The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1900-06-05
Has Served in Many Notable
Gatherings.

sol. Thos. johnson was seen at his
v Nsutifuf suburban home last Thurs
day afternoon just before his depart
ure for Louisville, TO attend the Re-
union. II is out from the noise OF the
city, lovely mansion, rising above
srtisticsliY shaped shade trees, and
seated in the midst of rare roses and
shrubbery, the odor of which is most
exhilsrating.
The Col. had been about his busi-
hess and this with the burden of years
bur score and eight, lscking about
phe month, was cause of his reclining
position. He said: "If live until
July 4ih, will be eighty eight years
old. / have been farmer, trader,
a soldier, Representative in both
branches of the State Legislature, a
Confederate Congressman and am
now farmer, free from many more
vicissitudes' was Major General OF
the State militia under appointment
of Gov. Owsley, and when it became
necessary to contend for principle,
/ was found ON the side of what
shen and now believe was right and
Justice, and entered the ranks of the
X3nfederste army with the title of
y.olonel. was not at the Provision
al Congress in session at Montgomery
but with Hon. Thos. b. Monroe, of
ErAulxfort, who latev Aeca&Rss =. lisa
tinguished Appellate Judge, took the
- oath of allegiance to the Confederscy'
renonncing the Federal Govcrnmcut
at Richmond, Va, in 1861. During
the time l was in Congress, we dis
cussed and adopted methods by which
our money would I OF be deprecated.
Another thing engaged the minds OF
the Congress. 1t was the censure of
the President in not pressing forward
after the great victory won al the bat
tie of Bulls Run, for at that time the
Federals were in confusion. Our
roops had fought all day, heavy
: : lain had fallen on them and the army
was exhausted /; they could not with
out rest follow up the victory won.
The Congress saw this and Mr.. Da-
Wis who caused halt on the front Of
Confederates was exhonorated.
"In the Confederate Provisional
Congress at Montgomery were Hon.
Alexander II. Stephenson, Gen.
Howell Cobb, of Georgia, and Coils.
4, Benjsmine and Conrad, of Louisiana
able, earnest statesmen. was second
l to take the oath of allegiance. After
l the adjournment of this Congress
which lasted near three months, 1 re-
1 turned to Kentucky and raised about
700 men to follow me in the fight for
our rights. They were brave Ken
I tuckians and wherever 1 lead they
Jllowed, fighting on al occasions,
double their numbers ar, htrength in
arms. equipped at my own ex-
pense my command. The flag was
furnished by Mrs Henrietta Hamilton
and Mrs. Hettie Hawes, of Bourbon
county, and was conveyed by Mr..
Willis Goodman. That flag was in
many battle, and received but one
bullet hole; and to-dsy :s IL fine
state of preservation and will be car
ried in the procession at Louisville.
With my command l have fought
over the entire South. The negro
who served me during the war, Jor-
don Johnson is here with me, from
Ohio, after an absence of 80 years,
and will wait on me at the reunion.
In the fight here with the Yankees,
my horse was shot from under me and
again at Cynthiana sustained sim
liar loss. Retreating from the enemy
while with Gen. Jos. Wheeler--he is
q fghter--my horse fell on me in a
ditch, the command moved on and
when I wass missed squad return
ed for me and found me almost dead.
surrendered much against my will
in Mt. Sterling, subdued but not con-
quered, and returned to my avoca-