The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-07-19
MRS. PATTERSON'S FUNERAL.
The transformations Home Where
Andrew Johnson Lived.

Greeneville Correspondence Nashville BAnner.]
1t is nearly twenty-six years since
the writer served as pall-bearer at
the funeral of ex-President Andrew
johnson. On yesterday the body
of his last surviving child, Mrs.
Martha j. Patterson, was borne
from the same room and buried by
the side of her father on Monument
Hill.
One of the oldest residents of
Greeneville is Mr.. William r.
Brown, whose residence is across
the street from the johnson resi-
dence. He remembers the time
when Andrew Johnson arrived in
Greeneville with his mother and
step-father in the year 1925. Is it
true, I asked of Mr.. Brown, as
stated in some of the papers, that
Andrew Johnson came to Greene
Vile in an oxoart? "No," he said,
81 remember the time. He came
to Greeneville in one-horse cover
ed wagon. They were then called
carry-alls. / myself got the fodder
to feed his horse on the nrst even
ing of his stay in Greeneville. He
said that he had started for the
West, and when told that a tailor
was badly needed in Greeneville,
and that he mad better stop here, he
said that he would consider the mat
ter until next morning, and the next
morning he said that he had con-
cluded to stop for awhile"
Andrew Johnson had two broth
ers, John and William. Whether
or not he had any sisters the writer
never learned. Neither of the two
brothers came to Tennessee at the
same time, though William came
some time afterwards and spent sew
eral weeks in Greeneville. 1t is
said that Andrew Johnson and his
father-in-law walked all the way
here, as the vehicle was only suf-
ficient to carry the little goods of
the family and his mother, who did
the driving.
The Johnson residence was erect
ed while Mr.. Johnson was in con-
gress. 1t is not a commodious
building, although it has been inn
proved by the erection of verandas,
and otherwise, since his death. 1t
stands directly on the street, with no
front yard. In the front part are
the little parlor and the family sit
ting-room. In the rear of the lat
ter is bedroom, and then a dim
ingroom and kitchen. From the
narrow hall a narrow stairway leads
to the second floor, which con-
tains four or five rooms. In the
little parlor, which is scarcely more
than eight feet in height, the bur-
ial casket of Mrs. Patterson was
placed, i'm nediately under a large
oil painting of her father. In this
room, and the other rooms of the
building are various mementoes of
the ex-President. 1t is strange that
one who has gained so great a dis
tinction in the nation, and whose
mea Is were ample, was satisfied to
spend his last days in a building
which is in its arrangements in
ferior to majority of the better
class of residences in Greeneville.
The Johnson residence is, though,
in some respects beautiful. On the
one side is grassy lawn with elms
and ash shade trees on which was
seen the hammock in which the lit
tie granddaughter, Martha Land
street, was accustomed to amuse
herself. A path leads back to a
spring on the premises. A little
garden was on one side of the path,
with it's tomatoes, cucumbers, and
vines. There were flowers,
TOO, but not in profusion. 1t was
ike other village homes, and this
vas one of it's beauties.
Mrs. Patterson was, according to
he writer's infol nation, not born in
log house, as President Johnson
never occupied one in Greeneville.
However, the early home had only
.wo rooms, and stood on what is
low called Water street. The tail
'r shop was not, in fact, built by
Mr. johnson, but was bought from
W illiaia Dickson, and removed to
is present location several years
Ifter he came to Greeneville. Mrs.
'atterson's life was an eventful one,
md she certainly deserves all the
praise bestowed on her by the peo-
lie Of the nation. Her funeral was
implicitly itself. Several hundred