Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/128

 JOHNSON

JOHNSON

paying his tuition by teaching penmanship. He taught in a planter's family in Mississippi, 1844- 46; studied at Union Law school, Easton, Pa., 1846-48, and was admitted to the bar in 1848. He was clerk of the court of quarter sessions, 1848- 53 ; representative in the state legislature, 1853- 54 ; chairman of the Democratic state convention, 1857 ; a commissioner of revenue, 1859 ; repre- sentative in the 37th, 88th and 89th congresses, 1861-67 ; and a delegate to the Democratic na- tional convention of Aug. 29, 1864, at Chicago, 111. He received the degree of A.M. from Lafay- ette in 1866. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1867. JOHNSON, Philip Carrigain, naval officer, was born in Maine, Nov. 21, 1828 ; son of Philip Carrigain Johnson. He joined the U.S. navy in 1846, and was with Commodore Connor's fleet

in the Gulf of Mexico, 1846-47, and in the Paci- fic squadron, 1847 - 48, on board the Ohio. He was then u.s.s. RicH/vAOAiD. with the Brazil

squadron and at the naval school, 1848-54, and attached to the coast survey, 1854-59, and to the San Jacinto on the coast of Africa, 1859-61. He was promoted master and lieu- tenant in 1855 ; lieutenant-commander in 1862 ; commander, 1867 ; captain, 1874 ; commodore, 1884, and rear-admiral, Jan. 26, 1887. His service after 1861 included the command of the Tennes- see in the western gulf squadron under Farra- gut, 1861-63, taking part in the passage of Forts St. Philip and Jackson, and the capture of New Orleans. He was lieutenant-commander on the Katahdin in 1864 ; stationed at the Naval acad- emy, 1865-66 ; on the Sacramento, 1867-68 ; fleet captain of the South Pacific squadron, 1868- 70 ; commanded the Omaha and the Richmond on the South Pacific station, 1874-76 ; was sta- tioned at the Mare Island navy yard, 1877-81 ; commanded the training ship New Hamx>shire, 1881-82 ; chief signal officer of the navy, 1882-84, and commander of the Portsmouth navy yard, 1884-87. He died at Portsmouth, Jan. 27, 1887.

JOHNSON, Reverdy, senator, was born in Annapolis, Md., May 21, 1796 ; son of Chancellor John Johnson. He was a student at St. John's college, 1811-14 ; was admitted to the bar in 1815 and practised in Upper Marlboro, Md., where he \yas deputy-attorney-general, 1816-17. He re- moved to Baltimore in 1817 ; was a Whig in poli- tics ; served as state senator, 1821-27 ; as U.S. senator, 1845-49, resigning his seat in 1849 to ac- cept the position of attorney-general in President Taylor's cabinet. He joined the Democratic party in 1856, and when Fillmore became Presi-

dent he resigned and was succeeded by John J. Crittenden. He then devoted himself to the practice of his profession, 1850-61 ; was a member of the peace convention of 1860-61 ; state senator from Baltimore county, 1861-62 ; U.S. senator, 1862-68, and U.S. minister to England by appoint- ment of President Johnson 1868-69, where he negotiated tlie Johnson-Clarendon treaty for the settlement of the Alabama claims, which was rejected by the senate only through oi:>position to any measure ai:)proved by the President. On his return to Annapolis in 1869 he resumed his law practice. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from St. Johns college, 1868. He published, in conjunction with Thomas Harris, the decisions of the Maryland court of appeals known as Harris's ayid Johnson's Reports (7 vols. 1820-27). He died in Annapolis, Md., Feb. 10, 1876.

JOHNSON, Ricliard Mentor, ninth Vice-Presi- dent of the United States, was born at Bryant's Station, Ky., Oct. 17, 1781 ; son of Robert John- son, pioneer. He was a student at Transylvania university, studied law under Col. George Nich- olas, was admitted to the bar in 1802 and practised his profes- sion at Great Cross- ings, Ky. The closing of the port of New Orleans by the Span- ish intendant in 1802, in violation of an existing treaty, gave rise to great excite- ment, and war be- tween Spain and the United States was threatened. John- son, with many other young men of his neighborhood, volunteered to descend on New Orleans in the event of war. A large com- pany was enrolled, and Johnson was put in com- mand, but a speedy adjustment with Sjmin de- prived them of the opjjortunity of serving. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1804- 07, and a representative in the 10th-15th con- gresses, 1807-19. When hostilities were threat- ened between Great Britain and the United States he voted for a declaration of war, and upon the adjournment of the 12th congress, he went to Kentucky, where he raised a battalion of three companies of volunteers, which was joined to anotlier battalion, and Colonel Johnson was given command of the regiment, in which ca- pacity he served for ten months. He returned to Washington, resumed his seat in congress and assisted in planning the campaign for the follow- ing summer. In March, 1813, he was authorized

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