(Photo of Samuel Christopher Johnson included below)


Conecuh County, Alabama in the 1800s was an area of lowlands with many canebrake-lined streams and pine forests and "verdant vales, [w]here roved vast herds of deer and flocks of wild turkeys, together with other game."² Conecuh County's climate and flora are very similar to Angelina County, Texas except Conecuh County has more hills and more waterways. Conecuh County was organized in January 1818 from Monroe County.³ Until Escambia County was formed in 1868 Conecuh County covered the area right down to the border with the Spanish province of Florida⁴ so its southernmost part was only about 30 miles from the breezes of the Gulf of Mexico.

After the conclusion of some Indian troubles in 1818 there was an influx of settlers into Conecuh County, Alabama from South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee and schools, churches and commercial enterprises were established.⁵ From 1819 to 1829 the population of Alabama increased so rapidly that travelers sometimes spent several days waiting for space on a ferry to cross rivers and streams.⁶ Many families were lucky enough to travel in wagons drawn by horses, mules or oxen and at night slept in tents that later served as their first residence until a home could be built on their new land; this home often didn't get built until the second year and typically was built of hewn logs, supported by four corner wood blocks, with a split timber slab or board roof weighted with poles, and a cloven log floor.⁷

Although we don't know how they traveled, sometime before 1820 probable brothers Washington and William B. Johnson moved to Conecuh County, possibly from South Carolina and with other relations later following them to Conecuh County.⁸

Washington and William are both listed on the 1820, 1830, and 1840 U.S. censuses in Conecuh County Alabama. William's household in 1830 and 1840 include a male child of the right age to be Samuel Christopher Johnson.⁹

Samuel Christopher Johnson was born on 10 November 1821¹⁰ probably near Evergreen, Conecuh County, Alabama.¹¹ His parents were the William B. Johnson¹² mentioned above and Elizabeth Parker.¹³ Samuel's Family Bible states that "W. B. Johnson (the father) died from a fall from a horse 1846, about age 63" and "E. Johnson (the mother) [died] Dec 29^th 1870, age 74 years."¹⁴ This would make William born about 1783 and Elizabeth born about 1796.

Samuel's faith in God began early; he himself says he "professed Christ in his eighteenth year … 1839."¹⁵ In an age when many Americans had only a few years of elementary education, Samuel attended Howard Collegiate and Theological Institution in Marion, Alabama from 1845 to 1846¹⁶ where he studied under "the sainted brother, Jesse Hartwell, D.D. " who was a Professor of Theology.¹⁷ Samuel used this education to become a teacher¹⁸ for many years and later was also a Baptist minister.¹⁹ He traveled much of southern Alabama, western Florida, Georgia, and East Texas practicing these professions.²⁰ More details of these travels are listed below.

During the 1800s there was a dispute between the Baptists who believed in predestination and those who believed in election. The "Predestination" Baptists believed there was no need for missionaries as God had predetermined who would be allowed into Heaven. The "Election" Baptists believed anyone who was saved, or elected, could go to Heaven therefore missionaries were needed to help convert non-believers. In 1894, after twenty-two years of preaching on the subject of election and predestination, Samuel even wrote a book²¹ at the request of other religious figures at the Ministers' Institute in Nacogdoches, Texas²² voicing his views on election and predestination. The book is written in the first person with many examples of imaginary conversations between God, Jesus, and Biblical figures that explain in a simple and understandable manner how Samuel interpreted the Bible and developed his beliefs. Much of the prose sounds as if it was used in Samuel's sermons and, if this is true, he must have been a very good preacher. Samuel believed that there was a set of people who had been picked by God and were predestined to be sent to Heaven but that all other people also had a chance to be saved and sent to Heaven. This passage is on page 20 of Samuel's book:

God's intimacy with Abraham, and Abraham's obedience to God may raise the inquiry, was not Abraham saved by the law? If he kept the law he was saved by the law. Did he keep the law? God said to Isaac, "I will give unto thy seed all these countries, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws." Well, that looks very much like Abraham might have been saved by the law. As if Abraham might have marched up to Heaven's gate, and demanded entrance on the ground of his perfection. When Peter (as it is said Christ gave him the key) might have turned the key and have invited father Abraham in, but then God would have said: "Hold on, Peter, you are too hasty; you seem to have that same hasty spirit that you possessed while on earth, as was manifested when you said to Christ, 'I will never forsake you.'" Peter: "I don't consider that I am hasty in this case, for I have left the earth, and have been wholly sanctified, and have left all my imperfections behind. I looked well into the case before I admitted Abraham. You gave him a law to keep, and you said yourself that he had obeyed your voice, kept your charge, your commandments, your statutes and your laws, and I can't see for the life of me how you can shut the door against old father Abraham." God: "You are not as sharp as you thought you were, Peter. When I said he kept my laws I meant in the main, for you remember that Abraham dissembled a little once, when he told Sarai [sic] to say that she was his sister. It was the truth in part, as she was his half-sister, but this was deception, and instead of relying upon his own shrewdness to save his life he should have trusted me for deliverance." Peter: "Abraham was faithful toward you all his life, and did his best to keep the law to a jot and a tittle and you promised him so often that you would bless him and his seed, and all the nations of the earth in his seed. Can you not wink at that slight misgiving in the dear old father and admit him?" God: "Well, Peter, you contend earnestly for Abraham; but see here, if that mistake of Abraham's were looked over, and he saved by the law, but very few others would come so near keeping the law; hence nearly all the human family would be lost were it not for the atonement. You don't understand, Peter! Isaac was a type of Christ, Isaac, the only proper son of Abraham, and Christ, the only son of God. Christ was the seed of God, the seed of Abraham, the seed of Isaac, the seed of Jacob, the seed of Joseph, and this was the seed in which all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. The same covenant that God made with Abraham on earth was a repetition of the covenant that was made with the Word in the beginning, Christ agreed to come into the world and keep the law that God had given to man; to become a substitute for man; to give eternal life to as many as would believe on his name. And God, in order to secure his beloved Son a sure portion, as a reward for his sufferings, and to honor Abraham, his faithful servant, elected one hundred and forty-four thousand, choosing them out of the twelve tribes of Israel as has been stated. The twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve great grand sons of Abraham, were the twelve patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. God elected twelve thousand out of each one of the twelve tribes of Israel in Christ, according to fore-knowledge, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ Jesus. 1 Pet. 1:2

This book included Samuel's photograph on the frontispiece:



After completing his studies at Howard College but before he began preaching, Samuel served in the Mexican War. According to his compiled service record and pension file, Samuel began military service on 8 July 1846 at Point Isabel, Texas where he was enrolled as a private in Company B, 1st Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteer Riflemen (better known as the Texas Rangers). Documents in his pension file state he was mustered in for six months by Captain Knowlton and Samuel was mounted on his own horse. Company B was commanded by Captain C. B. Acklin whose commander was Colonel Jack Hays [John Coffee Hays] and Hays' commander was Major General I. Pinckney. Samuel ended his military service on 12 September 1846 in Mexico after only two months service instead of the six for which he originally signed up. He served faithfully for the two months and was honorably discharged although no reason is given for the shorter duration of his service. Perhaps he became ill as many did during this war or maybe he wanted to get home to help his mother after his father's death. He participated in engagements that routed and drove Mexican forces estimated at around 4,000 from near the Rio Grande River past Tauro Ranch in Mexico.²³

Many states sent units to fight in the Mexican War. It is not known why Samuel traveled to Texas and enlisted there instead of joining an Alabama unit but it is interesting to speculate as to why a young man who had just completed theological training seemed to be in a hurry to go off to war.

We can read what Samuel's days may have been like as this is described by Frederick Wilkins in The Highly Irregular Irregulars²⁴ on pages 39 and 40:

Like the rest of the army, the Rangers were up at daylight. The day started with groups taking the horses out to graze, if there was grass nearby. Often, they had to go a mile or more, and they went prepared. They always went fully armed, loosening saddle girths and slipping the bridles down about the necks of the horses. Each man had a cabaristas, a form of halter copied from the Mexicans. This was twenty to thirty feet long and gave each animal room to browse. Each Ranger kept the loose end of the rope in his hand while his horse looked for grass. With guards out, it was difficult to surprise or stampede the horses.

...

Reid gave an account of a typical afternoon:
Many of the men had just come in from grazing their horses, and were now occupied in grooming them; others were cooking over fires, and preparing supper. At sundown we were invited by our mess to take a cup of coffee, out of a tin pot, and reminded by them, after our hearty meal, that our cook-day would come on Monday. Rations of corn and oats were then served out for our horses – the guard was paraded, and the sentinels were posted. It was a fine evening, and the Rangers sat round in groups listening to the song and stories of their comrades.

Although Samuel doesn't list specific battles other than the push to Tauro Ranch it can be assumed he was with the Volunteers at some of the other patrols and battles fought during his enlistment. Wilkins goes on to describe on pages 66 through 80:

there were several units of Rangers and some were involved in chasing Mexican bandits and marauding Comanches;
...
checking out the China route to Monterey during which a skirmish ensued near China;
...
in early September some of the troops were ordered to Cerralvo, two Ranger companies reached Cerralvo on September 5^th and camped there;
...
there was appalling sickness and the volunteer units were hit the hardest; and
...
that Taylor issued an order on September 11^th outlining the order of March to Monterey which took place a few days later.

Since Samuel was mustered out on September 12^th he could not have participated in the battle for Monterey. After his service he returned to Alabama in 1846 and stayed with his mother in Conecuh County through 1847 then in 1848 he moved to Florida.²⁵

He married Mary Stanley Thompson on 14 August 1848 at Orange Hill, Florida.²⁶ From 1849 to 1853 they lived in Georgia, between 1855 and 1856 they were back in Alabama, then from 1856 to 1861 were back in Florida.²⁷ The 1850 U.S. census in Crawford County, Georgia lists Samuel as a 28 year old s[chool] teacher; the household includes two females, M. S. Johnson, age 24, and E. Johnson, age [14?], possibly a sister or other relation of Samuel.²⁸ The family shows up on the 1860 U.S. census in Escambia County, Florida with Samuel listed as a 39 year old merchant with personal estate valued at $1,000.00; the household includes females Mary, age 35; Mary C., age 7; Sarah J., age 6; Olive Ann, age 5; Vernella?, age 2 months; and males Samuel, age 4; and Benjamin, age 2.²⁹

Between 1861 and 1868 Samuel's family was back in Alabama.³⁰ On 2 January 1864 his wife, Mary, died³¹ after having as many as 12 children in 16 years (see endnote 50 for source of the number of children). In the fall of 1865 in Evergreen, Alabama³² Samuel married Nancy Elizabeth Sills,³³ an orphan of unknown parents.³⁴ From 1869 to 1878 the family was living back in Florida again.³⁵ The 1870 U.S. census in Santa Rosa County, Florida shows Samuel, age 48, working as a school teacher again with Nancy, age 27, keeping house. Also in the household are females Mary, age 18; Sarah, age 16; Bennetta?, age 10 [was Vernella in 1860]; Lucinda, age 1; and males Samuel, age 14; Benjamin, age 12; and William, age 8.³⁶

Sometime before 1880 the family moved to Texas where Samuel's brother Peter Lazarus Johnson had moved in 1857.³⁷ Samuel is found in the 1880 U.S. census for Shelby County, Texas as a 58 year old farmer enumerated with wife Nancy E., age 38; son Peter L., age 11; daughter Lucinda C., age 10; son Henry E., age 8; and son Thomas B., age 5.³⁸

Samuel and his family traveled around East Texas as Samuel moved from church to church as a minister and by March 1887 the family was in Saratoga, Hardin County, Texas where Samuel filed for a Mexican War pension.³⁹ At that time he was described as 65 years of age, 5 feet 11 inches high, of fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, and a minister by occupation.⁴⁰ Samuel first received a pension of $8.00 a month and on 20 January 1893, when Samuel was living in Warren, Tyler County, Texas he applied for an increase of pension because he is "wholly disabled for manual labor and is in such destitute circumstances that eight dollars per month are insufficient to provide the claimant with the necessaries of life."⁴¹ Attached to the application is a physician's statement that Samuel is 73 years of age, weighs 167 pound and is 5 feet 9 ½ inches tall, has a large coconut-sized [inguinal?] hernia for which he wears a truss, has a chronic cough, little evidence of rheumatism but Samuel complains of pains through out his muscular system, and in the doctor's opinion Samuel is entitled to an increase in pension.⁴² At the time of his death Samuel was receiving a pension of $12.00 a month. ⁴³
According to the Economic History Services website at http://eh.net/howmuchisthat/ $12.00 in 1900 is equivalent to about $261.00 in 2003 using a Consumer Price Index (CPI) conversion. This gives some idea of the buying power of the pension dollars.

The following map shows the migration of Samuel and his descendants across the Southern U.S. Shaded areas of the map indicate county boundaries as of 2004 - not necessarily as they existed at the time Samuel lived in the county.

By 1891 Samuel had moved to Burke, Angelina County, Texas. A S. C. Johnson appears on the Angelina County tax rolls in 1891, 1892 and 1894 through 1897. The tax rolls never show any property ownership and indicate miscellaneous property valued only at $10.00 to $36.00, one horse and sometimes one carriage.⁴⁴ Samuel would have been 70 years old in 1891. More research needs to be done on the Texas tax laws of the time and whether or not Samuel, Jr. may have been the person on these tax rolls.

Samuel died on 10 February 1900⁴⁵ in Burke, Angelina County, Texas, at age 78.⁴⁶ He is buried at the Ryan Chapel Cemetery in Diboll, Angelina County, Texas.⁴⁷ Nancy died 5 months later on 24 July 1900⁴⁸ and is also buried at Ryan Chapel Cemetery⁴⁹ along with many of their descendants.

According to what may be his obituary, Samuel had twenty-two children: twelve by his first wife, Mary, and ten by his second wife, Nancy. When his first wife died seven of her children were still living but only five were still living when Samuel died. Only four of the ten children of his second wife were still living when Samuel died.⁵⁰

The known children of Samuel and Mary Stanley (Thompson) Johnson are:

1. C. A. E. Johnson was born 24 June 1850; she died 10 September 1857.⁵¹
2. Mary C. Johnson was born 30 July 1852. She married J. T. Holly on 20 December 1881 in Shelby County, Texas.⁵²
3. Sarah J. "Sally" Johnson⁵³ was born 14 November 1853. She married Calvin Owen Chunn on 27 September 1876 in Bluff Springs, Escambia, Florida.⁵⁴
4. Olive Ann Johnson was born 10 March 1855. She married M. T. Brown on 24 October 1876, near Bluff Springs, Escambia County, Florida.⁵⁵
5. Samuel Christopher Johnson, Jr. was born 8 September 1856. He married on 4 July 1889 to Maude E. Pruett.⁵⁶
6. Benjamin W. T. Johnson was born 22 November 1858. He married S. A. Whisenhunt on 4 November 1885.⁵⁷
7. Benetta?/Vernella E. Johnson was born 13 April 1860 and died 22 June 1874.⁵⁸
8. William B. Johnson was born 11 September 1861 and died at Warren, Tyler County, Texas 29 August 1884.⁵⁹

   ix. through xii. This leaves 4 children unaccounted for if Samuel and Mary had 12 children.

The known children of Samuel and Nancy Elizabeth (Sills) Johnson are:

13. Peter L. Johnson was born 15 May 1867. He married in April 1884 to Martha Barnes. The Family Bible also states he was "[s]truck by a 1x6 plank flying back from the edger in Brown & Hardie Mill in Angelina County Tex at eleven o'clock A.M. 28 & died at eleven 29, & was buried at eleven 30 of July 1892, Aged 25 years 2 mos & 4 day."⁶⁰
14. Lucinda C. Johnson was born 21 September 1869. She married on 23 December 1886 to C. D. Rudd. She died 11 September 1908.⁶¹
15. Henry Everett Johnson was born 12 November 1871. He married on 1 July 1891 to Emma Eugenia Ryan.⁶²
16. Thomas B. Johnson was born 1 August 1874.⁶³
17. E. B. T. Johnson was born 16 July 1876 and died 11 October 1876.⁶⁴
18. George N. Johnson was born 20 October 1880.⁶⁵

   xix. through xxii. This leaves 4 more children unaccounted for if Samuel and Nancy had 10 children making a total of 22 children of Samuel.

Additional research to be done on Samuel includes:

1. searching for his obituary in microfilmed newspapers to verify this was actually printed. The letter from the curator of The American Baptist Historical Society on 25 July 1973 to Mr. Ronald Stratton states that "We have made a careful search in the Baptist Standard, 1900, and find no mention of Samuel Johnson. There are very few obituaries printed in this paper." A search of the extant copies of the Texas Baptist Standard held at Baylor University, Waco, Texas should be done to see if possibly the Baptist Standard and the Texas Baptist Standard are different newspapers that might account for the obituary not being found so far. In 1992 microfilm of the 1900 edition of The Baptist Standard (call number 810.36) was borrowed from the Eugene C. Barker Texas History Center at the University of Texas, Austin. No obituary for Samuel was found after scanning all of the year of 1900.
   
2. obtaining cemetery records from Ryan Chapel Cemetery to see if there is any conflicting or additional information in their records.
   
3. searching Bounty Land Warrant records as Samuel's pension file states he was issued Bounty land warrant, No 6034 of 40 acres, and he later filed "for the purpose of obtaining the additional Bounty Land to which he is entitled under the act of March 3rd 1855."
   
4. searching local land records and tax lists in the other locations where Samuel lived.
   
5. searching Angelina County, Texas probate records for Samuel and Nancy. There may not have been any estate to probate since Samuel's pension file states he owns nothing but an old horse and buggy worth only about twenty dollars. Neither Samuel or Nancy is listed in Angelina County, Texas Probate Minutes, Index: 1857-1934, Texas County records on microfilm, film number 1035035. The probate minutes have not yet been checked to determine if the records exist but are missing in the index.
   
6. searching for the marriage record of Samuel and his first wife, Mary Stanley Thompson in Florida.
   
7. searching for newspapers and church records in the locations where Samuel lived which might add information about his ministerial or other activities.
   
8. searching Alabama records to see if information can be found about the family during the Civil War years.

---

Endnotes

Note: Click on the endnote number to return to the section of the text that refers to the endnote.
[1] Debbie Parker Wayne, P.O. Box 397, Cushing, TX 75760-0397. Debbie would like to thank Beverly Dozier Johnson who in 1991 generously shared her genealogical information on the Johnson family with Debbie when she become interested in family history research.  Beverly's notes helped locate many of the source documents used to document Samuel's life for this article.

[2] Rev. B. F. Riley, History of Conecuh County, Alabama (1881; reprint, Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1994), 13-15.

[3] Ibid., 30.

[4] William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790 – 1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987), 13-18.

[5] Riley, History of Conecuh County, 28.

[6] Ibid., 73.

[7] Ibid., 67-68.

[8] Letter from Peter Lazarus Johnson (Woods, Panola County, Texas) to his niece Sally (Johnson) Chunn (New Orleans, Louisiana), 20 June 1904; photocopy held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas). The letter names Peter's brother Samuel and his Uncle Washington but does not name Peter's father. Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records, unknown publication data or original location, photocopy of family birth, marriage and death pages held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas), lists Wm B as Samuel's father so William B. and Washington are assumed to be brothers. Speculation of the Johnsons coming from South Carolina is based on 1850 Conecuh County census records (page 356B, dwelling /family 369) showing SC as Washington's birth place and on additional Johnson families settling nearby with similar family names and birth places. Links between these families are yet to be proven.

[9] Washington and several William Johnson's, one William near Washington, are listed on the 1820 U.S. Federal Census for Alabama; copies of the transcript are available at the Evergreen-Conecuh County Library, Evergreen, Alabama; this transcript cites the Alabama Official Archives transcript reprinted in the Alabama Historical Quarterly in 1944. William B. Johnson household, page 99/197, line 13 and Washington Johnson household, page 103/205, line 27, 1830 U.S. Census, Conecuh County, Alabama, population schedule; National Archives micropublication M19, roll 3.  William Johnston [sic] household, page 273A, line 3 and Washington Johnston Senr. household, page 273A, line 8, 1840 U.S. Census, Conecuh County, Alabama, population schedule; National Archives micropublication M704, roll 2.

[10] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., The Consistency and Harmony of Election, Predestination and the Accountability of Man (Waco: Texas Baptist Standard Printing House, 1894), 3. A copy of the book is in the holdings of The American Baptist Historical Society, 1106 South Goodman Street, Rochester, New York 14620 as of 25 July 1973 and a photocopy is in the possession of Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas) as of 2003. Birth date also given on Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. tombstone, Ryan Chapel Cemetery, Angelina County, Texas (1 mile west of U.S. 59 on FM 2497); photographed by Debbie Parker Wayne, January 1991. Birth date also given in the affidavit of Capt. C. B. Acklin , Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file, no. SC 3414, WO 15595, copy held by Debbie Parker Wayne. The accompanying document states this affidavit is recorded in record Book D of Wills, page 136, Conecuh County, Alabama but courthouse fires in 1866 and 1867 destroyed all records. The existing Book D of Wills in Conecuh County does not contain a record of Samuel's military service and discharge. The birth date is also given in Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[11] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[12] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[13] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records do not give her maiden name. Elizabeth's maiden name is listed in the Peter Lazarus Johnson letter of 20 June 1904.

[14] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[15] Johnson, Consistency and Harmony, 3.

[16]Howard College Matriculates From Founding to July 1887: 18, 22, 30; microfilm copy, Samford University Library, Special Collections Department, Birmingham, Alabama. Also, letter from Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama) to Mrs. Eldon Edge (Carthage, Texas) dated 28 June 1973; photocopy held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas). In 1965 the name of the institution was changed from Howard College to Samford University. Although it was never the official name of the institute, the letter does admit that the college was sometimes referred to as Howard Collegiate and Theological Institution.

[17] Johnson, Consistency and Harmony, 4.

[18] Samuel G.[sic] Johnson household, 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Santa Rosa County, Florida, population schedule, Milton Post Office, page 37/570, dwelling 318, family 318; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 133. Lists Samuel's profession as school teacher.

[19] Johnson, Consistency and Harmony, several mentions throughout the book.

[20] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[21] Johnson, Consistency and Harmony.

[22] Ibid., 5.

[23] Affidavit of Capt. C. B. Acklin , Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[24] Frederick Wilkins, The Highly Irregular Irregulars: Texas Rangers in the Mexican War (Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, 1990).

[25]"Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[26] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[27] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[28] 1850 U.S. census, Crawford County, Georgia (National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 67), Division #20, p. 397B, dwelling 244, family 244, S. C. Johnson household, enumerated on 21 August 1850 by J. J. Bradford.

[29] 1860 U.S. census, Escambia County, Florida (National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 106), Pensacola PO and city, p. 372/20, dwelling 148, family 148, Samuel C. Johnson household, enumerated on 6 June 1860 by Jasper S. Gonzalez.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[32] Ibid.

[33] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file. Marriage records for this period were destroyed in courthouse fires in 1866 and 1867.

[34] "Declaration of Widow for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[35] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[36] 1870 U.S. census, Santa Rosa County, Florida (National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 133), Milton PO, p. 570/37, dwelling 318, family 318, Sam G. [sic] Johnson household, enumerated on [blank] 1870 by John W. [Bentley?].

[37] Peter Lazarus Johnson letter of 20 June 1904.

[38] 1880 U.S. census, Shelby County, Texas (National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 1326; image copy at <www.heritagequestonline.com>, viewed on 1 July 2003), District 92, ED 92, p. 99B/12, dwelling 92, family 92, Samuel Johnson household, enumerated on 15 June 1880 by [G. N. Warner?].

[39] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[40] "Claim of a Survivor of the Mexican War for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[41] Affidavit of Samuel C. Johnson, Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[42] "Physicians Statement," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[43] "Declaration of Widow for Pension," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file.

[44] S. C. Johnson entries, Angelina County Tax Rolls, Texas County records on Microfilm roll number 100301 (1846-1892), roll number 100302 (1897-1907). Page numbers were unreadable on both of these microfilm rolls but the rolls are alphabetically organized by first letter of the surname. Line numbers following indicate the entry on one of the corresponding "J" pages for the indicated year: 1891 line 35, 1892 line 8, 1894 line 23, 1895 line 16, 1896 line 30, 1897 line 30. It is possible Samuel is included on the tax rolls for 1893 and 1898 through 1900 but many of the entries are faded and difficult to read on the microfilm. Original records need to be checked to see if they are more legible.

[45] Ibid. Also S. C. Johnson, Sr. tombstone, Ryan Chapel Cemetery.

[46] "Declaration of Widow for Pension" and "Physician's Statement," Samuel C. Johnson, Sr., pension file. Also Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[47] S. C. Johnson, Sr. tombstone, Ryan Chapel Cemetery.

[48] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records.

[49] N. E. Johnson tombstone, Ryan Chapel Cemetery, photographed by Debbie Parker Wayne, January 1991.

[50] Information given in this paragraph is in a photocopy of an obituary for Samuel that was purported to be published in the Texas Baptist Standard. (The photocopy was obtained from Beverly Dozier Johnson (Coweta, Oklahoma) in 1991 and she believes it came from Ronald Stratton back in the 1970s.) Some issues of this newspaper are available on microfilm and searches so far have not turned up the obituary. The photocopy is of a typed document and not what looks like a newspaper article so until further research is done it is unproven as to whether this information is true. See additional information on this in the section for future research on Samuel.

[51] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists the name as C. A. E. Johnson, daughter. This child appears on no census records due to her short life span.

[52] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list her name as M. C. Johnson and spouse as J. T. Holly. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census list her name as Mary C. Johnson.

[53] This is the niece to whom Peter Lazarus Johnson wrote his 20 June 1904 letter used as a source for some facts in this article.

[54] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list her name as S. J. Johnson and spouse as C. O. Chunn. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census list her name as Sarah J. Johnson.

[55] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list her name as O. A. Johnson and spouse as M. T. Brown. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census list her name as Olive Ann Johnson.

[56] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list his name as S. C. Johnson, Jr. and spouse as Maud Pruett. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census lists his name as Samuel Johnson. The marriage is found in Polk County, Texas Marriage Book C:405, Texas County Records on Microfilm, roll 1006876.

[57] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list his name as B. W. T. Johnson and spouse as S. A. Whisenhunt. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census lists his name as Benjamin Johnson. The marriage is found in Polk County, Texas Marriage Book C:275, Texas County Records on Microfilm, roll 1006876.

[58] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records list the name as B. E. Johnson. Samuel C. Johnson household in 1860 Escambia County, Florida census lists a female named Vernella? Johnson. Sam Johnson household in 1870 Santa Rosa County, Florida census lists a male named Bennetta? Johnson.

[59] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists his name as W. B. Johnson. Sam Johnson household in 1870 Santa Rosa County, Florida census lists his name as William Johnson.

[60] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists his name as P. L. Johnson and his spouse as Martha Barnes. Sam Johnson household in 1870 Santa Rosa County, Florida census does not include Peter but the Samuel Johnson household in 1880 Shelby County, Texas lists his name as Peter L. Johnson.

[61] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists her name as L. C. Johnson and spouse as C. D. Rudd. Sam Johnson household in 1870 Santa Rosa County, Florida census lists her name as Lucinda Johnson and the Samuel Johnson household in 1880 Shelby County, Texas lists her name as Lucinda C. Johnson.

[62] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists his name as H. E. Johnson. Sam Johnson household in 1880 Shelby County, Texas lists his name as Henry E. Johnson. The marriage is found in Angelina County, Texas Marriage Book C:1, Texas County Records on Microfilm, roll 1035039.

[63] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists his name as T. B. Johnson. Sam Johnson household in 1880 Shelby County, Texas lists his name as Thomas B. Johnson.

[64] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists the name as E. B. T. Johnson. This child does not show on any census list of Samuel Johnson's household due to the short life span.

[65] Samuel C. Johnson, Sr. Bible Records lists his name as G. N. Johnson. This child does not show on any census list of Samuel Johnson's household as he was born after the 1880 census was taken.

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Bibliography
Alabama. Conecuh County. 1820 U.S. Federal Census. Federal copies of this census do not exist but the state copy exists in the Alabama State Archives. Copies of the transcript are available at the Evergreen-Conecuh County Library, Evergreen, Alabama; this transcript cites the Alabama [State] Official Archives transcript reprinted in the Alabama Historical Quarterly in 1944.

Alabama. Conecuh County. 1830 U.S. Federal Census. Micropublication M19, roll 3. 1840 U.S. Federal Census. Micropublication M704, roll 2. Washington: National Archives.

American Baptist Historical Society, letter. 25 July 1973, from Edward C. Starr, Curator, 1106 South Goodman Street, Rochester, New York 14620 to Mr. Ronald Stratton, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Photocopy held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas).

Florida. Escambia County. 1860 U.S. Federal Census, population schedule. Micropublication M653, roll 106. Washington: National Archives.

Florida. Santa Rosa County. 1870 U.S. Federal Census. Micropublication M593, roll 133. Washington: National Archives.

Georgia. Crawford County. 1850 U.S. Federal Census, population schedule. Micropublication T6, roll 55. Washington: National Archives.

Johnson, Peter Lazarus, letter. 20 June 1904, from Woods, Panola County, Texas, to Sally Chunn. Photocopy held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas).

Johnson, Samuel C., Sr., Family Bible Records. Unknown publication data or original location. Photocopy of family birth, marriage and death pages held in 2003 by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas).

Johnson, Samuel C., Sr., The Consistency and Harmony of Election, Predestination and the Accountability of Man. Waco: Texas Baptist Standard Printing House, 1894.

Mexican War Pension, Series 15. Washington: National Archives.

Riley, Rev. B. F., History of Conecuh County, Alabama. 1881. Reprint, Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1994.

Samford University, letter. 28 June 1973, to Mrs. Eldon Edge. Photocopy held by Debbie Parker Wayne (Cushing, Texas).

Texas. Angelina County Probate Minutes Index: 1857-1934 (roll number 1035035). Texas County records on microfilm. East Texas Research Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas.

Texas. Angelina County Tax Rolls: 1846-1892 (roll 100301), 1893-1907 (roll 100302). Texas County records on microfilm. East Texas Research Center, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas.

Texas. Angelina County. Ryan Chapel Cemetery. Tombstone data.

Texas. Shelby County. 1880 U.S. Federal Census. Micropublication T9, roll 1326. Washington: National Archives.

Thorndale, William and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790 – 1920. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987.

Wilkins, Frederick. The Highly Irregular Irregulars: Texas Rangers in the Mexican War. Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, 1990.