HON. SILVESTER JOHNSON was born October 15, 1813, in Nelson County, and is one of nine children, viz.: Charles, Nancy, William, Thomas, John, Elizabeth, the subject, Ellen and Catherine, born to John and Dorothy (Miles) Johnson, natives of St. Mary's County, Md. They came to Nelson County in 1798, and settled near where New Hope now stands. He married for his second wife, Henrietta, a daughter of John B. Hill, by whom he had four children: Priscilla, Hillery, Mary and Sally. The family was of the Roman Catholic faith. Mr. Johnson became a substantial farmer in the county, and died in 1833, at the age of fifty-six years. The subject of this sketch, Silvester Johnson, was brought up on a farm, and received a good English education, finishing off with two years at St. Mary's College in Marion County. He taught school during the summer months and flatboated during the winter, a business that had been begun by his uncle. Mr. Johnson was but eighteen years old when he commenced the battle of life on his own account. He flatboated and merchandised until 1843, when he retired from boating and acted as deputy sheriff for several years, but continued the mercantile business, and in 1853 was elected sheriff, serving one term; afterward acted as deputy sheriff up to 1857. In 1850 he was elected to the Legislature. He has since been solicited several times to offer for the same office but has always declined. He has drifted into the banking business, which he has successfully carried on for sixteen years. He owns considerable property in New Haven, where he has lived for the last fifty-one years, and is reported to be worth from $300,000 to $400,000, and has given away to charitable purposes $100,000. He still continues to give liberally; for several years he has been clothing the children of St. Thomas' Orphan Asylum. In 1873 he built a parochial schoolhouse in New Haven, at a cost of $6,000 and donated it to the Roman Catholic Church. He established two free Catholic schools and pays out of his own funds the teachers for both white and colored schools. He gave about $20,000 to a new Roman Catholic Church erected in New Haven at a total cost of $30,000. Mr. Johnson was married in August, 1835, to Mildred, a daughter of Charles and Susan (Howard) Boone, who came from Maryland in 1798, and settled in this county. Mrs. Johnson was born in February, 1816, and died July 29, 1875. She was a most excellent lady, noted for her charitable qualities. Mr. Johnson was originally a Whig and gave his first vote for Henry Clay for President. At the dissolution of the Whig party in 1855, and the springing up of the Know-nothing party, he joined the Democratic party, and has voted with it ever since without ever scratching the ticket. He has been a member of the Democratic committee for Nelson County for the last thirty years.