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George W. Johnson (Civil War)

George W. Johnson
Gwjohnson ky.jpg
1st Confederate Governor of Kentucky
In office
November 20, 1861 – April 8, 1862
Lieutenant Horatio F. Simrall
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Richard Hawes
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the Scott County district
In office
1838–1840
Personal details
Born George Washington Johnson
(1811-05-27)May 27, 1811
Scott County, Kentucky, USA
Died April 8, 1862(1862-04-08) (aged 50)
Shiloh, Tennessee, USA
Resting place Georgetown Cemetery, Georgetown, Kentucky, USA
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Ann Eliza Viley (1833–1862)
Children 10
Alma mater Transylvania University
Occupation Farmer
Profession Legal
Committees Committee of Sixty
Military service
Allegiance  Confederate States of America
Service/branch  Confederate States Army
Years of service 1862
Rank Private
Unit 4th Kentucky Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars American Civil War

George Washington Johnson (May 27, 1811 – April 8, 1862) was the first Confederate governor of Kentucky. A lawyer-turned-farmer from Scott County, Kentucky, Johnson favored secession as a means of preventing the Civil War, believing the Union and Confederacy would be forces of equal strength, each too wary to attack the other. As political sentiment in the Commonwealth took a decidedly Union turn following the elections of 1861, Johnson was instrumental in organizing a sovereignty convention in Russellville, Kentucky with the intent of "severing forever our connection with the Federal Government." The convention created a Confederate shadow government for the Commonwealth, and Johnson was elected its governor.

Despite his meager political experience—having previously served only three years in the Kentucky House of Representatives—Johnson labored vehemently to ensure the success of the shadow government. Kentucky was admitted to the Confederacy on December 10, 1861, but the shadow government's influence in the Commonwealth extended only as far as the Confederate Army advanced. When Albert Sidney Johnston abandoned the Confederate capital of Bowling Green, Governor Johnson and the other government officials accompanied him. Despite his advanced age and a crippled arm, Johnson volunteered for military service in General Johnston's army. Johnson was killed at the Battle of Shiloh, making him the only state governor, Union or Confederate, to fall in battle during the Civil War. He was succeeded by Richard Hawes, the second and last governor of Confederate Kentucky.

George Washington Johnson was born on May 27, 1811 near Georgetown in Scott County, Kentucky, the son of major William and Betsy Payne Johnson. Major Johnson died soon after the close of the War of 1812, in which he was a participant, and George Johnson was reared in the home of his stepfather, John Allen. Johnson received three degrees from Transylvania University: an A.B. in 1829, an LL.B. in 1832, and an M.A. in 1833. On August 20, 1833, he married Ann Eliza Viley, daughter of Captain Willa and Lydia Smith Viley. The couple had ten children, seven of whom lived to adulthood.


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