The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-22

estate business, has not been actively
engaged for several years, and with
his young wife and child was rounding
out a life of usefulness and credit and
mellowing out a serene and happy old
age
Not many days ago the general was
taken with an attack of la grippe,
which, although at first slight, took
quite a serious hold on the constitu-
ton which age had left unable to with
stand too violent a strain. The death
Of his beloved son, Capt. A. B. John
son, of the regular army, at San An
tonic, coupled with his indisposition,
told severely upon the invalid who,
though in much suffering, refused to
receive medical attention.
The seriousness of his condition was
made apparent to him, and Dr. Met
calf was called and made every effort
to rally the man who had more than
once faced death on the field of bat
tie, but it was apparent to She ply
stefan at dinner time last night that
if the general lived through the night
it would be on account of his rugged
vitality. This fact was made known to
Mrs. Johnson and friends of the fam
lily, and messages were dispatched to
the generals sons, one of whom, R.
w. Jr., is an army surgeon at Fort
Logan, Denver, and the other a rail-
road official at Cincinnati.
At his bedside when he died were
his wife, Mrs. A. B. Johnson, his sons
wife; DIR. Metcalf and T. A. Barker.
Gen. Richard w Johnson was born
! in Kentucky in 1927, and, after receiv-
ing a good education, was appointed
to West Point from his native state
in 1S49 to be at once elevated to brevet
] second lieutenant and assigned to the
Sixth infantry and ordered to report
to the commanding officer at Fort Smell
ling on Oct 4, 1S49. In 1850 he mar
ried Miss Rachel E. Steele, a sister of
the late Mrs. H. H. Sibley and Of
Franklin Steele. From the fall Of 1850,
/ Texas. he has had an unusually envi-
/ able career, having served against the
/ Indians in Texas and also in the bat
/ ties of Stone River, Liberty Gap, Chick
amauga Mission Ridge, New Hope
Church and other places during the
/ Civil war At New Hope church a
I IWelNe-pOuuu shell broke several MS
ribs, leaving him for a time unified
for active duty.
Gen. Johnson commanded a division
/ of cavalry at the battles of Franklin
and Nashville at the time of Shermans
march to the sea, and later was given
command of the district of Tennessee.
where he remained till the end of the
war, when he was mustered out of the
volunteer service. During the war he
served as provost marshal general of
the division of Mississippi and after
ward of the department Of the Cum
! berland. In 1867 he was unable longer
to perform field Duty and was, at his
own request, placed on the retired list
with rank commensurate with the
command he was exercising at the time
he was wounded. For gallant and
meritorious service in the battle Of
Chickamauga he was breveted lieu
tenant colonel, colonel for Chattanooga
brigadier general for Nashville. major
general for services during the war
and major general of volunteers for
gallant service in the battles before
Nashville
Gen. Johnson, formerly a strong
| Democrat, has always taken an active
part in the welfare of the party, speak
ing and writing in its defense, yet he
| has held but one civil office, that Of
| county commissioner in 1878. He was
| a candidate for governor in 1881, but
| the overwhelming majority of the op-
position defeated him. In 1868 he was
military professor in the state univer-
sity. and then removed permanently to
ST. Paul, although, like Gen. Sibley,
he has been identified with the city's
interests for over a quarter Of a CEN
fury, and very properly comes in as an
old settler in 1857. In 1870 he was a
partner in the real estate business with
Col. ID. A. Robertson in this city; after
few years he left the firm to enter
business fol himself. He has been an
active member of the chamber of COM
| merce, whose president he once was;
as useful member of the state his
| torical society and a prominent mem
| Der of the House of Hope church
Gen. Johnson was both a good writ
ter and good speaker. His life of
Gen. Thomas will receive greater
recognition in years to come than in
the days when it was written, $780, 1t
is valuable work, being an accumula-
ton of facts passing under the per-
sonal recollection of the author, with
a style clear, interesting and historical
| The general was a very active and
prominent member of society His
energy, one Of his predominant ele-