John William JOHNSON

Notes:

He died with the Union Army at the time the 5th K. V. Company E, under command of Captain John Gerlish was marching from Corinth, Mississippi to Vicksburg, Mississippi to join the Union troops under General Grant's command.

The following letter is a copy of one written to his parents while in the service of the Union Army during the Civil War. He was later killed as the 5th K. V. Co. E commanded by Captain Gerlist was enroute from Cornith, Mississippi to Vicksburg, Mississippi to reinforce the union troops under General Grant's command.

He addresses the letter to his father, mother and brother. Later in the letter he names them - James, Alice and Thomas. His mother and the mother of Thomas was Eleanor Glasscock. But Eleanor died 9/16/1850, 14 days after Thomas was born and James remarried to Alice J. Madden Disbrow in December, 1850. Some of John's other siblings were married and gone from the family. The others died young and were not around when the letter was written. Thomas was the only sibling still living with the family at that time.
_________________________________

Camp near Corinth, Mississippi
July the 8th, 1862

Dear Father and Mother and Brother-

I once more take my pen in hand to let you know how we are getting along. I am well and the most of the boys but Henry Harm has not got over the measles yet, He will get his discharge, I think, and go home. I have not been in any fight here yet. We are camped here at Corinth. It is a very strong fortified place. The rebels has fortifications here for miles . . . So long I don't know whatever made than run away from it. There is about 80,000 troops camped here. It is not less than 15 or 20 miles around our camp. I don't see why they don't send some of us to Richmond to help take that . . . place.

I hear that they had whipped our boys and made them retreat 7 miles and all that saved them was the gun boats.

This is a mighty poor part of the world down here. The corn is not as big here as it is in Kansas. There is right smart of cotton down here. I have seen, some large fields of it and there is the darkeys hoeing in it. They generally run to the fence to see us pass or if they are too far off they will wave their handkerchiefs to us. They are not as big fools as people take them to be. A few days ago there was one little nigger boy about the size of Thomas came in camp on the finest kind of a mule. He said that his master was Le Sech and he would not stay with him.

It is very warm down here sometimes. We don't march very much. We generally go on the Cau River but the bridges are all burned and we have to wait until they are made over again. Mother . . . it is a great place for black berries down here. I wish you had a bucket full and I think you could make something good to eat out of them. We gather them and stew them and put sugar in them and they are pretty good.

Well, father we got paid off yesterday. Two months pay 26th and as Joseph Richards is a coming home I will send you some of my money. I will put $21 in the letter...
this is ten for father and ten for mother and one for Thomas. This is a present for you all to do as you please with.

Please send me a few postage stamps for I don't get them down here, write soon from John W. to James, Alice and Thomas Johnson.

Director your letter to the 5th K. V. Co. E in care of Captain John Grelish and 1 think it will come to hand.


Johnson 0001, pg. 2

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: 240

Notes:

Johnson 0001, p. 1 (Scanned page #6)

James married Eleanor GLASSCOCK on 9 Dec 1830 in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky. Eleanor was born on 31 Aug 1807; died on 16 Sep 1850 in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio; was buried in Sep 1850 in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: 241

Notes:

Johnson 0001, p. 1 (Scanned page #6)
!She is buried in Union Cemetery.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: 480

Notes:

Johnson 0001, p. 1 (Scanned page #6)

John married KELLY. was born in 1773 in Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: 481

Notes:

Johnson 0001, p. 1 (Scanned page #6)