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Part Taken by Women in American History


educational desires. They continued this struggle for many years with more or less success.

Mr. Johnson being a member of the Tennessee legislature at the time of the breaking out of the Civil War he was most active as a Unionist and was subsequently elected to the Senate of the United States. Mrs. Johnson came to Washington in the spring of '61 to be with her husband during the sessions of the Senate. During the rebellion they had very trying experiences, as they were the victims of the vengeance of the Confederates. Through it all, however, Mrs. Johnson managed to command the respect and protection of the officers of the Confederate and Union armies, but Mr. Johnson dared not return to Tennessee, She displayed marvelous ability and diplomacy in her efforts to protect her family. The Convention of 1864 nominated Andrew Johnson for the vice-presidency on the ticket with Mr. Lincoln. In March, 1865, Mr. Johnson left his family in Nashville and came to Washington. The world knows of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln on the 14th of April, 1865, and of the promotion of Mr. Johnson from the vice-presidency to the presidency. It was with many forebodings and little enthusiasm that Mrs. Johnson came to the White House as its mistress. Her health was very much broken and as a result her daughters, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover accompanied her and were soon installed as the ladies of the executive mansion. Mrs. Johnson was a confirmed invalid, and was unable even to appear at any social function, but Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover were quite equal to the duties of conducting the affairs of the White House. Mrs. Patterson's husband was a member of the Senate and she had been accustomed to the society of the Capital, but it seemed that the shadows which had gathered over the White House after the assassination of Mr. Lincoln were not to be dispelled during Mrs. Johnson's occupancy of the executive mansion. On