Source, Rutland Daily Herald--March 27, 1936. RUTLAND, VT. Eliza, Daughter of Ex-Slaves Knew Robert E. Lee; She Takes In Washing. A woman with an Aunt Jemima smile is Mrs. Eliza Johnson of Terrill street, whose mother and father were slaves on the historic Robert E. Lee estate, which spreads across the Virginia hills from Fayettesville to Orange County courthouse, and where today trains for Fredericksburg smoke by with amazing speed. Mrs. Johnson, now 63, has been in Rutland for the pas 35 years. All that time she has taken in washings, running her week's earnings into $35 and $40 when times are good. Her father's name was Alfred Williams and her mother's maiden name was Emily White. She was born in 1873, eight years after the great war ended. But she stayed on the Lee estate with her aunt, who served Edward Lee, until she was about 20 years old. Has Four Children. Then she came north and served as a cook in various homes in New York state. In 1897 she married Charles S. Johnson. They have four children; Franklin, May, Gordon and Serena. Franklin, 34, is the oldest, He is an attendant in Harry Thompson's gas station on Main street. May, 33, is married and lives in Troy, N.Y., Serena, 20, is at home helping her mother, and Gordon, 30, known locally as "Razz" works at Handley's restaurant on West street. In his spare time he does his stuff on a wide variety of musical instruments, from saxophone to guitar, and he can do "Dinah" on the piano like nobody's business, not even Ellington's. Husband Is Barber. For the past 12 years Mr.and Mrs.Johnson have been separated, or as Serena puts it. "have agreed to disagree." For a while Johnson operated a barber shop in Wallingford, then moved back to Rutland. He tried various places for his shop, but right now he has his barbershop in back of the Johnson house on Terrill street. He says that he lives at Johnson's but that he and "the Missus" have been separated for a long time now. On any one of these spring afternoons, however, when he's not barbering, you'll see him sitting out on the Johnson porch. But it seems to be pretty much Mrs. Johnson's house. Impressions of Gen. Lee. Mrs. Johnson has just one personal impression of the great Robert E. Lee. She remembers her folks saying how grand he was on his horse, even as a young man ; but her own impression of the gallant Virginian comes from what she thinks was his farewell to the plantation. Not long after the war, while playing around the newly acquired family cabin, she saw a handsome man ride up to the cabin and call to her folks. As she stopped her play, wide-eyed to see what the strange man wanted, she heard him say some kind things to her folks, doff his hat in the wind, then ride away. Later her folks told her that was "Marse Robert" and that he was going off over the Blue Ridge mountains. Exactly where Lee was going at that time, Mrs. Johnson doesn't know. She speaks of his riding off over "the Blue Ridge mountains" as if he were riding off into eternity. She does say, however, that her folks were mighty sad when they saw him ride away. In the years following the Civil war, for quite a few of them in fact, Mrs. Johnson stayed on at the Lee estate with her aunt, who cared for "Marse Edward Lee," Robert's brother. Marse Edward, you gather, was not quite the grand man that Robert was, through he was very kind to all of them. Marse Edward Drowns Tears. At times, it seems,Marse Edward, used to ride away from the old plantation for a while, to drown his tears for the OLd South in what must have been the first dregs of the modern whiskey that is advertised today as being stocked since that period. Anyway, Marse Edward used to take a bit now and them. Sometimes more than his post-war self could carry. And on those occasions Mrs. Johnson's aunt would see him coming back to the plantation, riding very straight and more dignified then usual on is fine horse, but very carefully making his entrance by the old back gate. Whereupon Mrs. Johnson's aunt would be right there to help him off his horse. He was a bit lame, and on those afternoons, more so than usual. These and many other pleasant thoughts light up the fine spring afternoons that shine through Mrs. Johnson's window, as she sits there in her favorite chair in the house on Terrill street. When her children see her sitting there they're not at all surprised .They say : "She ain't lazy, she's just dreaming." ps. there is also a photo of Mrs. Johnson with the news article. Transcribed by, Joan H. Bixby

Very interesting. Thanks for posting this. mas -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 11:05 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [VERMONT] Eliza Johnson of Rutland, Vt. Source, Rutland Daily Herald--March 27, 1936. RUTLAND, VT. Eliza, Daughter of Ex-Slaves Knew Robert E. Lee; She Takes In Washing. A woman with an Aunt Jemima smile is Mrs. Eliza Johnson of Terrill street, whose mother and father were slaves on the historic Robert E. Lee estate, which spreads across the Virginia hills from Fayettesville to Orange County courthouse, and where today trains for Fredericksburg smoke by with amazing speed. Mrs. Johnson, now 63, has been in Rutland for the pas 35 years. All that time she has taken in washings, running her week's earnings into $35 and $40 when times are good. Her father's name was Alfred Williams and her mother's maiden name was Emily White. She was born in 1873, eight years after the great war ended. But she stayed on the Lee estate with her aunt, who served Edward Lee, until she was about 20 years old. Has Four Children. Then she came north and served as a cook in various homes in New York state. In 1897 she married Charles S. Johnson. They have four children; Franklin, May, Gordon and Serena. Franklin, 34, is the oldest, He is an attendant in Harry Thompson's gas station on Main street. May, 33, is married and lives in Troy, N.Y., Serena, 20, is at home helping her mother, and Gordon, 30, known locally as "Razz" works at Handley's restaurant on West street. In his spare time he does his stuff on a wide variety of musical instruments, from saxophone to guitar, and he can do "Dinah" on the piano like nobody's business, not even Ellington's. Husband Is Barber. For the past 12 years Mr.and Mrs.Johnson have been separated, or as Serena puts it. "have agreed to disagree." For a while Johnson operated a barber shop in Wallingford, then moved back to Rutland. He tried various places for his shop, but right now he has his barbershop in back of the Johnson house on Terrill street. He says that he lives at Johnson's but that he and "the Missus" have been separated for a long time now. On any one of these spring afternoons, however, when he's not barbering, you'll see him sitting out on the Johnson porch. But it seems to be pretty much Mrs. Johnson's house. Impressions of Gen. Lee. Mrs. Johnson has just one personal impression of the great Robert E. Lee. She remembers her folks saying how grand he was on his horse, even as a young man ; but her own impression of the gallant Virginian comes from what she thinks was his farewell to the plantation. Not long after the war, while playing around the newly acquired family cabin, she saw a handsome man ride up to the cabin and call to her folks. As she stopped her play, wide-eyed to see what the strange man wanted, she heard him say some kind things to her folks, doff his hat in the wind, then ride away. Later her folks told her that was "Marse Robert" and that he was going off over the Blue Ridge mountains. Exactly where Lee was going at that time, Mrs. Johnson doesn't know. She speaks of his riding off over "the Blue Ridge mountains" as if he were riding off into eternity. She does say, however, that her folks were mighty sad when they saw him ride away. In the years following the Civil war, for quite a few of them in fact, Mrs. Johnson stayed on at the Lee estate with her aunt, who cared for "Marse Edward Lee," Robert's brother. Marse Edward, you gather, was not quite the grand man that Robert was, through he was very kind to all of them. Marse Edward Drowns Tears. At times, it seems,Marse Edward, used to ride away from the old plantation for a while, to drown his tears for the OLd South in what must have been the first dregs of the modern whiskey that is advertised today as being stocked since that period. Anyway, Marse Edward used to take a bit now and them. Sometimes more than his post-war self could carry. And on those occasions Mrs. Johnson's aunt would see him coming back to the plantation, riding very straight and more dignified then usual on is fine horse, but very carefully making his entrance by the old back gate. Whereupon Mrs. Johnson's aunt would be right there to help him off his horse. He was a bit lame, and on those afternoons, more so than usual. These and many other pleasant thoughts light up the fine spring afternoons that shine through Mrs. Johnson's window, as she sits there in her favorite chair in the house on Terrill street. When her children see her sitting there they're not at all surprised .They say : "She ain't lazy, she's just dreaming." ps. there is also a photo of Mrs. Johnson with the news article. Transcribed by, Joan H. Bixby *************************************** List Guidelines: http://home.sprynet.com/~darrellm/list_rules.htm Visit the Gateway to Vermont Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message