Ebenezer West Johnson (USA)

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/4747476.0001.001/7?page=root;r...

EBENEZER WEST JOHNSON, farmer and dealer in real estate, was born in Plymouth, Ohio, April 3, 1834. He came to Tuscola County, Mich., in April, 1854, and shortly after engaged in working for Mr. Ira Tappan for one year at $100. With those earnings he bought eighty acres of land in what is now Fair Grove, then a part of the township of Rogers. In 1856 he chopped ten acres of land where the rising village of Fair Grove is now being built. When he became of age he and Lavias Hinson were the only young men in the township. He assisted in organizing Fair Grove Township. David P. Hinson named the township, and was its first supervisor. Mr. Johnson helped to erect the first barn built in Rogers (now Juniata and Fair Grove). He also attended the first national celebration held in Rogers, going with others of the settlers on foot to Watrousville. Mr. D. P. Hinson was the reader and speaker of the day. Mr. Johnson's time for a while was spent partly in Fair Grove and partlyin Ohio. On January 1, 1860, he was married to Miss Julia M. Shaw, of Sheffield, Ohio. She was born there May 11, 1842. Their children are Elmer L., Lillian M., Oliver T., Adelia A., Rowena M. and William Foster. Elmer was born in Ohio. All the rest were born in Fair Grove. In September, 1861, Mr. Johnson enlisted in Company E in the [ http://www.geni.com/projects/7th-Michigan-Infantry-USA-US-Civil-War/5978 Seventh Michigan Infantry], at Camp Monroe, and went directly to Washington, and when in camp near there was seized with typhoid fever, but, recruiting a little, he accompanied his regiment to near Poolsville, Maryland. Here he soon became very ill, and after some three months severe suffering, he was honorably discharged because of disability arising from heart disease brought on by the hardships and excitement of camp life. From this ailment Mr. Johnson is still a sufferer. In November, 1862, he and his family came from Ohio to settle in their Fair Grove home. From Fentonville to Vassar they brought their goods with a hired team through a track in places almost impassable, and through the last three miles Mr. Johnson literally led the horses by their bridle-bits in the dark, through the mud and among the stumps; and when he arrived he greatly resembled a monument of mud. From there they came through a desperate road in an ox cart to their destination. They have now about sixty-one acres of land in section 17, having sold part of the estate in town lots for the village now rising rapidly just where their fields formerly were. They have also an excellent fruit bearing orchard of various fruits, having some apple trees of their own growing, now one foot in diameter. Mr. Johnson was the superillntendent of the first Sabbath-school in Fair Grove. He has been overseer of highways, and is now assessor in his school district. He and Mrs. Johnson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has frequently been leader of the class and Sabbathschool superintendent and teacher, and is now one of the building committee for the erection of the new Methodist Episcopal Church.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/tuscola/cw/cwtuscmen3.htm Enlisted on September 3rd, 1861 at Monroe for 3 years, age 27. Mustered on September 5th, 1861, into the 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment COMPANY E. Contracted Typhoid at Camp near Washington, DC but still somehow managed to accompany the Regiment to Poolesville, Maryland, where he became extremely ill. After a period of extreme suffering he was discharged for disability from the heart disease as a result of typhoid at Camp Benton, Maryland on November 1st, 1861. Died in 1913. Buried at Brookside Cemetery, Tuscola County. Some comments taken from the History of Tuscola and Bay Counties, H.R Page & Co. Chicago Ill, 1883

http://www.michiganinthewar.org/infantry/7compe.htm

http://www.suvcwmi.org/graves/search.php

Had all double teeth. Came from Ohio on boat to Detroit. Lost oxen so walked to Fairgrove.