History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, ed. by William Henry Perrin, O. L. Baskin & Co., Chicago, 1882. p. 598. [Scott County] [Georgetown City and Precinct] HON. GEORGE W. JOHNSON, deceased, was born May 27, 1811, near Georgetown, Ky., and was the son of Wm. Johnson and grandson of Col. Robert Johnson. He obtained a fine literary education, graduating at Transylvania University. He studied law and practiced that profession for some time, but finally turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, and, besides his farming interests in Kentucky, conducted cotton planting quite extensively in Arkansas. In 1838 he was elected to the Legislature from Scott County; was always a Democrat; represented his part on several important occasions; made the race for Presidential Elector in 1852 and 1860; declined repeatedly to be a candidate for Congress; acquired great power in his party; was a thorough student of political science. At the very outbreak of the civil war, although not a combatant by reason of an injured arm, he cast his lot with the South, and used every exertion to induce Kentucky to follow the seceded States; left his home with Breckinridge and others in September, 1861; made his way to Virginia, and thence to Tennessee and to Bowling Green, in his own State; set afoot and and was largely instrumental in organizing a provisional government for the State, and at the convention assembled at Russellville for that purpose, Nov. 18, 1861, he saw his desires carried into effect. A constitution for the State was adopted, under which Kentucky was admitted under the Confederacy, and he was chosen Provisional Governor. When the rapid events of the war compelled the Confederates to retire from the southern part of the State, he accompanied the army; was a part of the military family of the commander, Gen. A. S. Johnston; participated in the councils resulting in the movement from Corinth to Shiloh; went into that great battle as aid to Gen. Breckinridge; was afterward aid to Col. Trabue, when the Kentucky brigade was separated from Gen. Breckinridge; his horse was shot from under him; he then entered the ranks of Capt. Monroe's company, and fought during the rest of the day. That night he took the oath of a private, and enrolled himself in Company E, Fourth Kentucky Infantry. On the following day went into battle and early fell, mortally wounded; lay on the field until the afternoon of the 8th, when he was discovered by Gen. McCook and removed to a U. S. hospital boat, where, receiving every possible care, he died on the following morning, April 9, 1862. His remains were sent to Louisville by Gen. John M. Harlan and other Federal officers, and were from thence conveyed to his home in Scott County, where amidst a great display of sympathy and popular regard his body was interred. He was a brave, generous, noble hearted man, and was greatly honored and respected in his community and State. He left a wife and seven children. Johnson = AR http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/scott/johnson.gw.txt