Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/130

 JOHNSON

JOHNSON

tury War Series," both in the magazine and in the revised book edition of four volumes:" Battles and Leaders of the Civil War " (1883-89), and he induced General Grant to write his memoirs, half of which appeared in that series. He was actively connected with the internation- al copyright move- ment from 1883, and was from that year a member continu- ously of the execu- tive committee of five, of the American (Authors') copyright league; was for some years its treasurer and became in 1889 its secretary, in that capacity devoting his time and efforts to the passage of the copyright bill, which became a law, March 4. 1891. For his services in this cause he re- ceived the honorary degree of A.M. from Yale in 1891, the cross of the Legion of Honor from the French government, 1891, and that of the Crown of Italy in 1895. He originated, and with John Muir set on foot, the movement resulting in the creation of the Yosemite National park and devoted himself to securing a better supervision of the Yosemite valley, in recognition of which he was elected an honorary member of the Sierra club and appointed one of the trustees of Red- wood forest of six hundred acres, for public uses, in Sonoma county, CaL After 1889 he actively aided in establishing the policy of making exten- sive reservations of the national forests. He was elected a member of the American Institute of Arts and Letters; of the Century association; of the Authors and Players clubs of New York; of the Civil Service Reform association, and of the Free Art league. He received the honorary degree of Ph.D. from Earlham college in 1886. He is the author of: The Winter Hour and Other Poems (1892); Songs of Liberty and Other Poems (1897), and editorial and critical articles in TJie Century. His hymn. Praise to Tliee, O God of Freedom, was sung to Haydn's music at the dedication of the Washington Arch, New York city.

JOHNSON, Robert Ward, senator, was born in Scott county, Ky., July 22, 1814; son of Judge Benjamin Johnson, 1784-1849, and grandson of Robert Johnson, pioneer, 1779. He was educated at the neighboring school in Scott county and in 1821 removed with his father to Arkansas. He attended the Indian academy near Frankfort, Ky.; was graduated from St. Joseph's college.

Bardstown, Ky., in 1833, and from Yale, liL.B., in 1835; was admitted to the bar in 1835, and prac- tised his profession at Little Rock, Ark., 1835-47. He was prosecuting attorney for the Little Rock circuit, 1840-42, and attorney-general of the state, ex officio. He wias defeated for Democratic rep- resentative in the state legislature by a few votes in 1840, and by one vote in 1842, and was elected a representative in the 30th, 31st and 32d con- gresses, 1847-53, declining further election. He was appointed U.S. senator by Governor Conway to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Solon Borland, who resigned his seat in 1853 to become U.S. minister to Nicaragua. When the legislature convened he was unanimously elected, not only to fill the unexpired term, but to a full terra ending March 4, 1861. He was a States' riglits Democrat and sustained the position advanced by John C. Calhoun in opposition to Henry Clay. He declined re-election in 1861 and was elected a delegate to the provisional Confederate govern- ment at Montgomery, Ala., and in November, 1862, to the Confederate States senate, where he served until that government closed, when he fled to Texas with the intention of joining a proposed colony of ex-Confederates in Mexico. On his way he met Gen. Gordon Granger, who persuaded him to remain in the United States, as allex-Confed- derates had been promised protection in their property rights by President Johnson, and he re- turned to his estate in Jefferson county. Ark., which, however, after two years' struggle, went to his creditors and he again took up the practice of law in Washington, D.C., in partnership with Gen. Albert Pike. In 1877 his political disabili- ties w^re removed and he was a candidate for l/.S. senator, but was defeated by J. D. Walker. He died at Little Rock, Ark., July 26, 1879.

JOHNSON, Rossiter, editor and author, was born in Rochester, N.Y., Jan. 27, 1840; son of Reuben and Almira (Alexander) Johnson; grand- son of William Johnson and of James and Esther (Dewey) Alexander, and a descendant of Wil- liam Johnson, of Chester, England, and of James Alexander, of Dublin, Ireland. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was- graduated at the University of Rochester in 1863 and joined the staff of the Rochester Z)e7??ocraf (a Republican journal). He was assistant to the editor-in-chief, Robert Carter, 1864-68. He married in 1869 Helen, daughter of Asahel C. Kendrick, and re- moved to Concord, N.H., where he was editor of the Statesman, 1869-72. He then went to New York city and was one of the revisers of the "American Cyclopaedia," being associate editor, 1873-77. He made a tour of Europe in 1877, and on his return edited the " Life of Admiral Farra- gut ■' (1879). He was associated with Sydney Howard Gay in the preparation of the last two