{⋆★⋆} BG Johnson, Adam R.

Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson​

Born: February 8, 1834

Birthplace: Henderson, Kentucky

Father: Dr. Thomas Jefferson Johnson 1801 – 1866

(Buried: Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson, Kentucky)​

Mother: Juliet Spencer Rankin 1800 – 1871

(Buried: Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson, Kentucky)​

Wife: Josephine Eastland 1845 – 1923

(Buried: Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas)​

Children:

Robert Eastland Johnson 1868 – 1938​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

​

Juliet Johnson Christian 1870 – 1952​

(Buried: Oakwood Cemetery Annex, Austin, Texas)​

​

Adam R. Johnson 1872 – 1951​

(Buried: Oakwood Cemetery Annex, Austin, Texas)​

​

Fannie Johnson 1874 – 1883​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

​

Lucy Johnson 1877 – 1878​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

​

William Campbell Johnson 1879 – 1891​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

​

Ethel Johnson Guthrie 1882 – 1969​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

​

Mary Rives Johnson Posey 1884 – 1960​

(Buried: Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Texas)​

Occupation before War:

Worked for Drug Store in Kentucky​

​

Stage coach Driver for Butterfield Overland Mail​

Civil War Career:

1861: Scout for Nathan Bedford Forrest​

​

Colonel of Texas Partisan Rangers​

​

1864: Promoted to rank of Brig. General (never approved by congress)​

​

1864: Accidentally Shot in head by his own men at Grubb's crossroads​

​

1864: His Wound to the head left him totally blind​

​

1864: Captured by Union Army sent to Fort Warren​

​

While prisoner of war he fell into the basement and was injured​

​

Paroled to a Private House while his case could be decided on​

​

1865: Exchanged in February refused to retire​

​

1865: Served in the Invalid Confederate Corps March due to blindness​

Occupation after War:

Founder of town of Marble Falls, Texas​

​

Founder of Texas Mining Improvement Company​

​

Worked with Overland Mail​

Died: October 20, 1922

Place of Death: Austin, Texas

Age at time of Death: 88 years old

Cause of Death: Heart Failure & Senility

Burial Place: Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas

Grave Location: Republic Hill Section 1 Row C Number 14

 

[Pollaco]

Captured the town of Newburgh, Indiana on July18, 1862 with 12 men a "cannon" made from stockpipes and running gear of a wagon. For this bluff he earned the nickname Stovepipe and a colonelcy in a partisan rangers unit.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday Brig. General Adam Rankin Johnson! Salutes remembering General Johnson on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

That prison mentioned in the accompanying news article is now the Burnet Unit. It's a women's unit, one of only 3 (I think) in Texas.

 

[nc native]

Stovepipe Johnson earned his nickname by a daring bluff he used to capture the town of Newburgh, Indiana in 1862. With twelve men and two cannon, one of which was a stovepipe mounted on a carriage and the other a blackened log he succeeded in fooling the defenders into surrendering. He was able to escape Morgan's Raid with three hundred men while most of Morgan's force surrendered.
He also escaped Fort Donaldson with N.B. Forrest when the defenders there surrendered.

Despite his wound that blinded him, he still tried to return to service after his release from captivity and after the war went on to found the town of Marble Falls, Texas which was also known as Blind Man's Town. He went on and didn't let his visual impairment slow him down from living a full and active life. I've always had great admiration for people who overcome what the cards of life have dealt them and Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson is one of them.

 

[ErnieMac]

A couple of news articles concerning Johnson's capture (22 Aug 1864 edition Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle) and transfer to Fort Warren (20 Dec 1864 edition Louisville KY Courier-Journal).

 

[Pollaco]

His Confederate career was started as a scout for Forrest and he escaped Fort Donelson with him as well.

 

[Pollaco]

According to one source Johnson was wounded at Grubb's Crossroads a few weeks before being prompted to brigadier. The blinding was on August 21, 1864 and the promotion was on September 6, 1864