Our 17th president, Andrew Johnson, held office in the aftermath of the worst time in American history and became president because of a tragedy. The Civil War had been over less than a week when Abraham Lincoln was murdered. But we are going to look at President Johnson's childhood. (see Brown Pedigree Chart)
Detail of an 1872 map of Raleigh, available online in the NC Digital Collections.
Andrew was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was apprenticed with his brother at the ages of 14 and 16 to James and Nancy Gill Selby, tailors. In the group of boys that the apprentices were friends with was Nancy Selby's nephew, Robert Monroe Brown, 6 years younger, who was always tagging along.
Robert and Andrew weren't that close; 40 years later, when Robert brought up their cheerful boyhoods together, he had to remind Andrew who he was, that he was one of the little boys called Bob. Since Andrew and his brother had run away from their apprenticeship and had to hide out for 2 years, he probably didn't have fond memories of Robert's uncle James Selby. Nevertheless, Robert felt comfortable asking President Johnson for a favor, and Andrew Johnson felt comfortable granting it.
Robert and his wife Averillah ( love that name) lived in Wake County, North Carolina, with their 12 children. Fortunately, the older 6 were girls and didn't have to fight in the War. Unfortunately, the older 6 were girls and couldn't earn money. The economy was devastated, but the mail still had to go through, and Robert had been postmaster of New Hill in Wake County before and during the War. He wrote the President asking for the job again.
Postmaster Appointments in Wake County
North Carolina was occupied territory, and government jobs were not going to people who had committed treason by fighting a war against the United States, which was pretty much every white man. So it was necessary for Robert to lean on the friendship.
It was also necessary for Robert to establish that he was on the same side as the President. He had never owned slaves, he said, and didn't believe in slavery. He had never supported the War and thought it was stupid, likely to end in failure and ruin. Although his son, Joel Monroe Brown, had fought for the Confederacy, Robert had kept him out as long as he could manage until "they" finally got him, and was working hard to keep his next son out when the war ended. Lastly, he needed the job to support his many daughters and his little boys, since they had lost everything they owned. Did the President remember all the fun times they had when they were children?
Robert got the job.
PS. The facts bear out Robert's assertion that he kept his son Joel out of the War as long as he could. Joel didn't enlist until December 1864, when the War was almost over. He was 21, so he had been old enough to fight for several years by then. Virtually every able-bodied man was fighting, so the pressure to enlist was intense. The family was likely accused of treason and cowardice, and the accusations were likely to have been delivered in deeds as well as words.
The following are letters of the Robert Monroe-President Johnson correspondence. Robert's is difficult to read, since it is not just one paragraph, but also two very long run-on sentences. It followed the custom of the times, as it not only used flowery grandiose hyperbole, but had very little regard for spelling, which was only recently becoming standardized. However, if you can make it through, it is worth it, because Robert described details such as the Northern Army passing through and the use of Confederate money. In the second part, he explained who he was and how he could be reached in greater detail.
The letter from Robert Monroe Brown to President Andrew Johnson was reprinted in the "North Carolina Historical Review."
To His Excellency Andrew Johnson,
President of the United States,
Very Dear Sir,
I hope you will not think a miss of me for droping you these lines, as I know I do so on the most friendly terms, both privetly and politically I know you will be somewhat Supprised when you find out who it is addressing you, as it has been near forty years since we were acquainted, and boys together, though you may have entirely forgotten me, though if you have, I have not forgotten you, and shall never forget our boyhood days, that we so cheerfully spent together, when you lived with uncle Selby, in the City of Raleigh, you are some older than I am, though not many years, I am in my 52nd year, I have had many trials, and trobles to encounter with Since we were boys together in the City of Raleigh, though the trobles and Sufferings of the last four years, was much greater than all the years of my life before, I thank God that I was with you in Sentiment, politically, and against this Cruel and uncalled for war, you deserve as much credit and Honour, as any one man liveing, and perticuler so for the great stand takeing by you against this unholy war, in trying to put it down, and prevent the South from ever geting in to it, thought unheeded she plunged her Self in to it, over the prays and beseechings of her many friends, Dreadful,, Dreadful,, day,, it was, when the South commenced this uncalled for war, with the North, what has the South made by the opperation. She has made thousands of widows, and orphans, and made her Self one of the poorest Sett of people, ever under the Sun, all by her own outrageious Conduct, and the worst of all is, that the inocent has to Suffer with the guilty, I thank my God, that that I was against it from first to last, and don and acted, all in my power to prevent it, from the Commencement to the end, so far as I dar to do, and was threatened to be hung, for my sentiments and acts, against the war, I was acting as Postmaster at New Hill for the last 10 years, and I continued to act as Postmaster after it Commenced, in order to Keep my Self out of the army, as I never intended to take up arms against the United States, if I could avoid it and I thank God, that I never have, I Keep my oldest son out for 12 months after the war begun, though they finally got him, he was about 22 years old when they got him, and not quit 12 months before the war closed I had another son that arrived to the age of 17 years, they got after him though I managed to Keep him out, though if it had not of ended as soon as it did they soon would of had him in, so you can assitain from what I have wrote, some of the trobles that I have had to encounter with dureing this dredful conflict, and on the 15th of april last, a portion of the Norther army past my house, and tooke from me every thing that I had to eat, or nearly so, and distroyed and, tooke from me many other things, too tedious to mention, yet after they broke me nearly up, I thank God, that they did Come, as nothing but their presence, appeared, Could stop this unholy war, and I was willing for me and my family to suffer, and that greatly for the sake of restoring peace and union wonce more to our distacted Country I am a man in quit limited circumstances, I own 108 acres of poor land, on which I farm, my other property, is but little, I never was the owner of a slave, and I am glad that I never was, I have a wife and twelve children, two of which are married, the others are with me, it is true I have had a hard time, to live though this desperate war, with my large family of children, and the most of which are Daughters, and also a hard time since the Northern troops past through, as they left me little or nothing to eat, and I had no money to buy with, only the so called Confederate Script, which was no money at all, though we have made out thus far to live in some way, and I feel sure that God will provi'ed some way to sustain my life, & family in the future, the pleasure that I entertain of liveing in peace, and union, in the future bears me up, otherwise I should sink in dispair, may the great God of heaven forever bless our United States of America, and forever unite us more firmly together as a band of brothers, in peace and union, than ever heretofore, and may he bless, bless you for great good in your laudable undertakeing, and may your days be many on earth for the good that you have alredey don and accomplished, and for the good that you are yet so very competent of accomplishing for the well fare and good of our blessed country, I thank God, that you are the right man, and in the right place,
Respectfully your obdt Servant, R. M. Brown
My name is Robert M. Brown, though more commonly called when I and you were boys together in Raleigh (Bob Brown) I am the son of Joel Brown, the old chair maker that lived in Raleigh, at the time you lived there with Uncle Selby, I am Brother to henry J. Brown who now lives in Raleigh, you and my Brother Henry, Stayed at Uncle Selbys together for Sometime, I have no dout but what you wil recolect me very well, I belive I should recognize you, if I had the pleasure of seeing you now, I live 22 miles west of Raleigh, in Wake County, as there is no Post office, Keep up at my place now, if you should see cause to Communicate a few lines to me in the way of old acquaintance, you will please address me at Raleigh, N.C. it would be a great pleasure to me to receive a line from one of my boyhood associates and from one that has stood the war storm as you have and have come out more than conquorer
Belive me to be your friend privetly, and publickly, and politically,
I refer you to his Excellency W. W. Holden Governor of the State of N. C. in refference to any thing you you should wish to know of me, as he is well acquainted with me in every sence of the word. privetly and polically, and I am willing to admit to any thing that he will say of me,
I am your obedient Servant,
with much Respect and Esteem,
********************************
This letter from President Andrew Johnson to Robert Brown was copied from "Wake: Capital County of North Carolina":
Executive Mansion, Washington
September 9, 1865
To Mr. R. M. Brown
New Hill
Wake Co., N.C.
My Dear Sir:
I have received and read your letter of the 1st instant, and thank you for its kind tone, and for the interest you still have in one of your "old boyhood associates."
I regret as much as any can regret, the sad devastation and havoc occasioned by the war, and I trust that now all our people will devote themselves to the pursuit of peace and to cherishing a love for the government which our fathers founded. If they do so, our nation cannot fail to have a growth and grandeur greater than that of any nation that has preceded it in history.
Believe me very truly your friend,
ANDREW JOHNSON
Pres. Andrew Johnson's Early Life
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