William H. Johnson

For other people named William Johnson, see William Johnson (disambiguation).

William H. Johnson, (d. 1864) was a free African-American, and the personal valet of Abraham Lincoln. Having first met Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, he accompanied the President-Elect to Washington, D.C..^[1] Once there, he was employed in various jobs, part time as President's valet and barber, and as a messenger for the Treasury Department at $600 per year. On November 18, 1863, Johnson traveled by train with Lincoln to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. On the return trip, Lincoln became ill with what turned out to be smallpox. Johnson tended to him, and by January 12, 1864 was himself sick with the disease. By the 28th, he was dead.^[2] Lincoln arranged for and paid for his burial in Arlington National Cemetery, and paid for his tombstone, which reads simply William H. Johnson, and in slightly smaller letters below, Citizen.^[3]

References

^ Holzer, Harold (2008). Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861. Simon and Schuster. pp. 280. ISBN 9780743289474.
^ Hopkins, Donald R. (2002). The Greatest Killer: Smallpox in History. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. pp. 279. ISBN 9780226351681.
^ "William H. Johnson". FindAGrave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9475088. Retrieved 25 July 2009.

Persondata
Name	Johnson, William H.
Alternative names
Short description	President Lincoln's valet
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	January, 1864
Place of death	Washington, D.C.