HIST: Johnson's Reg, War of 1812 - Scott Co

History of Col. R. M. Johnson's War of 1812 Regiment - Scott County, KY

HISTORY OF BOURBON, SCOTT, HARRISON & NICHOLAS COUNTIES
edited by William Henry Perrin, Chicago, O. L. Baskins & Co, 
Historical Publishers, 1882

Pg. 171-173

Scott County, in the war of 1812, furnished nearly six companies, which
formed the larger part of Col. R. M. Johnson's regiment.  The respective
Captains of these companies were Lynn West, Stephen Richie, Joseph Ready,
John Duvall, Jacob Stucker and John W. Ready - the latter a cousin to Joseph
Ready.  Of these six companies, there is not known to be but three living
representatives, viz.: Judge Warren, Mr. Ford and John T. Pratt, the latter
of whom communicated to us most of this information.  Mr. Pratt was in the
battle of the Thames, but being hotly engaged in another part of the field,
he did not witness Col. Johnson's charge.  In Capt. Stucker's company were
nine pairs of brothers from this county, viz.: Conrad and Jesse Wolf, Isaac
and Jacob DeHaven, James and Gabriel Long, Edward and Henry Ely, Joel and
John Herndon, Zachary and Wyatt Herndon - cousins of Joel and John - James
and Edgcomb Suggett, Henry and William Berry, Edward and William Johnson -
sons of Col. James Johnson.  Other members of that company were Thomas
Blackburn, John Pearce, Spencer Peak, Thomas Suggett, Robert Payne, Ben
Chambers, John Pratt, etc. etc. etc.  Moses A. Faris and George M. Bower
were also in the war of 1812 as Surgeons. 

Richard M. Gano, the father of Dr. Gano, of Georgetown, entered the war as
Major of Col. Charles Scott's regiment, and succeeded him as its Colonel. He
commanded the regiment in the battle of the Thames, and at the close of the
war he was made Brigadier General for gallant service during the war. A
sketch of Col. R. M. Johnson will not be inappropriate in this connection.
His father, Col. Robert Johnson, was a pioneer of Kentucky, and an early
settler of Scott County. Col. "Dick" was born in Kentucky in 1781, received
his early education in the country schools of the time, and finally entered
Transylvania University at Lexington, where he took a regular course and
graduated.  He commenced the study of law with Col. George Nicholas, one of
the most celebrated jurists of his day, but upon his death, which occurred
soon after, Mr. Johnson continued his studies with Hon. James Brown, then a
distinguished member of the Kentucky Bar.  Before he was twenty-one, he was
elected to the State Legislature, from Scott County, where he served with
considerable honor, and in 1807 (being in his twenty-sixth year) he was
elected to Congress, and at once entered upon the theater of national
politics.  When the war-clouds began to gather in our horizon in 1811-12,
and an appeal to arms seemed inevitable, Col. Johnson was among those who
believed that no other alternative remained to the American people.
Accordingly after supporting all the preparatory measures which the crisis
demanded, in Jun, 1812, he gave his vote for the declaration of war.  As
soon as Congress adjourned, he hastened home, "raised the standard of his
country, and called around him many of the best citizens of his
neighborhood, sons of whom, schooled in the stormy period of the early
settlement of the State, were veteran warriors, well suited for the service
for which they were intended."

The service of Col. Johnson and his famous regiment of mounted riflemen in
the war of 1812 is so well known that it seems superfluous to go into
particulars here.  It is very generally believed that Col. Johnson killed
the noted Indian Chief Tecumseh in the battle of the Thames.  The fact, it
is true, has been disputed by a number of writers on the subject, yet it is
hard to shake the general belief, that Johnson was the author of the great
chief's death.  Says Col. Johnson's biographer:  "In October, 1813, the
decisive crisis in the operations of the Northwestern army arrived - the
battle of the Thames - which led to a termination of hostilities in that
quarter, was fought and won.  The distinguished services of Col. Johnson,
and his brave regiment, in that sanguinary engagement, have scarcely a
parallel in the heroic annals of our country.  The British and Indians, the
former under command of Gen. Proctor, and the latter under that of Tecumseh,
the celebrated Indian warrior, had taken an advantageous position, the
British in line between the river Thames and a narrow swamp, and the Indians
in ambush on their right, and west of the swamp, ready to fall upon the rear
of Col. Johnson should he force a retreat of the British.  Col. Johnson,
under the orders of the Commander in-chief, divided his regiment into two
battalions, one under the command of his gallant brother, James, and the
other to be led by himself.  Col. Johnson with his battalion passed the
swamp and attacked the Indians, at the same moment that his brother James
fell upon and routed the British regulars.  The contest for awhile between
Col. Johnson's battalion and the Indians was obstinate and bloody, the
slaughter great, but success complete.  The gallant Colonel was in the very
midst and thickest of the fight, inspiring by his presence and courage, the
utmost confidence of his brave followers, and though perforated with balls,
his bridle arm shattered, and bleeding profusely, he continued to fight
until he encountered and slew an Indian chief, who formed the rallying point
of the savages.  This chief was supposed to be the famous Tecumseh himself,
upon whose fall the Indians raised a yell and retreated.  The heroic
Colonel, covered with wounds, twenty-five balls having been shot into him,
his clothes and his horse, was borne from the battle-ground faint from
exertion and loss of blood, and almost lifeless.  Never was victory so
complete or its achievement so glorious.  Fifteen hundred Indians were
engaged against the battalion of Col. Johnson, and 800 British regulars
against that of his brother.  Both the Indians and British were routed, and
an end put to the war upon the Northern frontier, distinguished, as it had
been, by so many murderous cruelties upon the part of the savage allies of
the British."

Col. Johnson continued to serve his constituents in Congress until 1819,
when he voluntarily retired and returned home.  The people of Scott County
at once returned him to the State Legislature, and that body elected him to
the United States Senate.  After serving out his term, he was almost
unanimously re-elected to the same exalted position.  In 1836, he was
elected Vice President of the United States under Martin Van Buren, and for
four years presided over the Senate with great dignity.  Ath the expiration
of his term, he retired to his farm in Scott County, where he spent the
remainder of his life.  He was a member of the State Legislature at the
time of his death, which occurred in 1850, in Frankfort.  Col. Johnson was
one of the able men of Kentucky, and sprung from an able and talented
family, most of whom (the male members) were statesmen and soldiers.  James
Johnson, a brother to Col. Dick, and Lieutenant Colonel of the latter's
regiment, was a soldier of promise, and distinguished himself while in the
service; also served several sessions in Congress with ability.  John T.
Johnson, another brother, was for a short time a member of the Appellate
Court of Kentucky, subsequently a Member of Congress, but finally became a
minister of the Christian Church, a position he filled with great
usefulness.  The father, Col. Robert Johnson, was himself a soldier and
statesman, and served his country well and faithfully.  He was the
grandfather of Hon. George W. Johnson, who was born near Georgetown in 1811,
and who was the Confederate Governor of Kentucky during the late war.  He
labored earnestly to place Kentucky by the side of the other Southern States
in the rebellion, and set on foot the organization of a provisional
government, which was effected by the Convention at Russellville, Logan
County, November 18-21, 1861.  A constitution was adopted, and Mr. Johnson
was chosen Provisional Governor, and December 10, Kentucky was admitted a
member of the Confederacy, though the State at large never acknowledged it.
He was mortally wounded in the battle of Shiloh, while fighting temporarily
as a private in the Fourth Kentucky (Confederate) Infantry.  At the time of
his death he was fifty-one years of age.

But to return to the war of 1812.  Scott County bore her part in it, until
"Old Hickory" conquered a peace at New Orleans.  Thus a war, that opened
with the disgrace of Hull's surrender, closed in a blaze of glory at New
Orleans.  Croghan's gallant defense of Fort Stephenson; Perry's victory upon
Lake Erie; the total defeat by Harrison, of the allied British and Savages,
under Procter and Tecumseh, on the Thames, and the great closing triumph of
Jackson at New Orleans, are scarcely equaled in the annals of war, and
reflected the most brilliant luster on the American arms. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Polly Askew Menendez, "bobpolly@zapcom.net"
Col. Robert Johnson, gggg grandfather
Col. James Johnson, ggg grandfather (led battalion at battle of Thames)
Col. Richard Mentor Johnson, ggg granduncle, (US Vice President, 1837-41)
William Johnson, gg grandfather  (he & brother, Edward were in this battle)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


From: "Polly A. Menendez" 
<bobpolly@zapcom.net>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998