Guy Johnson
Encyclopedia
Guy Johnson was an Irish
-born military officer and diplomat for the Crown
during the American War of Independence. He had migrated to the Province of New York as a young man and worked with his uncle, Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the northern colonies. He was appointed as his successor in 1774. The following year, he relocated with supporters to Canada as tensions rose before the war. He directed joint militia and Mohawk military actions in the Mohawk Valley. Accused of falsifying reports, he went to London to defend himself after the war, and died there in 1788.
, each younger brothers of Sir William Johnson. The Johnsons were descendants of the O'Neill dynasty
of Ireland.
In 1756, he sailed from Ireland and joined his uncle William in the Mohawk Valley
of the Province of New York
. He assisted his uncle, who was British agent to the Iroquois, with whom the British had a strong trading relationship.
. In 1773, their first home there was destroyed by a lightning strike.
They replaced it in 1774 with a large limestone house in the Georgian style, which they called Guy Park
. Soon after, they were forced to leave because of the American Revolution. The state of New York confiscated the property of Loyalists and sold the house after the war. The historic house, preserved since the early twentieth century as a historic site and recently used as a history museum, was severely damaged in late August 2011 by the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene.
, and an elected member of the Province of New York
Assembly.
committed the colony to armed resistance following the Battles of Lexington and Concord
in 1775, Johnson remained loyal to the Crown and worked to control the Tryon County
courts, assisted by fellow loyalist
s Sir John Johnson
(Sir William's son) and Colonel Daniel Claus
(also a son-in-law of Sir William). These three also commanded three regiments of the Tryon County militia
. But, American Patriot
s in the Mohawk Valley soon drove the three Loyalists out of power.
Johnson received a letter from British commander General Gage, ordering him to take as many native fighters as he could to Canada to join forces with General Carleton for a joint attack on New England. In May 1775, Johnson fled with about 120 other loyalists, along with 90 Mohawk under chief John Deseronto
, to British-controlled Canada
. Along the way, he worked to secure the allegiance of the Iroquois League
at a council at Oswego, New York
in July. He and his party arrived in Montreal on 17 July, but Johnson's wife Polly had died at Oswego during the trip.
In September 1775, John Campbell arrived in Quebec with the title of Superintendent of the Canadian Indians. General Guy Carleton
, Governor-in-Chief of Quebec, told Johnson that he had no authority over any Indians in Canada and that the Iroquois were not to fight outside the Province of Quebec. Johnson decided to travel to England in November 1775, accompanied by the Mohawk
leader Joseph Brant
, to appeal his case directly with the British Lords. The Lords appointed Johnson as the permanent Superintendent for Indian Affairs in the northern colonies, but with no authority in Canada.
Johnson and Brant returned to North America, landing in New York City
in July 1776 after the city had been retaken by the British. He was ordered to stay in New York since he had no position in Canada. Johnson finally persuaded his superiors to let him do his "duty," and he returned to Canada in 1779. He led forces against the colonials in the Mohawk Valley frontier, and his subordinates carried out the actions that resulted in what the Americans called massacres at Wyoming Valley
and Cherry Valley
. This was also known as the "Burning of the Valleys".
Back at Fort Niagara
in 1779, Johnson helped to provide for the many Iroquois refugees made homeless by the Sullivan Expedition
, which laid waste to their villages and food stores in western New York. He also organized counter-raids. In 1781, General MacLean reported that Johnson's accounts were "Extravagant, wonderful & fictitious, and the quality of articles so extraordinary, new & uncommon". Johnson was suspended as superintendent and summoned to Montreal, where the Governor-in-Chief Frederick Haldimand
criticized his conduct "reprehensible". Although never convicted, Johnson was in disgrace and in limbo. He went to London to defend his reports to the government and remained there. He died in 1788.
Sir John Johnson took over Fort Niagara
as superintendent of Indian affairs in his cousin's absence; he was officially appointed to the position in March 1782.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born military officer and diplomat for the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
during the American War of Independence. He had migrated to the Province of New York as a young man and worked with his uncle, Sir William Johnson, British Superintendent of Indian Affairs of the northern colonies. He was appointed as his successor in 1774. The following year, he relocated with supporters to Canada as tensions rose before the war. He directed joint militia and Mohawk military actions in the Mohawk Valley. Accused of falsifying reports, he went to London to defend himself after the war, and died there in 1788.
Early life and education
Guy was the son of either John or Warren Johnson of Smithstown, Dunshaughlin, Co. MeathCounty Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, each younger brothers of Sir William Johnson. The Johnsons were descendants of the O'Neill dynasty
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
of Ireland.
In 1756, he sailed from Ireland and joined his uncle William in the Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
of the Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
. He assisted his uncle, who was British agent to the Iroquois, with whom the British had a strong trading relationship.
Marriage and family
In 1763, Guy Johnson married William's daughter Mary (Polly), one of his children by his first consort, Catherine Weisenberg. His uncle (now also father-in-law) gave them a square mile of land on the Mohawk RiverMohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
. In 1773, their first home there was destroyed by a lightning strike.
They replaced it in 1774 with a large limestone house in the Georgian style, which they called Guy Park
Guy Park
Guy Park, also known as Guy Park State Historic Site, is a house built in 1774 in the Georgian architectural style for Guy Johnson, nephew and son-in-law to Sir William Johnson, the British Superintendent for Indian Affairs in colonial New York...
. Soon after, they were forced to leave because of the American Revolution. The state of New York confiscated the property of Loyalists and sold the house after the war. The historic house, preserved since the early twentieth century as a historic site and recently used as a history museum, was severely damaged in late August 2011 by the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene.
Career
Guy Johnson became a deputy to Sir William in his uncle's position as British Superintendent of Indian Affairs. He learned much about the Mohawk and Iroquois. When William died in 1774 on the eve of the war, Guy succeeded him as superintendent. Guy also served as a county judge, a colonel in the Tryon County militiaTryon County militia
-Militia regiments:On March 8, 1772, The Province of New York passed a bill for the establishment of organized militia in each county. In 1775, at the start of the American Revolution, the Tryon County militia comprised four regiments, formed according to their geographical locations:* 1st...
, and an elected member of the Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
Assembly.
American War of Independence
When the New York Committee of SafetyCommittee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
committed the colony to armed resistance following the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
in 1775, Johnson remained loyal to the Crown and worked to control the Tryon County
Tryon County
Tryon County is the name of two former counties in the United States:*Tryon County, New York- 1772-1784*Tryon County, North Carolina- 1768-1779...
courts, assisted by fellow loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
s Sir John Johnson
John Johnson (Loyalist)
Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet of New York was a Loyalist leader during the American Revolution, a politician in Canada and a wealthy landowner. He was the son of Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, who had been the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the province and accumulated much land...
(Sir William's son) and Colonel Daniel Claus
Daniel Claus
Christian Daniel Claus was a commissioner of Indian affairs and a prominent Loyalist during the American Revolution.He was born September 13, 1727 at Bönnigheim, Württemberg the son of Adam Frederic Claus and his wife Anna Dorothea. He arrived in America in 1749...
(also a son-in-law of Sir William). These three also commanded three regiments of the Tryon County militia
Tryon County militia
-Militia regiments:On March 8, 1772, The Province of New York passed a bill for the establishment of organized militia in each county. In 1775, at the start of the American Revolution, the Tryon County militia comprised four regiments, formed according to their geographical locations:* 1st...
. But, American Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
s in the Mohawk Valley soon drove the three Loyalists out of power.
Johnson received a letter from British commander General Gage, ordering him to take as many native fighters as he could to Canada to join forces with General Carleton for a joint attack on New England. In May 1775, Johnson fled with about 120 other loyalists, along with 90 Mohawk under chief John Deseronto
John Deseronto
Captain John Deseronto Captain John Deseronto Captain John Deseronto (alt. Deserontyon, (Odeserundiye) UE (c1740's - 1811) was a prominent Mohawk war chief during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in the 1740s, most likely in the Mohawk valley. Educated in a white school, he had become...
, to British-controlled Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Along the way, he worked to secure the allegiance of the Iroquois League
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
at a council at Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
in July. He and his party arrived in Montreal on 17 July, but Johnson's wife Polly had died at Oswego during the trip.
In September 1775, John Campbell arrived in Quebec with the title of Superintendent of the Canadian Indians. General Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton may refer to:*Guy Carleton , , Anglican bishop*Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, , Irish soldier and early Governor of Canada*Guy Carleton Wiggins, American landscape painter...
, Governor-in-Chief of Quebec, told Johnson that he had no authority over any Indians in Canada and that the Iroquois were not to fight outside the Province of Quebec. Johnson decided to travel to England in November 1775, accompanied by the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
leader Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
, to appeal his case directly with the British Lords. The Lords appointed Johnson as the permanent Superintendent for Indian Affairs in the northern colonies, but with no authority in Canada.
Johnson and Brant returned to North America, landing in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in July 1776 after the city had been retaken by the British. He was ordered to stay in New York since he had no position in Canada. Johnson finally persuaded his superiors to let him do his "duty," and he returned to Canada in 1779. He led forces against the colonials in the Mohawk Valley frontier, and his subordinates carried out the actions that resulted in what the Americans called massacres at Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley massacre
The Battle of Wyoming was an encounter during the American Revolutionary War between American Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders that took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778...
and Cherry Valley
Cherry Valley massacre
The Cherry Valley Massacre was an attack by British and Seneca forces on a fort and the village of Cherry Valley in eastern New York on the cold, snowy and rainy morning of November 11, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It has been described as one of the most horrific frontier...
. This was also known as the "Burning of the Valleys".
Back at Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
in 1779, Johnson helped to provide for the many Iroquois refugees made homeless by the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
, which laid waste to their villages and food stores in western New York. He also organized counter-raids. In 1781, General MacLean reported that Johnson's accounts were "Extravagant, wonderful & fictitious, and the quality of articles so extraordinary, new & uncommon". Johnson was suspended as superintendent and summoned to Montreal, where the Governor-in-Chief Frederick Haldimand
Frederick Haldimand
Sir Frederick Haldimand, KB was a military officer best known for his service in the British Army in North America during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
criticized his conduct "reprehensible". Although never convicted, Johnson was in disgrace and in limbo. He went to London to defend his reports to the government and remained there. He died in 1788.
Sir John Johnson took over Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
as superintendent of Indian affairs in his cousin's absence; he was officially appointed to the position in March 1782.