| John Johnston was
born on March 25, 1775 near Ballyshannon in the North of
Ireland. His early years were in the ancient town of
Carlisle until his father emigrated to Pennsylvania when he was
eleven. Not much is know about his early schooling, but
he entered
the mercantile business at an early age, first in Kentucky and
then in Pennsylvania. He was not only a contemporary of
Daniel Boone, but was an honorary pallbearer when the remains of
Boone and his wife were reinterned in Kentucky from Missouri.
He was also honored with a conspicuous place in the funeral
procession of General Washington's commemorative of his life and
death, in the city of Philadelphia, in the winter of 1799 and
1800.
Before he was 17,
Johnston drove an army supply wagon in support of General Wayne
to Pittsburgh. By late October of 1793, he followed
General Wayne into winter quarters at Fort Greenville.
This was his first taste of the frontier. During the next
few years, he held various positions until on July 1, 1802, John
Johnston was appointed Factor at Fort Wayne. On July 12,
1802 Johnston and Rachel Robinson eloped from Philadelphia to
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and were married by the Reverend Peter
Muhlenberg on July 15. She was born in Philadelphia on
July 12, 1785, and it is believed she was the daughter of
Abraham and Roxanna Robinson. There are many rumors as to
why they eloped, one may be that her parents objected because of
her tender age. The other possibility is that the bride's
parents objected because the groom's job was out in the Indian
Country at a distance of several hundred miles.
Johnston remained at Fort
Wayne until he moved to Upper Piqua with his family in 1811.
Early in 1812, this was made a government agency, and at the
breaking out of the war, all the neutral tribes were removed to
this point and placed under his supervision.
Johnston was a great influence to these
Native Americans. He attended all the councils held at
Piqua between the tribes and the government commissioners, and
was listened to by the Native Americans with more reverence and
interest than were the commissioners. In August of 1812, the
northern Indians under the influence of Tecumseh laid siege to
Fort Wayne. Johnston, knew the danger this posed to the
post, so he asked for volunteers to bring the women and children
from Fort Wayne to Piqua. The Shawnee chief, Captain Logan, who
was living at Upper Piqua at this time, responded to his
friend's request, and with a small band of selected Indians,
brought the women and children to safety.
Between 1812 and 1814, Johnston build his
brick home on what is called Johnston's Prairie, just above a
large spring. This site was for several weeks General
Harrison's frontier headquarters. The house and the old
barn are still standing as a testament to this great man.
He was one of Piqua's early township
trustees; was instrumental in erecting the first subscription
school and Methodist church at Upper Piqua in 1816 after giving
the land to the church. Later, he was a canal commissioner
and was instrumental in forwarding the canal project to the
satisfaction of the Piqua merchants. The course of the
canal channel through Dayton was left almost entirely to his
judgment, and the extension north was for a time under his
personal supervision.
Through the following years, he continued
to look out for the welfare of the Native Americans. From
the records that remain, it appears his final duty for the
government was in 1842 when Johnston arranged a treaty with the
Indians at Upper Sandusky by which these last tribes were
removed to the west. This was two years after his wife
died at their home at Upper Piqua. This bereavement is
blamed for his leaving his home at Upper Piqua. He lived a few
years with his daughter Margaret in Cincinnati until she died in
June 1849 of Cholera. He then made his home with his
daughter, Julia (Mrs. Jefferson Patterson) near Dayton. The
deaths of his two sons, Captain Abraham Johnston at the battle
of San Pasquale, Ca., in 1846, and Stephen in the Navy in 1848
was a severe blow.
In visiting Upper Piqua in May of 1855, he
wrote: "I have spent two weeks this day at a place
once so dear to me, and now made so desolate by the hand of
death. Much of my time has been spent in the cemetery
among the monuments of my dear mother, brothers, wife and
children. I go back to Dayton this day and may never
return here again until some surviving friend may bring my
remains here to be deposited by the side of my beloved wife,
Rachel."
In the winter of 1860-61, Johnston was in
Washington. He was tracing claims against the government
for supplies he had furnished to Indians after he had been
succeeded by another agent. Here he died on Feb 18, 1861, still
in the service of his friends.
His remains were brought to Piqua, and on
February 22nd, were interred in the family lot at the Upper
Piqua cemetery with well deserved honors, lying beside his
beloved Rachel.
|
