Luke S. Johnson (December 30, 1847December 17, 1910) was an American soldier and politician.

Early life

Luke S. Johnson was born on December 30, 1847, in Avon, Ohio, to parents Thomas and Nancy Johnson. Luke was raised on a farm until age 15, when he enlisted in the Union Army.

Military career

Johnson enlisted in the Union Army at age 15. He was initially enrolled in Company H of the 43rd Ohio Infantry Regiment. The regiment was assigned the command of the XVI Corps in the Fourth Division, but in the spring of 1864, Johnson was transferred to the First Division of the XVII Corps. There, he served under General John W. Sprague. On May 1, 1864, Johnson's regiment joined General William Tecumseh Sherman's army at

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. The first battle Johnson participated in which he was under fire was the

Battle of Decatur The Battle of Decatur was a demonstration (military), demonstration conducted from October 26 to October 29, 1864, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces of 3–5,000 men under Brigadier ...

. Johnson received a minor leg wound, above the left knee joint, at the Battle of Resaca. Johnson still participated in future battles, such as the Battle of Dallas, the

Battle of Kennesaw Mountain The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was fought on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the most significant frontal assault launched by Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman against the Confederate Army of Tennes ...

, and the Battle of Peachtree Creek. After the

fall of Atlanta The city of Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County, was an important rail and commercial center during the American Civil War. Although relatively small in population, the city became a critical point of contention during the Atlanta Campaign in 1 ...

, Johnson served as an orderly for General Sprague, a position he served in until he was discharged at the end of the war. After the war, Johnson moved back to Lorain County, Ohio.

Career

In 1869, Johnson moved with his family to Saginaw, Michigan. There, he worked for five years as an engineer in mills for G. F. Williams & Bros. In March 1874, Johnson moved to

Caseville, Michigan Caseville is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located at the mouth of the Pigeon River on Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. The population was 777 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Caseville Township. A popular desti ...

, where he started work as

log scaler The log scaler is an occupation in the timber industry. The Log Scaler measures the cut trees to determine the scale (volume) and quality (grade) of the wood to be used for manufacturing. When logs are sold, in order to determine the basis for a ...

and a shipper of lumber and salt. By 1884, Johnson had served two years as deputy sheriff, and three terms as township clerk, and had filed for another term. On November 7, 1890, Johnson was elected to the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

, where he represented the Huron County district. He was sworn in on January 7, 1891. In the legislature, Johnson sought to amend an 1889 law. Johnson's amendment sought to make a county relief fund for indigent soldiers and sailors, as opposed to a township fund. The bill passed the state house on June 24, 1891. Johnson's term expired on January 1, 1893. In 1898, Johnson ran again for the Huron County seat in the state house on a

fusion ticket Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate. It is distinct from the process of electoral alliances in that the political parties remain separa ...

called the

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

People's Union Silver, but was defeated by Republican John J. Murdoch. Johnson ran for the seat again in 1906, where he was defeated again by Republican Leonard R. Thomas. Johnson served for years as chairman of the Huron County Democratic Committee. By August 1910, Johnson resigned as chairman due to ill health.

Personal life

On February 18, 1867, Johnson married Clara Case. Together, they had six children. Johnson was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Death

Johnson died on December 17, 1910, in Caseville. On December 20, 1910, Johnson was interred at Caseville Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and all six of his children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Luke S. 1847 births 1910 deaths American Freemasons Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Michigan Populists Michigan Silverites People from Huron County, Michigan People from Lorain County, Ohio People from Saginaw, Michigan People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers 20th-century American politicians 19th-century Michigan politicians 20th-century Michigan politicians