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 November 11, 2025 Kentucky Historical Society George W. Johnson Papers KYR-0003-092-0113 Folder 4

Middletown, Jefferson County, Kentucky George Washington Johnson (Provisional Governor of Kentucky) N001002 1811-05-27 1862-04-08 Categories: People

First governor of the provisional Confederate government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Georgetown, Kentucky, native. Son of William Johnson and Betsy Payne Johnson. Married to Ann Viley Johnson on August 20, 1833. Father of Eliza Woolfolk Johnson, Willa Viley Johnson, Madison Conyers Johnson, Martha Lydia Johnson, Junius Ward Johnson, Warren Viley Johnson, Henry Viley Johnson, and Euclid Lane Johnson. Educated at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Practiced law in Georgetown, Kentucky. Planter in Scott County, Kentucky, and Helena, Arkansas. Member of the Democratic Party. Member of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from Scott County from 1838 to 1840. Owned fourteen enslaved persons in Scott County in 1850. Owned twenty-six enslaved persons in Scott County in 1860. Member of the Southern Rights Party. First provisional Confederate governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from November 20, 1861, to April 8, 1862. Served as an aide to Confederate General John C. Breckinridge. Served in the 4th Kentucky Infantry Regiment (C.S.A.) as a private from April 6, 1862 to April 8, 1862. Died on April 8, 1862 from wounds sustained at the Battle of Shiloh.

Relationships Social: William P. Adcock (Trimble County, Kentucky, farmer)

Seventh Manuscript Census of the United States (1850), Slave Schedules, Kentucky, Scott County, p. 612. Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Slave Schedules, Kentucky, Scott County, District No. 1, pp. 228A-B. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky: Confederate Kentucky Volunteers War 1861-65, vol. 1 (Frankfort: Legislature of Kentucky, 1915), 168-69. Lowell H. Harrison, "Johnson, George, W." in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, John E. Kleber, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 473. Lowell H. Harrison, “George W. Johnson (1861-1862)” in Lowell H. Harrison, Ed., Kentucky’s Governors (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004), 82-84. Jon L. Wakelyn, Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1971, 255. Joseph Early (Middletown, Kentucky, physician and farmer) N00008180 1800-02-04 1871-05-29 Categories: People

Middletown, Kentucky, physician and farmer. Virginia native. Son of Whitfield Early and Mary Rucker Minor Early. Married to Adeline F. Rogers Early. Father of Ionia O. Early, Charles C. Early, Mary Vesta Early, Alva S. Early, Cora I. Early, Roger Randolph Early, and Virenda A. Early. Physician in Boone County, Kentucky, in 1850. Farmer in Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 1860. Owned four enslaved persons in 1860.

Seventh Manuscript Census of the United States (1850), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Boone County, District 2, p. 166B. Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Jefferson County, District 2, p. 85. Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Slave Schedules, Kentucky, Jefferson County, District 2, p. 18. Find A Grave, "Dr Joseph Early (1800-1871)," Memorial #61630409, http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61630409/joseph-early (accessed January 3, 2018). Middletown, Kentucky P00008181 Categories: Places

Located in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

38.2453, -85.5388 Rennick, Robert M., Kentucky Place Names (Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1984), 196. Scott County, Kentucky P001030 Categories: Places

County in central Kentucky. Seat at Georgetown, Kentucky.

38.2098, -84.5588 Ann Bolton Bevins, "Scott County," in The Encyclopedia of Kentucky, ed. John E. Kleber (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1992), 805-06. "Georgetown, Kentucky," USGS: Earth Explorer, accessed August 14, 2019, https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Paynes Depot, Kentucky P00005406 Categories: Places

Settlement in southern Scott County, Kentucky.

38.142, -84.6236 Robert M. Rennick, Kentucky Place Names (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1988), 228. USGS: Earth Explorer, "Paynes Depot, Kentucky" https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ (accessed on December 23, 2019). Georgetown, Kentucky P001838 Categories: Places

Seat of Scott County, Kentucky.

38.2098, -84.5588 “Georgetown,” in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, ed. John E. Kleber (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), p. 371. "Georgetown, Kentucky," USGS: Earth Explorer, accessed August 23, 2019, https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Jefferson County, Kentucky P001005 Categories: Places

County in north central Kentucky. Seat at Louisville. Located on the Ohio River.

38.2542, -85.7594 George H. Yater, "Jefferson County," in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, ed. John E. Kleber (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 464-67. "Louisville, Kentucky," USGS: Earth Explorer, accessed August 23, 2021, https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Louisville, Kentucky P00000337 Categories: Places

Seat of Jefferson County, Kentucky. Located on the Ohio River.

38.2527, -85.7585 "Louisville, Kentucky," USGS: Earth Explorer, accessed June 12, 2019, https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Robert M. Rennick, Kentucky Place Names (Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1987), 179. Lexington Observer and Reporter O00008182 1831 1873-03 Categories: Organizations

An anti-Jackson newspaper established in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1831. Combined with the Kentucky Reporter to form the Lexington Observer and Reporter in 1832.

Relationships Social: Joseph Early (Middletown, Kentucky, physician and farmer) Economic: Joseph Early (Middletown, Kentucky, physician and farmer)

Peter, Robert, M.D., History of Fayette County, Kentucky, (Chicago: O.L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1882), 366-369. Middletown, Jefferson County, Kentucky 1861-07-27 Correspondence English Version 2 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "2": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 0 of page "1": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile.
1

Middletown Ky July 27th 1861, Mr George W. Johnson Dr Sir,

I see in the Lexington Observer of the 24th you propose to sell your farm, on which you now resid, in Scott County near Paynes depot. on the road to Georgetown, containing 375 acres of land -- May I ask if you would exchange you farm, for one of less value containing 2860 ac acres, in Jefferson County Ky, on the Shelbyville pike and one mile from Hobbs depot. L. & F. R. R and twelve miles from Louisville on the pike my farm has 180 acres cleared, 100 native woos, abunantly watered, comfortable Brick House &c. variety of good fruit &c.

If you feel disposed to exchange your farm for mine on equitable terms, I should be pleased to be advised of the fact at your earliyest convenience.

Verry Respectfully Joseph Early

2

Joseph Early July 27. 1861