Letter
Allen Bolles Johnson to Eliza Frazier
12-13-1860
Abbreviated
“I don’t know that there is
anything very new or wonderful to relate.
The whole theme of the general conversation is “cicession” and
the “panic” which has grown out of the excitement. It seems quite sure, the troublesome times
are at hand, and none can tell what their extent may be. “Montgomery troubles”*
have amounted to a complete fizzle and the brave “six hundred” which
march out from St. Louis to protect Mo. borders, have concluded that they might
as well have staid at home, and are now retracing their steps.
Our little town affords nothing
of more importance than a pugilistic encounter, occasioned usually, by the too
free use of whiskey. Oh! If it was not
for this whiskey in our midst, I think we might boast of as thriving a town as
in the whole broad west. The R.R. is
soon to be opened up to this point and the event will be an era in the history
of Rolla. Another year will bring an
addition of a better class of citizens, and consequently a better state of
society. In fact there is no society
now. It’s every man for himself
&c. The town is built on a swell of
ground slopping toward the south such a situation in Penn. would be considered beautiful. It lacks good water, which is no small item,
and the only way which there can any be got is by boring artesian wells.
As you say. – I think I shall not
be likely to freeze this winter, should I stay as far south as this. The weather had been delightful for the most
of the time since I have been there it being warm enough to leave the doors
open through the day for many days.
Speaking of the state of society
here, I would correct the error which many of the people of your locality have
fallen into, i.e. that the general state of society in Missouri is bad. This is truly an error for in the old
settled parts of the state, as good society may be found as in any of the
Eastern states. For example --- there is
the town of Springfield in South west Missouri, of about the size of
Binghamton, N.Y. which has not a single place were liquor is sold publicly, and
as one might suppose, the effect is a highly cultivated state of society. Such a town is not to be found in the whole
range of my acquaintance, either in Penn. or New York.
 |
| Allen Johnson in 1863 |
Allen Bolles Johnson was born during 1836 in Susquehanna Co.,
Pennsylvania to Thomas Johnson and Eliza Bolles. His father was a prosperous farmer and was also
active in politics. The elder Johnson
was elected county coroner in 1839, sheriff in 1842 and unsuccessfully ran as
the Democratic nominee for the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1859. The Johnson’s agricultural pursuits did sufficiently
well to be able to send Allen to the Susquehanna Academy, an esteemed local
private school. Subsequently, Johnson attended
the Iron City College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the latter part of
1859. After completing his studies he
returned to Susquehanna County. Through
his letters, it appears Johnson had a bitter disagreement with his father and
abruptly left. He took the train to the
end of the line and settled in Rolla in or around October 23, 1860.
Special thanks to The State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Rolla for providing the Johnson letters housed at their facility. The letters concerning Johnson's activities were transcribed with a brief biography written by John F. Bradbury, Assistant Director at the State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Rolla, for the June 1987 issue of the Phelps County Historical Society Newsletter.
*James Montgomery was an abolitionist who settled in Mound City, Kansas
in 1854. Born and raised in Ashtabula
County, Ohio, Montgomery wandered West.
He moved from Ohio to Kentucky, Missouri and finally Kansas after the
territory was organized in 1854. A
fervent abolitionist, he became the local leader of Free-State men and
organized and commanded a “Self-Protective Company” in 1857. The company ordered pro-slavery settlers out
of Kansas. By 1860, Montgomery was
leading raiding parties into western Missouri to abduct and free slaves and
used extreme measures against pro-slavery populations.
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