SAR Conduct Daniel Johnson Grave Marking Ceremony
By Joyce Carney
Central Mississippi Chapter of the Mississippi State Society Sons of the American Revolution conducted a Grave Marking Ceremony for Revolutionary War Patriot Daniel Johnson in Johnson Family Cemetery, Blocker Road, Crystal Springs on Sunday, May 6 at two o’clock.
Copiah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Crystal Springs, placed a marker on Johnson’s grave on Oct. 13, 1935. The tribute Sunday afternoon was in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel Johnson on Oct. 10. The ceremony was part of the annual Johnson Cemetery Decoration Day Service.
Before the ceremony began, Dan Johnson, a new member of SAR and descendant of Daniel Johnson, introduced guests and program participants and conducted the Decoration Day Service. Loraine Johnson gave the financial report, and Bobbye Johnson Whitty collected donations for the cemetery fund. Memorials were noted for Eva Jo McKay by Bobbye Whitty and for Lucille Johnson by the children of Bradley Johnson. A contribution was received from the Daniel Johnson Family Reunion. The Johnson Cemetery was established with the burial of Daniel Johnson who died Jan. 10, 1854. Decoration Day began several generations ago and is always held the first Sunday in May.
Paul Cartwright, president of Central Mississippi Chapter SAR, gave the welcome. Presentation of the Colors was by the SAR Color Guard from Laurel. Mrs. C. Ray Phillips, regent of the Mississippi State Society Daughters of the American Revolution, gave the invocation and Harold Davis, secretary of the Central Mississippi Chapter SAR led the Pledge of Allegiance by members and Allison Morris sang the national anthem. Mrs. Paul Cartwright, regent of the Cherokee Rose Chapter DAR, Hazlehurst, place the memorial wreath on the grave, and Dan Johnson introduced descendants of the patriot.
Daniel Johnson enlisted in the Sixth South Carolina regiment on July 24, 1776, to fight for American independence. In the 1820s Johnson came to Copiah County with son Clark, daughter-in-law Margaret Boler Johnson, and infant grandson, Clark Mann Johnson. This was the beginning of the Mississippi dynasty of Johnsons.
Representing Copiah Chapter DAR at the ceremony were Charlotte Johnson Puckett, a patriot descendant; Doris Howard, Sara Lee Gallman, Shirley Purvis and Joyce Carney. In addition to Wendy Cartwright, her mother, Billie Jane Davis attended from Cherokee Rose Chapter in Hazlehurst.