Obituary-1865, January 3

MURDER OF REV. THOMAS JOHNSON.

   Jan. 2. It becomes our painful duty to chronicle another of those terrible murders with which our border has so long been ravaged. The Rev. Thomas Johnson, one of the most widely known citizens of Western Missouri, was killed by bushwhackers last night in his own house about 2 1/2 miles from Westport.

   The circumstances as we learn them are briefly these:

   Between twelve and one o’clock last night Mr. Johnson was called up by parties in his door yard:– He went to the door and without opening it, en4uired who they were and what they wanted. They replied that they were federal soldiers and wanted him to show them the way to Kansas City. He told them which road to take. They then said they wanted to come in and warm themselves. He replied that his fire was out. By looking through the side lights near the door, he saw that they were at such a distance from the door tha.t he could open it without their rushing in, which he then did, and stood 1n the door-way talking with them. They then asked for water. He told them there was a well back of the house, where they could help themselves. Seeing that they were crowding up towards the door, Mr. Johnson stepped back, when they made a rush to get in. He succeeded however, in shutting and locking the door. But the assailants fired a volley through the door and side windows, one ball of which took effect, causing his almost instant death. His wife rushed to his side, and finding that he was killed, seized a oouple of guns and rushed upstairs to her son and another young man who were occupying the upper part of the house, telling them that Mr. Johnson was killed and to defend themselves. The murderers had meanwhile secreted themselves behind whatever offered a protection in the yard and kept up a constant firing in the windows of the house. Some shots were fired from the house, and after keeping up this kind of an attack for an hour and a half the murderers withdrew, riding off south by the same road they had come. Over fifty shots were fired into the house.

   The murderers are supposed to be a party of bushwhackers, who are wintering at Hickman’s Mills, and of whose whereabouts the Commander of this District must be well informed but seems to make no effort to drive them out.

   Mr. Johnson was an old resident of this section of the State, and had amassed a large property. He was quite noted in connection with the early settlement of Kansas, and at that time acted with the pro-slavery party.

   Since the war broke out, however, he had been a very strong Union man and spoke and labored effectively for the Union cause. This probably has made him the more obnoxious to the Rebels.

   Mr. Johnson’s funeral will take place to-morrow at 10 o’clock from his house. He will be buried at the “Mission,” where his son resides.

[Kansas City Journal of Commerce, Jan. 3, 1865. Copy of account sent to K.S.H.S. by James Anderson, May 12, 1938.