BIBB COUNTY, GA - BIOS William Johnston (1753-1838) ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: lmeadows@surfsouth.com Linda Meadows WILLIAM JOHNSTON (1753-1838) BIBB COUNTY, GA William Johnston was born in Amelia County, VA in 1753. His first wife was Mary Ballard (1750- 1799), who was a widow. They had 15 children. The following are the known children among those 13 boys and two girls: Gideon (married Polly Redding in Baldwin County, GA 1810; Gideon was born 18 April 1786, died 2 July 1839, and is buried at Salem Methodist Church Cemetery in Monroe County,GA), Caleb (married Nancy Feagin in Baldwin County, GA in 1812), Asa (married Eliza Feagin), Moses, Rebecca (married ____ Turk), Mary Ann (married ____ Turk), Albert, Lloyd, and Joel Mac (deceased before March 1837). In addition, Mary Ballard Johnston had a daughter, Lottie Ballard, by her first husband. Johnston married his second wife, Millison S. Hogan, daughter of Isham Hogan, on 5 April 1814, in Baldwin County, GA. The marriage was performed by James Irwin, J.P. Millison was born in GA in 1790. Born to William Johnston and his second wife, Millison S., were the following nine children: 1. Susan D. m. 1st William F. Clark 12/10/1829. 2nd Ch. Harwood. 2. William Blackstone b. 1816 in Baldwin County, GA. m. 1st Caroline B. Bailey 10/10/1833, in Bibb Co., GA; 2nd Eleanor C. Bullock, daughter of Irwin Bullock & Ladufsia Pound, on 11/15/1838 in Bibb Co., GA. d. 7/20/1868 in Dooly County, GA. 3. Elizabeth "Eliza" b. 1818 in Baldwin Co., GA. m. 9/25/1834 to William Harrington, who was born in 1809. 4. Martha b. 1818 in Baldwin Co. (twin to Eliza). m. Joseph John Holleman 10/2/1834. d. 1894. 5. Vastile m. Solomon Johnson 8/8/1839. 6. Luther R. b. 6/23/1823 in Bibb Co., GA. m. 6/18/1844 to Eliza Hollingsworth, who was born 10/3/1825 in Bibb Co., and died 11/15/1883 in Bibb Co. d. 4/17/1866 in Bibb Co. (Confederate Veteran, Co. B, 27th Regt., GA Volunteers) 7. Morgan Parker b. 10/15/1825 in Bibb Co. m. 1st Sarah Ann Reynolds, born in Ga in 1832; Morgan was married 3 times. d. After 8/26/1904 (Moved to Bullock Co., AL in 1852; Confederate Veteran from AL) 8. Millison H. b. 1828 in Bibb Co. m. 10/3/1843 to John Hollingsworth, who was born in N.C. in 1819. d. After 8/26/1904 9. Ann Miriam b. 5/30/1832 in Bibb Co. m. 9/4/1847 to Walter Hollingsworth, who was born 10/2/1824, and died 6/15/1887 in Bibb Co. d. 7/18/1876 in Bibb Co. William Johnston was among the earliest settlers in what is now Bibb County, GA. He owned land in the fourth district of original Houston, now Bibb County, located in lots 230, 231, and 232. In addition, lot 3 in square 24 in the city of Macon belonged to him, as did lot 183 in the fifth district of original Houston, now Bibb County. He left this legacy of land to his wife and 16 children who survived him. He also provided for the widow and child of his deceased son, Joel Mac. Johnston's lengthy last will and testament also contains numerous bequests of slaves and personal property to his heirs. In addition to Johnston's last will and testament, his pension claim (VA-S31780), filed in Bibb County, provides further background information about the man. During the American Revolution, he entered service as a regular soldier at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on 9 January 1777, enlisting in a company commanded by Captain William Lewis. His term of enlistment was for one year with the First VA Regiment, commanded by Colonel Richard Parker. Brigade commander was General Mecklenberg. Johnston was engaged in the Battle of Monmouth, where he was under the immediate command of Prussian leader Baron von Steuben. Following his first enlistment, Johnston was discharged by Captain Payne. Another term of duty involved him in the Battle of Cowpens, under the command of Captain Archer. He later guarded prisoners during a three-month term in Salisbury, North Carolina. Johnston's youngest son, Morgan Parker, noted his father's Revolutionary service in his Confederate records filed August 26, 1904. He recalled how his father had often spoken of his experiences in the Continental Army. Morgan remembered "distinctly hearing him tell of being at the cowpens and at the surrender of Cornwallis, and that he also saw Mollie Pitcher." Morgan Parker further recalled his father's references to William's brother James, who was in a different command, and who when last seen by a comrade, was wounded and leaning against a tree. According to his own pension application, William Johnston resided in many places during his long life. He moved from Amelia County, VA to Prince Edward County; from there to Henrico County, VA. Then he moved to North Carolina; from there to South Carolina, then back to Guilford County, North Carolina. He then moved to Salisbury, within the same state. In the early 1800's, he moved to the state of GA, wherein he resided in the counties of Columbia, Washington, Hancock, Baldwin, and Bibb. William Johnston was allowed a pension of $50.00 per annum, issued 15 February 1836, as provided for in an Act of Congress dated 7 June 1832. When he applied for the pension in 1835, he claimed to be 81 years of age. He died in Bibb County, GA on 26 October 1838, and was buried in the Johnston Family Cemetery, now located on GA Highway 129, between Warner Robins and Macon. Morgan Parker's Confederate papers mentioned his father's death. William "had been remarkably active and vigorous to within 4 years of his death when he became a victim of rheumatism, which finally resulted in his death. His home at that time was ten miles from Macon, Georgia." He stated that his father's age at the time of his death was 86. Millison Johnston died at the age of 70 at her residence in Bibb County on 2 January 1861. She was a member of Sardis Primitive Baptist Church at the time, and had been a Primitive Baptist for over 45 years. Sources consulted: NSDAR applications #324738, #332892, #401332, #439845, & #502897; Pension Claim VA-S31780 obtained from National Archives; Last Will and Testament of William Johnston probated 1838 in Bibb County, GA; 1814 Baldwin County, GA marriage license of William Johnston and Milley Hogan; Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in GA, Vol. III, p. 128, by McCall; Historical and Genealogical Collections of Dooly County, GA, Vol. I, p. 308, by Watts and Nora Powell; 1833 Bibb County, GA Marriage License of William B. Johnston and Caroline B. Bailey, Book A, folio 164; 1838 Bibb County, GA Marriage License of William B. Johnston and Eleanor C. Bullock, Book A, folio 282; Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Issue 96, p. 121; Christian Index, p. 15, Column 6, 30 January 1861; Marriages and obituaries from the Macon Messenger; Confederate records of Morgan Parker Johnston, A-911, Alabama Dept. of Archives and History; History of Baldwin County, GA, pages 259 and 260, by Anna Maria Green Cook; Bibb County, GA Early Wills and Cemetery Records, page 52, by Jean Saunders Willingham and Berthenia Crocker Smith. Submitted by Linda Ward Meadows, 3rd-great grand- daughter of William and Millison Johnston, and 2nd-great grand- daughter of William Blackstone and Eleanor Bullock Johnston; 9088 Val-Del Road, Adel, GA 31620. Phone: 912-896-3591. Email: lmeadows@surfsouth.com