Frederick M. Johnston
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 21 Theme: Military
Generation 8:
My 3rd Great Grandfather
Frederick Miller Johnston
When most people think of the American Civil War, they don't think of Missouri. As a border state, Missouri was a rough place during the Civil War. Many residents had come to Missouri from the south - places like Tennessee and the Carolinas. European immigrants and migrants from the northeastern US were also flooding into the state. Sentiments ran strong on both sides of the slavery issue. As the U.S. was expanding westward, there was fierce debate over which states would be free. It truly was a neighbor-against-neighbor situation. While there were some conventional
Civil War battles in Missouri, most of the fighting was guerrilla warfare.
As a Missourian, I expected to find ancestors on both sides of the Civil War, or brothers fighting brothers. I did not expect to find the same man fighting on both sides. Imagine you are a young man living in southern Missouri at this time. You hear rumors long before you see any military activity. You're just a farmer. You're scared. How do you react?
This was the dilemma of Frederick Miller Johnston.
Civil War battles in Missouri, most of the fighting was guerrilla warfare.
As a Missourian, I expected to find ancestors on both sides of the Civil War, or brothers fighting brothers. I did not expect to find the same man fighting on both sides. Imagine you are a young man living in southern Missouri at this time. You hear rumors long before you see any military activity. You're just a farmer. You're scared. How do you react?
This was the dilemma of Frederick Miller Johnston.
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