serviceyears branch lieutenant death_date children allegiance nationality birth_date birthname term_end restingplace alma_mater death_place profession state_house committees battles order term_start spouse image rank name occupation predecessor birth_place unit party office district successor article_title
1862 army horatio f. simrall 8 april 1862 10 confederate states of america american 27 may 1811 george washington johnson april 8 , 1862 1840 georgetown cemetery , georgetown , kentucky , usa transylvania university shiloh , tennessee , usa legal kentucky committee of sixty american civil war 1st confederate november 20 , 1861 1838 ann eliza viley -lrb- 1833 -- 1862 -rrb- gwjohnson_ky . jpg private george w. johnson farmer '' office established '' scott county , kentucky , usa company e of the fourth kentucky infantry regiment democrat governor of kentucky scott county richard hawes george w. johnson -lrb- governor -rrb-

george w. johnson -lrb- governor -rrb-

george washington johnson -lrb- may 27 , 1811april 8 , 1862 -rrb- was the first confederate governor of kentucky .
a lawyer-turned-farmer from scott county , kentucky , johnson favored secession as a means of preventing the civil war , believing the union and confederacy would be forces of equal strength , each too wary to attack the other .
as political sentiment in the commonwealth took a decidedly union turn following the elections of 1861 , johnson was instrumental in organizing a sovereignty convention in russellville , kentucky with the intent of `` severing forever our connection with the federal government . ''
the convention created a confederate shadow government for the commonwealth , and johnson was elected its governor .
despite his meager political experience -- having previously served only three years in the kentucky house of representatives -- johnson labored vehemently to ensure the success of the shadow government .
kentucky was admitted to the confederacy on december 10 , 1861 , but the shadow government 's influence in the commonwealth extended only as far as the confederate army advanced .
when albert sidney johnston abandoned the confederate capital of bowling green , governor johnson and the other government officials accompanied him .
despite his advanced age and a crippled arm , johnson volunteered for military service in general johnston 's army .
johnson was killed at the battle of shiloh , making him the only state governor , union or confederate , to fall in battle during the civil war .
he was succeeded by richard hawes , the second and last governor of confederate kentucky .
