Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/21

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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exists throughout the department is of healthy, active co-operation, and so popular is Chief Werner with all of his men that their service centers about him, leaving little room for cliques and feuds that disrupt and hinder. Under his direction the highest ideals of the police department have been realized, and Richmond's citizens rest se- cure in the confidence they repose in him, knowing full well that they are protected from the outcast enemies of society as far as lies within human power. Chief Werner for the past forty years has been identified with and active in the Deutscher Gesang- verein of \^irginia, and in fraternal affiliation is a member of the Modern W^oodmen of the \\'orld and the Masonic order. He is a communicant of St. James' Methodist Epis- copal Church.

He married, in Richmond, 1876, Mary Hassel, a native of Richmond, daughter of Burghardt Hassel, deceased, for many years editor of the "German Daily Anzeiger," whose wife survives him. Louis and Mary (Hassel) Werner have had fourteen chil- dren, nine of whom are living at this time: Helen Virginia, married B. M. Harnes ; Louisa, unmarried ; Burghardt ; Katie, mar- ried Thomas Charles ; Holga, married Rich- ard Venable ; Louis, Jr. ; Ruth, married Wil- liam Enders ; Clotha W. ; Doris, unmarried.

John Morgan Johnson. The Johnson fam- ily of \'irginia dates from colonial ancestors, early settlers in the colony. They are found in Prince William, Culpeper and Orange counties early in the eighteenth century and through intermarriages are connected with many of the early families of Virginia. Through his grandmother. Elizabeth (Fish- back) Johnson, John M. Johnson, of Alex- andria, Virginia, traces to John and Herman Fishback, who formed a part of the colony of twelve families who came from near Sei- gen, Germany, in April, 1714, at the instance of Governor Spottswood, of Virginia, set- tling at Germanna, a town now extinct, then in Spottsylvania county in what is now a part of Orange county. This was the first German settlement in Virginia, the first county town of Spottsylvania county, there the first iron furnace in Virginia was built and the first pig iron made. Governor Spottswood had a large tract of land there and brought the Germans over to work the iron ore that he had discovered. The Fish-

backs intermarried with the Kempers, and in a later generation Elizabeth Fishback married Nathaniel Johnson, grandfather of John M. Johnson. The line of descent is from John Fishback, who married Agnes, daughter of "Parson" Hoeger. a Lutheran minister from Germany ; John Frederick Fishback, who died September 29, 1782; Squire John Fishback, of Culpeper county, a magistrate for forty years ; and Elizabeth Fishback, who in 1797 married Nathaniel _ Johnson, who died in 1812.

The Johnson line is from Peter Johnson, of Orange county, Virginia, (1730) who mar- ried a Miss Morgan, a sister of William Morgan. His will is found in Book A, page 139, Culpeper county, Virginia.

John Johnson, son of Peter Johnson, mar- ried Peggy Strother, born in Culpeper county, Virginia. He died in 1835.

Nathaniel Johnson, son of John and Peggy (Strother) Johnson, married, in 1797, Elizabeth Fishback, and died in 1812.

John Morgan Johnson, son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Fishback) Johnson, was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, February 25. 1799- He was a merchant, and for two terms postmaster of the house of represen- tatives. Washington, D. C. He married Re- becca J. Moss, daughter of William and Gertrude (Holmes) Moss. William Moss, son of John and Ann (Minor) Moss, was born in 1778, died January 21, 1835, being at the time of his death clerk of Fairfax county courts, an office he had held for thirty-five years. He married Gertrude, youngest daughter of Colonel Joseph Holmes, of Frederick county, son of Hugh Holmes, of Ireland. Colonel Joseph Holmes married Rebecca, daughter of David Hunter, a cap- tain under General Braddock. John Moss was a descendant of Edward Moss, the founder of the family in Virginia, who came from Staffordshire, England, between the years 1630-1640. His grandson, Thomas Moss, died in Fairfax county, Virginia, in 1775, his will being recorded in Book D, No. I. page 65. His son, John Moss, was a promi- nent man in Fairfax county, a justice of the peace. King's commission, and by virtue of being the oldest commissioned justice in the county became high sheriff in 1796, holding that office until his death. He married (first! Louisa Minor, (second) her sister. Ann Minor. Of this same family was Colo- nel John Minor, founder of the town of