Dr. John Y. Johnston, Jr.

John Y. Johnston was born in Georgia, possibly Harris County on 12 June 1832. He married Rutha Meadows on 06 December 1847. He was fifteen years old at the time of the marriage and Rutha was sixteen. Rutha was the daughter of Miles Rohley Meadows and Susan Parker. Miles was a prominent citizen and politician of Upson County, Georgia. After John Y. and Rutha were married, John attended the Graffenburg Institute and became a doctor. John Y. served in Co. B, 47th Alabama Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Rutha was of a jealous nature and left John several times to go back to her family home in Georgia. When John's brother, Joseph, was killed in 1863, John moved Joseph's widow, Elizabeth, close by so that he could help her with the raising of her children. Rutha apparently became upset by this relationship and moved back home in 1868. In 1870, John was granted a divorce on the grounds that his wife abandoned him. John married Elizabeth Sands Johnston on 14 August 1871. John died on 07 July 1886 and is buried in the Sardis Church cemetery at Walnut Hill, Alabama. Elizabeth moved to Elmore County, Alabama and lived with her son John Thomas Johnston. She died on 30 March 1915 and is buried at Eclectic, Alabama.

Rutha is buried in the Old Center Port Cemetery in Tallapoosa County.

Elizabeth is living with daughter Sarah Elizabeth Arnold in 1900.

Children of John and Rutha:

   *Martha Susan JOHNSTON, born 1849, married John R. Umphress

   *Samuel JOHNSTON, born 1851, married Mary Copeland

   *Franklin Pierce JOHNSTON, born 20 Sep 1852, died 03 Jan 1853, buried Johnston Cemetery, Walnut Hill, Alabama

   *Mary Ann JOHNSTON, born 1854, married William Alexander Ledbetter

   *Jane Euphemia JOHNSTON, born 26 Jun 1856, died 30 Mar 1933, married Andrew Jackson Thornton (23Feb1850- ), both are buried at Chaney Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery 

Children of John Y. and Elizabeth:

   *Sarah Elizabeth JOHNSTON(Sallie Betty), born 16 Feb 1873, married John W. Arnold 

Parents:

   *John JOHNSTON & Martha Lyons 

===========================================================================================================

Dr John Young Johnston Jr. BIRTH 18 Jul 1832
DEATH 7 Jul 1896 (aged 63)
BURIAL
Sardis United Methodist Church Cemetery
Thornton, Tallapoosa County, Alabama, USA
MEMORIAL ID 41211068 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 7
FLOWERS 7
Father: John Young Johnston, Sr (1803-1881)
Mother: Mary Martha Lyon (1809-1844)
12/06/1847 - Married, Rutha Meadows (1831-1906), Tallapoosa Co., AL
1854 - M.D. degree, Graefenberg Institute (a.k.a., Graffenberg Medical Institute), Dadeville, Tallapoosa Co., AL
07/11/1860 - Practiced medicine, Beat No. 6, Tallapoosa Co., AL (living with wife, "Ruthy", and four children - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as John Johnston)
03/25/1862 - "Post Surgeon", Loachapoka, Lee Co., AL (signs as "Jno. Jeredine Johnston")
04/07/1862 - Mustered-in as 2nd Lt., Co. B, 47th AL Infantry, Loachapoka, Lee Co., AL
04/07/1862 - Promoted to Capt., Co. B, 47th AL Infantry
05/12/1862 - Elected to the rank of Major, 47th AL Infantry
06/10/1862 - Accepted the rank of Major
07/01/1862 - Major, 47th AL Infantry
07/31/1862 - Major, 47th AL Infantry
08/18/1862 - From a camp near Rapidan Station, VA, in a letter to Hon. G. W. Randolph, Secretary of War, "Sir, I hereby tender you my resignation as Major of the 47th Reg Ala Vols for reasons stated in the Surgeons Certificate, J. Y. Johnston, Maj., 47th Reg, Ala Vols" (At the bottom of this letter is the following, "I certify that I have carefully examined the above Maj. J. Y. Johnston and that he is incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of "Varicocele" contracted in the army last year. J R Burton, Surg 47 Reg Ala Vols." On the back of the letter is the following docketing, "Respectfully forwarded but disapproved because of the unanimous report of the officers of his Regt. Maj. Johnson [sic - Johnston] at the Battle of Cedar Run behaved in a cowardly and disgraceful manner. I recommend that his name be stricken from the Rolls of the Army. Alex. G. Taliaferro, Col. Comd, 3rd Brigade"; following this, from Headquarters, 1st Div. "Respectfully forwarded with recommendation that this officer's name be stricken from the rolls of the army for cowardice, Wm B Taliaferro, Brig Genl, Comdg 1st Div; following his, "Respectfully forwarded, T. J. Jackson, Maj. Genl.; following this, "Respectfully forwarded By Comd of Genl Lee, R H. Chilton, A. A. Genl."; and at the end, "A. G. , Accept, By order Sec War, A. T. B." )
09/19/1862 - As "John Y Johnston", signed a notarized statement in Richmond, VA, stating that $65 was owed to him and that his place of residence was Tallapoosa County, Alabama.
09/19/1862 - Received $65 for pay as Major during the the period Sept. 1 to Sept. 12, 1862. [Presumably, September 12, 1862, was his last day of Confederate Army Service.]
1865 - Practiced medicine, Wynn Creek, Tallapoosa Co., AL
1870 - Granted a divorce from Rutha - "on the grounds that his wife had abandoned him"
07/03/1870 - Practiced medicine, Eufaula, Tallapoosa Co., AL (living with four children - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as "John Johnson")
08/14/1871 - Married, Elizabeth "Bettie" Sands Johnston (1831-1915), Tallapoosa Co., AL [She was previously married to Joseph Johnston, John's brother. Joseph died at Gettysburg in 1863)
1874 - Practiced medicine, Milton's Mills, AL
06/04/1880 - Practiced medicine, Beat 11, Tallapoosa Co., AL (living with wife, E.W., one daughter, and two step daughters - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as "John Johnson")
06/07/1880 - Former wife, "Ruthy" Johnston, lived with son-in-law, William Leadbetter, and his wife, Tallapoosa Co., AL
02/27/1881 - Father, John, died in Tallapoosa Co., AL
1890,1893,1896 - Practiced medicine, Walnut Hill, Tallapoosa Co., AL
07/07/1896 - Died, ?Thornton, Tallapoosa Co., AL (buried: Sardis United Methodist Church Cemetery, Thornton, Tallapoosa Co., AL)
1900 - 2nd wife, Elizabeth, living with daugther, Sarah Elizabeth Arnold
01/05/1906 - First wife, Rutha, died in Centerpoint, Tallapoosa Co., AL
03/30/1915 - Second wife, Elizabeth, died in Eclectic, Elmore Co., AL (buried: Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Eclectic, AL)

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
05/09/2016. Unpublished database.

Inscription
[Masonic symbol]

DR. JOHN Y JOHNSTON

JULY 18, 1832

JULY 7, 1896

NONE KNEW THEE BUT

TO LOVE THEE

NONE NAMED THEE BUT

TO PRAISE
Family Members
Parents
John Johnston
John Johnston
1803–1882

Martha Johnston
Martha Ann Lyons Johnston
1809–1844

Spouses
Rutha Meadows Johnston
1831–1906

Elizabeth Johnston
Elizabeth W Sands Johnston
1831–1915

Siblings
Joseph Johnston
Joseph Johnston
1831–1863

Mary Meadows
Mary Jane Johnston Meadows
1834–1884

Samuel Johnston
Samuel Young Johnston
1836–1901

Half Siblings
James Johnston
James Pierce Johnston
1847–1916

Burton Johnston
Burton Jack Johnston
1852–1929

Infant Johnston
Infant Johnston
1861–1861

Children
Mary Ledbetter
Mary Ann Johnston Ledbetter
1852–1886

Jane Euphemia Johnston Arnold
1856–1933

Sallie Arnold
Sallie Betty Johnston Arnold
1873–1955

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41211068/john-young-johnston