Please help me identify my ancestor

[WW2280]

Major Francis C. Johnston C.S.A.
Spouse Mary Virgina Howard
1845-1885
Born in VA
Died in Portsmouth, VA
This is all I know.
I have been told I am related to General Johnston, however, I am trying to find out which Johnston. Please help. Any leads are welcome!

 

[Stryker65]

Major Francis C. Johnston C.S.A.
Spouse Mary Virgina Howard
1845-1885
Born in VA
Died in Portsmouth, VA
This is all I know.
I have been told I am related to General Johnston, however, I am trying to find out which Johnston. Please help. Any leads are welcome!

At the time of the war, he would have been only sixteen. Are you sure he was in the war? Major Francis C. Johnston does not appear in the Official Records, as a field officer of the Confederate States Army, or as a staff officer of the Confederate States Army.

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Major Francis C. Johnston C.S.A.
Spouse Mary Virgina Howard
1845-1885
Born in VA
Died in Portsmouth, VA
This is all I know.
I have been told I am related to General Johnston, however, I am trying to find out which Johnston. Please help. Any leads are welcome!

He would have only been 20 when the war ended. I seriously doubt he was a Major. He may have served in the Virginia Militia late in the war or as a late-war conscript. In their later years, Confederate veterans were sometimes respectfully referred to as "Colonel". I've never seen "Major". Maybe the ranking was as a member of the Confederate Veterans.

 

[DC1221]

I'm assuming you've already found his FindAGrave, which includes just the information you've already provided, but does include a photo of his headstone.

Maj Francis C Johnston (1845-1885) - Find a Grave...

Find a Grave memorial for Maj Francis C Johnston born 1845 and died 1885. Buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Portsmouth, City of Portsmouth, Virginia, United States of America, North America

www.findagrave.com

 

[Story]

He would have only been 20 when the war ended. I seriously doubt he was a Major. He may have served in the Virginia Militia late in the war or as a late-war conscript. In their later years, Confederate veterans were sometimes respectfully referred to as "Colonel". I've never seen "Major". Maybe the ranking was as a member of the Confederate Veteran.

Seems like a search of CONFEDERATE VETERAN MAGAZINE is in order for the OP

 

[MWood1841]

I'm only seeing CMSR's for 3 with that name under Virginia. 2nd Virginia Infantry is showing Clarke County, Virginia which is up near Winchester (prob not your guy). The 46th Virginia had some men from Sussex County, not far from Portsmouth. Was his place of death near his place of birth? The third record shows from 54th Virginia Militia. I'm with the other folks commenting that his age and rank is suspect. Not saying he wasn't a CW soldier, just that some inaccuracies may be possible which is normal to discover 160 + years later. Even with grave markers. The VMI Archives are currently unavailable, so unable to check the historical rosters there. I checked with Gopher Records soldiers and sailors search tool, and only show Francis Johnston ranked as 'Private' for the above same mentioned regiments. One additional from 11th Va Cav, enlisted in Fairfax County. Good Luck on your search.

 

[WW2280]

I'm assuming you've already found his FindAGrave, which includes just the information you've already provided, but does include a photo of his headstone.

Maj Francis C Johnston (1845-1885) - Find a Grave...

Find a Grave memorial for Maj Francis C Johnston born 1845 and died 1885. Buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Portsmouth, City of Portsmouth, Virginia, United States of America, North America

www.findagrave.com

View attachment 526776

Yes, this is the headstone in the family records.

 

[roberts]

F. C. Johnston was the high constable of Portsmouth, VA post war. He died October 12, 1885

Richmond Dispatch
October 13, 1885

" High Constable F. C. Johnston of the City of Portsmouth died this morning of consumption. He has been in office several years and was the best constable the city ever had."

I think this is your guy but I didn't find a complete obit...just this note. "Major" may have been an honoriam associated with his office.

There are several newspaper clips in the Dispatch and the Virginia Pilot about cases and arrests that he was involved in.

 

[WW2280]

F. C. Johnston was the high constable of Portsmouth, VA post war. He died October 12, 1885

Richmond Dispatch
October 13, 1885

" High Constable F. C. Johnston of the City of Portsmouth died this morning of consumption. He has been in office several years and was the best constable the city ever had."

I think this is your guy but I didn't find a complete obit...just this note. "Major" may have been an honoriam associated with his office.

There are several newspaper clips in the Dispatch and the Virginia Pilot about cases and arrests that he was involved in.

This is going to be him. His son was a sheriff in Louisiana. Thank you very much! I feel certain this is a legit lead.

 

[roberts]

From Ancestry - Family Trees

Frances Cannon Johnston m. Mary Virginia "Jennie" Howard Jan 11 1866 Northampton, NC
Father: Francis Johnston
Mother: Elizabeth

Children:
Anna Stanwood Johnston -1867
Samuel Stanwood Johnston - 1869
Caroline Elizabeth Johnston (Sykes) - 1873
Frances Virginia Johnston -1875
Mary S. Johnston -1878
Sadie Wood Johnston - 1880
Frances Cleveland Johnston - 1884

Johnston was listed as a cigar maker in 1870 US census. He and his wife were living with Anna Stanwood (57) in Portsmouth.
He is listed as a constable in the 1880 US Census under the name of "Frank Johnson" with Mary V. Johnson (wife) and children
Anna 13
Saml 11
Carrie 7
Fanny 4
Mary 2
Sadie 8/12

 

[lupaglupa]

Yes, this is the headstone in the family records.

This is a recent headstone and not one that would have been supplied by the military or a veterans organization. I strongly suspect that he held the rank of major in an organization and was called that as an honorific. It is possible that late in the War he served as a soldier in some capacity and that fact filtered down through the generations. Some mention of him having been called major also filtered down to a descendent who put two and two together and came up with 100. We have, sadly, seen modern stones with inaccurate information on them before.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This is a recent headstone and not one that would have been supplied by the military or a veterans organization. I strongly suspect that he held the rank of major in an organization and was called that as an honorific. It is possible that late in the War he served as a soldier in some capacity and that fact filtered down through the generations. Some mention of him having been called major also filtered down to a descendent who put two and two together and came up with 100. We have, sadly, seen modern stones with inaccurate information on them before.

So true - one of my Confederate relatives was referred to as "Lieutenant Cooper" in newspaper articles referencing him after the war. He was never officially a Lieutenant.

The highest rank I could find for him was Corporal. At best, perhaps he was told he was being promoted to Lieutenant following his release from Camp Douglas in 1865, but the war ended before that could be made official. Or more likely he was part of a Confederate Veteran's group and that was his rank in the organization.

 

[John Winn]

This is a recent headstone and not one that would have been supplied by the military or a veterans organization. I strongly suspect that he held the rank of major in an organization and was called that as an honorific. It is possible that late in the War he served as a soldier in some capacity and that fact filtered down through the generations. Some mention of him having been called major also filtered down to a descendent who put two and two together and came up with 100. We have, sadly, seen modern stones with inaccurate information on them before.

Exactly.

 

[WW2280]

F. C. Johnston was the high constable of Portsmouth, VA post war. He died October 12, 1885

Richmond Dispatch
October 13, 1885

" High Constable F. C. Johnston of the City of Portsmouth died this morning of consumption. He has been in office several years and was the best constable the city ever had."

I think this is your guy but I didn't find a complete obit...just this note. "Major" may have been an honoriam associated with his office.

There are several newspaper clips in the Dispatch and the Virginia Pilot about cases and arrests that he was involved in.

Can you send me in private where you got this information from?

 

[FahanParish]

Major Francis C. Johnston C.S.A.
Spouse Mary Virgina Howard
1845-1885
Born in VA
Died in Portsmouth, VA
This is all I know.
I have been told I am related to General Johnston, however, I am trying to find out which Johnston. Please help. Any leads are welcome!

Major Francis C.Johnston was a major - not a General - his grave is on findagrave. He had five children - Samuel, Anna,Frances, Francis and Caroline. There is a General Albert Sidney Johnston - he had two children. General Johnston's biographical information and the names of his children are online -

 

[Stryker65]

Major Francis C.Johnston was a major - not a General - his grave is on findagrave. He had five children - Samuel, Anna,Frances, Francis and Caroline. There is a General Albert Sidney Johnston - he had two children. General Johnston's biographical information and the names of his children are online -

This is known, as seen in post #4. Any information on why Johnston was a major? A unit listing, or something else?

 

[Fairfield]

This sort of thing is exactly why genealogical research is best conducted in a systematic manner--starting with one's self. If the researcher proceeds in an orderly backwards march, there is none of this pick an ancestor, any ancestor.