Of a Life Fraught
Witn Many Vicissitudes
Moses T. Johnson,
the subject of this sketch, was born in Vermillion county, Ill. January 11th,
1841, and died at the Axtell hospital, Newton, Kansas, April 4, 1903. He was a
son of Rev. B. C. and
Eleanor S Johnson, both of whom are buried in the Newton cemetery. His father
was tor more than fifteen years a minister in the Methodist Protestant Church,
a large part of his
active ministry being in the North Illinois conference of that Church. In 1856
the family moved to Osceola, Iowa, and tor a few years the father devoted a
portion of his time to
mercantile pursuits. Soon after the firing upon Fort Sumpter, and the call was
made tor volunteers, Moses T., who was then about twenty years of age, enlisted
in Company F , Sixth
Iowa Volunteer Infantry. This regiment formed part of the Fifteenth Army Corps
under Gen Sherman, and afterwards under Gen. Logan, and was engaged in the hottest of the
fight of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6th, 1862. An older brother, Adolphus, who some
years before had gone to Arkansas and married a southern girl, had enlisted in
the Southern cause, and
in this sanguinary conflict the two brothers were arrayed against each other.
The older brother was mortally wounded, and from the family record it appears that he died the
following day, April 7th, and was buried in the field hospital.
Moses T. and the
regiment to which he belonged remained in the Fifteenth Army Corps until the
close of the war—the regiment having almost solidly re-enlisted as Veteran Volunteers in 1864.
He was in the engagements at Champion Hill, the Big Black River and the Siege
of Vicksburg, and was present at its final surrender July 4th, 1863. Then followed the
movement of Sherman's forces up the river to Memphis, the long march to
Chattanooga, the battle of Missionary' Ridge, and then the forced march to
Knoxville, Tenn, to the relief of
General Burnside. Soon afterward was commenced the advance on Atlanta, Ga., and
the almost daily fighting of the contending armies, until the final surrender
of the city. At the
battle of Atlanta, when the Fifteenth Corps was charged in front and rear, he
was struck in the back by a spent minnie ball, which was the only wound that he
received during his
entire service. He was off duty for a short time on account of this wound,
which at the time did not cause him much concern, but in later years it caused
him a great deal of
trouble. After the fall of Atlanta then followed the march to the sea, the
storming ot Fort McAllister by the Fifteenth Corps, the march northward through
the Carolinas, the battle of
Bentonville and the surrender of Johnson's army, then the march through Virginia
to Washington, the Grand Review, and the final muster out at Louisville, Ky.,
July 7th, 1865.
After the close of
the war he took a course in bookkeeping in Chicago, with the purpose in view of
following some business pursuit. The purpose, however, was soon abandoned. Being a son of a
Methodist minister he seemed to have inherited a restless disposition: and he
could not brook the idea of settling down in any calling or pursuit, and this
tendency of his nature was
doubtless strengthened by his long army service. Consequently he soon drifted
west along the line of the Union Pacific railroad which was then being built through to
California. His love tor army life attracted him to Fort Phil Carney, and for
some time he was engaged in hauling supplies to various forts in Wyoming and
Colorado. In 1870 his attention
was drawn to Kansas by the opening up of a large territory to homestead
settlement. On April 6, 1871, he homesteaded the northeast quarter of section
28, range 22 east,
two miles east of Walton. This land he improved and farmed for several years He
became dissatisfied, however, with farming and at the solicitation of an old army friend who had
a large grading contract for some railroad that was being built in Oaxia, a
state in the south part of Old Mexico, he went down there and tor two or three
years was engaged in
railroad pursuits. After this he returned to his old home near Walton.
Soon
after he went on a prospecting tour to the Black Hills, and for some time was
engaged in prospecting in
various parts of the mountains. He located and worked several mines, none of
which, however, proved profitable. At times in his life fickle fortune seemed
to smile upon him, but
generally her frowning face was turned against him. In all his wanderings
Walton was the place he always claimed as his home, and to It he always
returned. About eight years ago he
contracted some bronchial affection and he went to California in hopes of
regaining his health, but the change of climate had no permanent beneficial
effects. He gradually grew
worse, and a few months ago he went to Phoenix, Arizona. His condition,
however, became so alarming that he undertook the trip to Newton, arriving here
one week ago last Sunday.
At his request he was laid to rest in the Walton cemetery by his brother Odd
Fellows. The funeral sermon was preached in the Methodist Church at Walton Sunday afternoon by
the Pastor. Although he was never a Church member or in any public manner made
a profession ot the Christian religion, yet he never contracted any vicious or immoral habits.
The writer of this, after a long and intimate acquaintance can truthfully say
that he never heard him utter a profane word, or knew him to be guilty of a dishonorable act.
Generous to a fault, he was always ready to share his last dollar with the
needy. Even a tramp never appealed to him in vain for help. In his last moments
he expressed to his
sister, Mrs. T. R. Oldham, his belief in the Christian religion, and his
endeavor to practice it in his life. Among his effects was found the well worn
Bible given him by his mother when
he enlisted in the army.
He was never married and in his last moments was not
troubled with the thought of leaving behind him a wife or dependent children. Of his immediate
family, a brother and sister are living, Mrs. T. R. Oldham of this city and David
H. Johnson ot Chicago. - T. R. Oldham (c) HCGS. The Evening Kansan-Republican, Newton, Kansas. Tuesday, April 7, 1903. Page 7.
