Kentuckian,
who is ever ready to resent what he deems
an insult. After good education he
was appointed to West Point from his
native state. and was graduated in 1S49;
was at once elevated to brevet second lieu
tenant and assigned to the Sixth infantry,
and ordered to report to the commanding
officer, Col. G. Loonlis, at Fort Smelling,
Oct. 4, 1849. In 1850 he married Miss
Rachel E. Steele, the sister of the late Mrs.
81. III. Sbley and of Franklin Steele In
the fall of 1850 he was promoted to the
First infantry and joined that regiment IN
Texas Soon after he joined the First in
fantry, Lieut.. johnson was appointed adj
jutant of his regiment and served in that
capacity until 1855, when he was made first
lieutenant of the Second regiment of cav
airy, organized under an act of congress
that year. On joining that regiment he was
appointed regimental quartermaster, which
position he held until promoted to captainl
Dec. 1, 1856. AS captain of cavalry he was
occupied up to 1861 in campaigns agans'
the Indians in Texas, and had MANY COM
bats with them. When the secession move
ment took place he was in Texas and was
surrendered by Gen. Twiggs, in common
with all the troops stationed in that state.
but he succeeded in getting North with his
company without being paroled, and
took up his quarters at Carlisle barracks
Pennsylvania where. after remounting
his command. he became connected with
Gen. Patterson's column at Chambersburg,
and participated in the campaign under
him. being engaged in the battle of Falling
Water. In 1861 he obtained leave of alb
sence to enable him to accept the position
of lieutenant colonel of the First Kentucky
Volunteer cavalry, but before the regiment
was formed he was appointed brigadier gen.
eral of volunteers and assigned to duty with
Gen. Anderson as brigade commander.
He remained with that army, participating
in the battles of Stone River, Liberty Gap,
Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, New Hope
Church, the Atlanta campaign, etc. At
New Hope Church he was wounded by a
twelve-pound shell, having several ribs
broken and deranging the natural taste n
ings of the liver. hich adhered improperly
leaving him unfit for active duty. In this
condition he was appointed chief of cavalry
on the staff of Gen. Sherman, and
ordered to take post in Nashville.
When Sherman started for the sea and
Thomas reached Nashville, Gen. johnson
reported to him and was assigned to the
command of a division of cavalry, which he
commanded in the battles of Franklin and
Nashville. When Hoods army was driven
from Tennessee Gen. johnson was as
signed to the command of the district of
Tennessee, and remained in command of
same until the war was ended and he was
mustered out of the volunteer service. He
served as provost martial general of the
division of the Mississippi, and afterward
of the department of the Cumberland.
When the provost martial's department was
no longer required Gen. Thomas continued
him on his staff as judge advocate. In 1867,
being unable to perform field duty, he was
at his own request placed on the retired
list, with the rank commensurate with the
command he was exercising at the time he
was wounded.
FROM LIEUTENANT TO MAJOR GENERAL.
His military record embraces all grades,
having passed from second lieutenant to
major general ''For gallant and meritori-
GUS service in the battle of Chickamauga"
he was brevetted lieutenant colonel, colonel
for Chattanooga, brigadier general for
Nashville, major general for services during
the war. and major general of volunteers
for gallant and meritorious service in the
battles before Nashville, Tenn"
OFFICES.
While Gen. johnson is strong Demo
crat and has taken an active part in the
welfare of the party, speaking and writin G
in it's defense, yet he has held only one
civil office, and that was county commits
sioner, in 1878. He was candidate for
governor in 1881 and made canvass of the
state, speaking effectively in defense of the
principles of his party, but the overwhelm-
ing majority of the opposition defeated
him. In 1868 he was military professor in
the state university, and then removed per-
manently tc st. Paul to live, although like
Gen. Sibley he has been identified with the
citys interest for over a quarter of century,
and very properly comes in as an old settler
in 1857. +...........-
In 1870 he was partner in the real estate
business with Col. D. A. Robertson in this
city; few years later he left the firm and is
now in business for himself. He has been
an active member of the chamber of COM
merce and at one time was president; is a
useful member of the Historical society and
prominent member of Hope church.
HIS LITERARY TASTES.
Gen. johnson is a fine writer and a good
speaker His life of Gen. Thomas, a large
and beautifully printed volume, will receive
greater recognition in years to come than
in the day in which it was written. 1t is a
valuable work because it is the accumu-
lation of facts passing under the personal
recollection of the author, and its style is
clear, interesting, flowing and historical
1t was written in 1880.
Gen. johnson has three sons, two of
whom were born in Texas. and one at
Mendoza.
PERSONAL.
The general has been very active, prom
inent, useful member of society, and still
is. His energy is one of his predominant
elements-push, go. accomplish, do some
thing seem to be the inward spirit which
moves the man. He is social, genial, pleas
ant, accommodating, and yet everything re-
wolves around that one word-busy-and
thus he is constantly filling up the measure
of his usefulness and melowing out Sc
rene and happy old age with generous acts
of kindness.
CELERY VS.. SALARY.
One of the old settlers was particularly
impressed with bunch of celery, which
made its appearance in St. Paul for the
first time some thirty years ago. Eyes, I"
he remarked. 81 love celery. and [ love