JOHNSON, JOEL, was born May 21, 1806, in Berkshire county, Mass. His father died when he was five months old. His mother married a Mr. Gregory, and when Joel was five years of age she left him with an uncle, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill. See the name of Gregory. Joel Johnson saw his mother no more for twenty-one years. He left Massachusetts and first visited an elder brother in Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio.

He then traveled by steamboat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi rivers, to St. Louis, and from there to Sangamon county, to visit his mother, arriving in July, 1832. He was returning to his brother in Ohio, and had reached St. Louis, when he discovered that he had only five dollars. That would pay for a deck passage on a steamboat, but he lacked a single dollar to buy food for the trip; and for want of that the whole course of his life was changed. He found work in St. Louis at his trade as a boot and shoe maker. But when he had saved fourteen dollars, there was no farther employment for him. By this time he abandoned the idea of returning to Ohio, because he had heard so much said in favor of Ill. With his fourteen dollars he procured leather and other materials, and left for Edwardsville, Ill., where he opened a shop and went to work. He had a severe fit of sickness during the winter of 1832 and '33. In April, 1833, he moved to Springfield, coming with Alexander B. Irwin, who was hauling goods from St. Louis. Mr. Irwin only charged him fifty cents for bringing himself and goods. Joel Johnson was married in February, 1834, at Carlinville, Ill., to Eliza Newman, who was born in 1815, in Madison county, Ill. They had five children, two of whom died under three years--

CHARLES, born in Springfield, died aged twenty-one years.

EDWARD S., born Aug. 9, 1843, in Springfield. Served a four years' apprenticeship at the printing business, and was engaged with his father in the boot, shoe and leather business when the rebellion broke out. He enlisted at the first call for 75,000 men, April, 1861, in Co. I, 7th Ill. Vol. Inf., for three months; was appointed first sergeant, and served as such full time. He re-enlisted July 24, 1861, for three years, in the same company and regiment, at Mound City, Ill. Sergeant Johnson remained there in charge of the property, while the company returned home on furlough. At the election of officers in Springfield, although absent, he was elected First Lieutenant, and served as such until Feb. 15, 1862, when he was promoted to Captain, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Capt. Noah E. Mendell, who was killed at Fort Donelson two days before. Capt. Johnson commanded his company until Dec. 22, 1863, when he re-enlisted with his company, as a veteran. He continued in command until April 22, 1864, when he was promoted to Major of the regiment. Major Johnson was appointed by Gen. John M. Corse, September 30, 1864, Post Commandant at Rome, Ga., and served as such until the movement of the grand army on Sherman's "march to the sea," in November following. He then returned to his regiment, and served with it until all were mustered out, July 25, 1865. He participated in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, siege and capture of Corinth, Florence, Savannah, Bentonville, besides innumerable skirmishes. Major E. S. Johnson was engaged in business in Springfield from the close of the rebellion for more than two years. In consequence of impaired health, and for observation, he planned a European tour, and in company with Dr. Rufus S. Lord, left Springfield March 30, 1868. They went by steamer from New York to Liverpool, thence to London, and from there to Paris. Thence to Nice on the Mediterranean; entered Italy at Genoa, thence to Pisa, Leghorn and Naples. They visited Herculaneum, Pompei, Vesuvius, etc. From Naples to Rome, Florence and Verona. In Austria, they visited Trieste and Vienna, thence to Dresden in Prussia. From there to Berlin, Pottsdam, Cologne, down the Rhine to Coblentz and Mayence, where they left the Rhine, and visited Baden-Baden, Heidelberg and Strasbourg, entered Switzerland at Basle, thence to Berne, Luzerne, Mount Rigi, Martigny, and by the mountain pass Tete Noir to Chamounix, in the midst of the mountain region, including Mont Blanc. Thence to Geneva, by Diligence, and from there to Paris, where he met Dr. Lord, whom he had previously left at Strasbourg. They proceeded to London, thence to Edinburg, Scotland, and back to Liverpool, where they took steamer for New York. From the latter city they proceeded to Saratoga, Ticonderoga, on Lake George, Plattsburg, Ogdensburg, Prescott, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Sarnia, where they took steamer on the lakes for Chicago, reaching Springfield early in September.

Edward S. Johnson was married, Aug. 10, 1869, in Springfield, to Laura I. Clinton, who was born Oct. 21, 1848, in Springfield, also. They have one child, EDWARD RUSSELL, born May 9, 1875, and reside in Springfield, Illinois.

JOHN W., born April 15, 1845, Springfield, enlisted Dec., 1863, for three years, in Co. I, 7th Ill. Inf. He was killed, Oct. 4, 1864, at the battle of Allatoona Pass, Ga.

Mrs. Eliza Johnson died, and Joel Johnson was married, Jan. 3, 1852, to Mrs. Elizabeth T. Campbell.

Joel Johnson engaged in the boot and shoe business, on coming to Springfield, in 1833, and in 1835 opened a hotel. He has been in that business forty-one years, and is the oldest hotel keeper in central Illinois, if not the oldest in the State, and is now the proprietor of the Revere House.