Joseph Johnston was born on Feb. 28, 1745, in Dublin, Ireland. In 1767, at the age of 21, he immigrated to the American colonies, where he settled with his brothers in Virginia about 1770.
In 1774, he appears on Virginia’s Colonial Military Soldiers list as being stationed at Fort Fincastle during Lord Dunmore’s War. Lord Dunmore’s War was a conflict in 1774 between British colonial Virginia and the Native American tribes of the Shawnee and Mingo.
Records indicate that Joseph enlisted on April 10, 1775, and served in Capt. Joseph Spencer’s company. The record refers to his later service as a sergeant in the 7th Virginia Regiment.
His initial service would have been as a soldier in the Culpeper district minute battalion of 1775. He may have been one of the 150 men under Capt. Spencer’s command who participated in the Battle of Great Bridge on Dec. 9, 1775.
The 7th Virginia regiment was taken into continental service on Feb. 29, 1776. The regiment closed with the main Army under Washington by January 1777. Assigned to Brig. Gen. Woodford’s brigade, Stephen’s division, Sullivan’s wing, the regiment suffered heavy casualties fighting against British light infantry and German Jaegers at the Battle of Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777.
The 7th Virginia was next in action on Oct. 4, 1777, at the Battle of Germantown. Now under the wing command of Nathanael Greene. Greene’s column on Limekiln Road to the northeast had a long march to the battle area. Greene’s vanguard engaged the British pickets at Luken’s Mill, driving them back after a savage skirmish. The fog clung to the fields. This was compounded by palls of smoke from the cannon and musket fire, throwing Greene’s column into disarray and confusion.
Brig. Gen. Adam Stephen’s brigade, including the 7th Virginia, veered off-course and began following Meetinghouse Road, instead of rendezvousing at Market Square with the rest of Greene’s troops. The wayward brigade collided with Wayne’s brigade and mistook them for Redcoats. The two American brigades opened fire on each other in the fog, causing both to flee the area in disorder.
Joseph Johnston marched into the Army’s winter encampment at Valley Forge on Dec. 19, 1777, one of 427 assigned men, but it is unknown if he was counted among the 46 who were fit for duty. He was discharged on Febr. 13, 1778.
It is said that for many years his family possessed a notebook written by Joseph of his accounts of his daily life on the military campaign from Newport, Rhode Island to Charleston, South Carolina.
After his service in the Revolutionary War, Joseph married Margaret Graham on May 15, 1783. Margaret and her brother, Robert Graham were immigrants from Ireland who settled in Wytheville, Virginia, about 1780.
Soon after he married Margaret, he and his wife, along with Joseph’s brothers, moved to Charleston, South Carolina. Now settled in South Carolina, Joseph and his family saw much success. They were planters and attained great wealth.
While in South Carolina, Joseph and Margaret had 10 children. Once he had gained his fortune in South Carolina, he moved his large family to Blount County, Tennessee, about 1816. Joseph was about 49 years old.
He named his Blount County farm “Annandale.” After he had settled in the Blount County area, he purchased several fully equipped farms in the southeastern Tennessee area, which he provided to each of his 10 children.
Joseph and Margaret’s 10 children moved to their respective farms, and at least one to Iowa. The children include sons Josiah (Bradley County), Elijah Frances, Samuel (Monroe County), Robert (Roane County), Ebenezer, and William (Bradley County). Daughters were Jane Johnson Walker, Catherine Johnson Bell (Iowa) and Margaret.
Margaret Graham Johnston passed away in 1824 and Joseph passed away about a year later on Aug. 15, 1825. Both are interred at Big Springs Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
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