Biographical Sketch of Marshall W. Johnson, Laclede County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Col. M. W. Johnson, farmer, was born in Howard county, Mo., on March 
15, 1832, and was reared principally in Greene and Camden counties. 
His parents, Stebbins and Jerusha B. (Mellen) Johnson, were natives of
Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively.  They were married in
Steubenville, Ohio, in 1825, and in 1831 removed to Howard county, Mo.
Mr. Johnson was a machinist by trade, but upon coming to Missouri he
engaged in the milling business, and while on a trip to St. Louis for
building material he took the cholera, and died in that city in May,
1833.  The mother died at the residence of her son, in Laclede county,
in April, 1879, in her seventy-ninth year.  They were the parents of 
four children, two only of whom are now living, Rhoda W. and Marshall
W., the latter being the youngest of the family and the subject of
this sketch.  After the father's death the family moved to Greene
county, Mo., and in 1841 to Camden county, and were among the earliest
settlers of that county, locating on a farm near the Gunter Spring,
which was their home till the children grew to maturity.  In 1852 the
subject of this sketch entered the employ of Jones, McClurg & Co., who
were engaged in a general mercantile business at Linn Creek.  Continu-
ing with this firm, he became a member of it in 1858, the style now
being changed to McClurg, Murphy & Co., and it prosecuted an extensive
business till the outbreak of the Rebellion, in 1861, their business
reaching the enormous figure, in that day, for an inland house, of half
a million a year.  When the war came, Mr. Johnson, being driven from 
his business and his home by marauding rebels, joined the Osage regi-
ment of Missouri volunteers (Home Guards) an organization called into
the service temporarily by Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, then commanding the
Department of the Missouri.  Upon the disbanding of this organization,
in December, 1861, he enlisted in Company G of the Eighth Regiment 
Missouri State Militia Cavalry, and was appointed quartermaster of the
regiment, with rank of first lieutenant, in which capacity he served
until March, 1863, when the regiment was reorganized, and he was pro-
moted to the rank of office of lieutenant colonel of his regiment.  
This position he held till October, 1863, when, at the request of his
former business co-partners, he resigned and took charge again of his 
business at Linn Creek.  In January, 1863, he was united in marriage to
Mary E., eldest daughter of ex-Gov. Joseph W. McClurg, and to them were
born ten children: Joseph M.; Thaddeus S., Frank J.; Fannie J.; Maggie
R.; Charles D.; Mary B.; Louise W.; Emma C. and Marshall W., Jr., all
now living, save Mary B., who died in early infancy.  After closing his
old business, which required a number of years, Mr. Johnson was engaged
with ex-Gov. McClurg and others in mining, smelting and merchandising
at Linn Creek until 1877.  In February of that year he moved to his 
farm, near Lebanon, Mo., where he now resides, engaged in farming, 
stock growing, etc.  His farm contains 280 acres, 200 of which are in
cultivation, the residue in timber and pasture.  He runs a dairy also,
and is getting to some extent in the fruit business.  He has an orchard
of his own planting, of 3,000 trees, to which he is adding yearly.  He,
with his eldest two sons, has also established a cattle ranch, and is
opening a farm in Central Dakota.  They will have more than 100 acres
in crops there this year.  Mr. Johnson has never held civil office,
save that of county treasurer for eight years, while in Camden, and
superintendent of registration for the years immediately following the
war.  He is a member of the G. A. R., A. O. U. W. and Select Knights.

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