Johnston, John, 1775-1861

Johnston was born in Ireland. He emigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia in 1786. In 1802 he was appointed Indian factor in Fort Wayne, Ind. and apparently took over the position of Indian agent there in 1809. In 1811 he was transferred to Piqua, Ohio, where he was Indian agent for the next 20 years.

From the description of Account book, 1802-1811. (Indiana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 27701151

Dayton, Ohio was a place for concentrating troops and stores during the War of 1812. Forage master general, Colonel Robert Patterson, had a daughter, Catherine, who married Henry Brown, and a son, Jefferson, who married John Johnston's daughter, Julia.

From the description of Letters, 1812-1833 (bulk 1812). (Ohio Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 42012076

Soldier in Western army, Indian agent in Ohio.

"My family is 31 years settled in the U.S. I was with the Western army on the Ohio before I was 17 years of age. I was several years in the publick offices of the State of Pennsylvania, and of the U.S. I am almost 20 years in the Indian Department. I entered it poor. I received with my wife about 1 5000. I own $21,500 of Bank stock now unproductive which is all the money I possess In the world. I have a fine farm here [Piqua] well improved, a House and lot in the Town of Piqua and 7 quarter sections this constitutes all the property." (from Film: No.11, Roll 7, p.369, Mich. Supt. of. Ind. Affairs; Letters rec. by Supt., 1819-1835) (blue index cards)

From the description of John Johnston correspondence, 1850 (Detroit Public Library). WorldCat record id: 456288710

In 1794, General Anthony Wayne established Fort Wayne at the junction of the St. Marys and St. Joseph rivers in Indiana Territory. The soldiers at the fort came into frequent contact with several Native American bands, such as the Miami, Eel River Miami, Delaware, Shawnee, Muncie, Wyandot, and Potawatomi. In 1802, the fort established an Indian agency and factory, in order to secure the Indians' loyalty and to weaken their ties to the British in Canada. The agents furnished the tribes with agricultural tools, domestic animals, money, and other supplies. They also held councils, issued trading licenses, and acted as intermediaries between the Indians and the United States government. Between 1802 and 1815, John Johnston and Benjamin Franklin Stickney were the Indian agents at Fort Wayne.

John Johnston (1775-1861) was born in Ballyshannon, Ireland, was raised in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and, as a young man, worked as a clerk in Philadelphia. After the Revolutionary War, he served with General Anthony Wayne in his campaign against the Ohio Indians, from 1792-1793. He married Rachel Robison in 1802 and soon after was appointed Indian factor at Fort Wayne, Indiana Territory. After the dismissal of William Wells in 1809, Johnston took over his post as Indian agent. He became a paymaster and a quartermaster during the War of 1812, and served as an Indian agent in Piqua, Ohio, from 1811-1831.

Benjamin Franklin Stickney (1775-1857) was born in Pembroke, New Hampshire. He served Pembroke as justice of the peace and postmaster general from 1805 to 1811, when he was assigned to scout the British forces in Canada by Secretary of War William Eustis. In March 1812, shortly before war broke out, the military assigned him to be Indian agent for Fort Wayne, Indiana Territory. He helped defend Fort Wayne, and he traveled with the military in Indiana and Ohio throughout the war. In 1820, he moved to Fort Miami in the Maumee Valley, and served as subagent for the Ottawa and Wyandot Indians. He mastered several Native American languages and authored dictionaries for many of them. He invested in land in northern Ohio, and played an integral role in the border dispute between Michigan and Ohio over the newly founded city of Toledo.

From the guide to the Fort Wayne Indian Agency collection, 1802-1815, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)