Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/127

 JOHNSON

JOHNSON

JOHNSON, Mortimer Lawrence, naval officer, was born at Xaliant, Mass., June 1, 184'^; son of Walter and Hannah (Pratt) Johnson; grandson of Joseph and Mary (Cox) Johnsoii, and a de- scendant of Lieut. Francis Cox, of the Revolution- ary army. He was appointed naval cadet from Massachusetts to the U.S. Naval academy, Nov. 29, 1859, and ordered into active service in May, 18G1. He was commissioned ensign, Sept. 16, 18G2; promoted lieutenant, Feb. 22, 1864; and served on the Susquehanna. Sabiiie and Wabash in the South Atlantic squadron in all operations under Admirals Du Pont and Dahlgren from May, 1861, to August, 1864, when he was transferred to the steam frigate Colorado, took part in both attacks on Fort Fisher, and was flag lieutenant in com- mand of the U.S.S. Estella from January to Sep- tember, 1865. After the civil war he served on various duties and was promoted lieutenant-com- mander, July 25, 1866; commander, April 26, 1878; captain, May 9, 1893. He served on the U.S.S. Plymouth, European station, 1868-70; at the navy yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 1870-71; on the receiving-ship Sabine, 1873-74; the receiv- ing slaip Ohio at Charlestown, Mass., 1875; the Wabash, 1875-78; commanded the Ashiielot, Asi-

coAiT DEFENSE nONITOP ' MIANTONOMAM

atic station, 1879-81; was on special duty, 1882; stationed at the Charlestown navy yard, Boston, Mass., 1884-87; commanded the Monocacy, Asi- atic station, 1889-91; was on waiting orders, 1892-93; stationed at the equipment office, Ports- mouth navy yard, part of 1893; commanded the receiving-ship Franklin, 1893-95; the U.S.S. Cin- cinnati in the North Atlantic, 1895-97; went to Europe as commander of the U.S.S. San Francisco in 1897; commanded the double-turreted monitor Miantononiah in the North Atlantic squadron during the Si)anish- American war, 1898. He was captain of the Charlestown navy yard, 1898-1901, and was promoted rear-admiral Jan. 29, 1901.

JOHNSON, Oliver, reformer, was born at Peach- am, Vt., Dec. 27, 1809. He was brought up on a farm, learned the trade of a printer at the office of The Watchman and Gazeffein Montpelier, Vt., and in 1829 went to Boston, where in 1831 he es- tablished with Leonard W. Kimliall The Chris- tian Soldier, in opposition to the doctrine of

Universalism. Mr. Johnson was among the earliest disciples of William Lloyd Garrison, and an active worker in the anti-slavery cause. He was one of the twelve men who organized in. Boston in 1832 the New England Anti-Slavery society, having for its fundamental principle the duty of immediate emancipation. When Mr. Garrison was sent to England in 1833 as an agent of this society, Mr. Johnson took his place as temporary editor of the Liberator. On several occasions in subsequent years, including 1838 in Mr. Garrison's absence, he occupied the same post. In 1836 he was appointed a travelling agent of the A merican Anti-Slavery society, and on his lecturing touis he met much opposition and per- sonal abuse, notably in being niobl>ed at Green- ville, R.I. He served as corresponding secretary and lecturer of the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery society, 1837-38. In 1840 when the National Anti-Slavery Standard was founded in New York city he took editorial charge until a permanent editor could be found, and in the spring of 1841 Lydia Maria Child assumed the editorship. He then resumed the work of an anti-slavery lecturer, and in 1842 returned to Boston as correspondent of the New York Tribune. He was an assistant to Horace Greeley on the Tribune, 1844-48, but was obliged to relinquish his place on account of ill-health. In 1848 he established the Eejuiblican, a free-soil paper, in Philadelphia, Pa., and he edited the Practical Christian, Milford, Mass., 1848-65; the Anti-Slavery Bugle at Salem, Ohio, 1848-51, and the Pennsylvania Freeman in Phila- delphia, 1851-53, when he assumed charge of the National Anti-Slavery Standard in New York. Here he remained until slavery was abolished. He was married, in 1863, to Jane, daugliter of John S. C. Abbott. Mrs. Johnson was born at Worcester, Mass., in 1833, and died at Bingiiam- ton, N.Y., Dec. 5, 1900. Mr. Johnson was manag- ing editor of the Independent, 1865-70, resigning that post to take charge of the Weekly Tribune at the request of Horace Greeley. He was man- aging editor of the Christian Union, 1873-76, under the direction of Henry Ward Beecher. Subsequently he was editor of the Orange, N.J., Journal for several years, and •v%as an assistant editor of the New York Evening Post, 1881-89. He is the author of: Consider Tliis, Ye that forget God (1832); An Address on Slavery (1835); Correspondence with George F. TT7uYe, With an Appendix (1841); Life of William Lloyd Garri- son and His Times (1881). He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec, 10, 1889.

JOHNSON, Philip, representative, was born in Warren county, N.J., Jan, 17, 1818. His grand- father was a Revolutionary soldier. He removed with his father to Mount Bethel, Pa., in 1839, and was a student at Lafayette college, 1843-44.