Port Hudson, Jackson, LA
Battlefield of one of the longest and
bloodiest sieges (48 days) in the
Civil War. (Manuel's brother, Jack,
fought there in the 79th Regiment.)
Battlefield of one of the longest and
bloodiest sieges (48 days) in the
Civil War. (Manuel's brother, Jack,
fought there in the 79th Regiment.)
Colored Troops
Hundreds of thousands of black
Americans served during the
Civil War. Manuel and three of
his siblings (William, Jack and
Thomas) enlisted in the U.S.
Colored Volunteer Infantry.
Manual was a laborer in Captain
Foster's Co. (C) 81st U.S.C. Vol.
Inf. and 93rd Regiments during
the War of the Rebellion.
Hundreds of thousands of black
Americans served during the
Civil War. Manuel and three of
his siblings (William, Jack and
Thomas) enlisted in the U.S.
Colored Volunteer Infantry.
Manual was a laborer in Captain
Foster's Co. (C) 81st U.S.C. Vol.
Inf. and 93rd Regiments during
the War of the Rebellion.
History (1866-Present)
Johnson + Bailey Family*
| This site is brought to you by the Johnson + Bailey Family* - Copyright © 2008 |
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After being discharged from the War of the Rebellion in New Orleans on November 23, 1866,
Emmanuel Johnson returned to Fausse Pointe, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana to reconnect with
his mother and siblings. Like other former slaves in the surrounding townships, Manuel
began sharecropping during Reconstruction. Still relatively young at the time (abt. 25 in 1870),
he became acquainted with Rosalie Bailey (abt. 17), likely while in the fields, church, or other
places blacks worked or frequented in Olivier, Morbihan, Loreauville, Belle Place, New Iberia,
and St. Martinville townships along Bayou Teche (Teche Country), in the broadly referred area
known as Fausse Pointe in the Attakapas Territory of Louisiana. Nothing is known of their
initial meeting or subsequent courtship; but they married on January 7, 1871 at St. Paul's
Congregational Church in Fausse Pointe. A copy of their marriage certificate is on file at the
National Archives in Washington D.C. [Ref. Cert. No. 714189, Can No. 5678, Bundle No. 6.]
Manuel and Rose waisted no time having children. By the end of 1871 their first child, Dinah,
was born. They named her after Rose's step-grandmother Dinah (c.1814) of North Carolina.
The very next year their son Sampson was born. He, too, was named after Rose's paternal
grandfather, Sampson (c.1803). Approximately three years later another son, Paul, was born
in 1875, followed by ten more children--six males and four females. Their last child, Abraham,
was born c.1894. (Refer to the Family Tree page for the names of all 13 descendants.)
Manuel and Rose lived on the Ovignac Bone's Plantation immediately after their marriage, but
later moved to the Jonas Marsh Plantation for a number of years. Manuel's mother, Marie
(c.1812), stepfather (Daniel Jones), and half- brothers and sisters all lived on the Marsh
Plantation. Adults and children farmed to etched a means of living well into the 20th Century.
On Monday morning, before dawn, Dec. 9, 1901, Manuel (abt. 56) awoke Rose complaining of
chest and back pains. He died shortly afterward from a heart attack on the Wallet Plantation.
Following Manuel's death, Rose pursued a widow's pension beginning in 1903. Nearly nine
years later she was granted initially $8 per month plus $8 more per month for the two minor
children (Mary and Abraham) still in her care. Several of her pension claims were denied after
noting "discrepancies" in the ages of the two minor children and because there was no written
proof of Manuel's surname being Johnson. Even his death had to be proven via a number of
witnesses since death certificates were not mandatory then. Manuel had used the alias
surname Eshan when he enlisted (Oct. 20, 1863) in the Civil War but Rose knew him only by
Johnson. (The name Eshan was the Creole form for the proper pronunciation Eugene--the
surname reported to be that of Manuel's last slave owner.)
Rose died on Feb. 14, 1935, days after suffering serious burns when her nightgown caught
fire while she was either praying or sleeping in a rocking chair, according to varying reports.
She was abt. 83 when she died. Her union with Manuel produced many descendants, with
some gathering biennially since 1991 to participate in the Johnson+Bailey Family* Reunions.
~ Composer: Wilbert J. Woodfork Jr.
Note: For a more detailed accounting of Manuel Johnson, Rose Bailey and other descendants, relatives and
friends, refer to the Johnson + Bailey Family* Tree book or the Ancestry.com link on the last page of this site.
Emmanuel Johnson returned to Fausse Pointe, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana to reconnect with
his mother and siblings. Like other former slaves in the surrounding townships, Manuel
began sharecropping during Reconstruction. Still relatively young at the time (abt. 25 in 1870),
he became acquainted with Rosalie Bailey (abt. 17), likely while in the fields, church, or other
places blacks worked or frequented in Olivier, Morbihan, Loreauville, Belle Place, New Iberia,
and St. Martinville townships along Bayou Teche (Teche Country), in the broadly referred area
known as Fausse Pointe in the Attakapas Territory of Louisiana. Nothing is known of their
initial meeting or subsequent courtship; but they married on January 7, 1871 at St. Paul's
Congregational Church in Fausse Pointe. A copy of their marriage certificate is on file at the
National Archives in Washington D.C. [Ref. Cert. No. 714189, Can No. 5678, Bundle No. 6.]
Manuel and Rose waisted no time having children. By the end of 1871 their first child, Dinah,
was born. They named her after Rose's step-grandmother Dinah (c.1814) of North Carolina.
The very next year their son Sampson was born. He, too, was named after Rose's paternal
grandfather, Sampson (c.1803). Approximately three years later another son, Paul, was born
in 1875, followed by ten more children--six males and four females. Their last child, Abraham,
was born c.1894. (Refer to the Family Tree page for the names of all 13 descendants.)
Manuel and Rose lived on the Ovignac Bone's Plantation immediately after their marriage, but
later moved to the Jonas Marsh Plantation for a number of years. Manuel's mother, Marie
(c.1812), stepfather (Daniel Jones), and half- brothers and sisters all lived on the Marsh
Plantation. Adults and children farmed to etched a means of living well into the 20th Century.
On Monday morning, before dawn, Dec. 9, 1901, Manuel (abt. 56) awoke Rose complaining of
chest and back pains. He died shortly afterward from a heart attack on the Wallet Plantation.
Following Manuel's death, Rose pursued a widow's pension beginning in 1903. Nearly nine
years later she was granted initially $8 per month plus $8 more per month for the two minor
children (Mary and Abraham) still in her care. Several of her pension claims were denied after
noting "discrepancies" in the ages of the two minor children and because there was no written
proof of Manuel's surname being Johnson. Even his death had to be proven via a number of
witnesses since death certificates were not mandatory then. Manuel had used the alias
surname Eshan when he enlisted (Oct. 20, 1863) in the Civil War but Rose knew him only by
Johnson. (The name Eshan was the Creole form for the proper pronunciation Eugene--the
surname reported to be that of Manuel's last slave owner.)
Rose died on Feb. 14, 1935, days after suffering serious burns when her nightgown caught
fire while she was either praying or sleeping in a rocking chair, according to varying reports.
She was abt. 83 when she died. Her union with Manuel produced many descendants, with
some gathering biennially since 1991 to participate in the Johnson+Bailey Family* Reunions.
~ Composer: Wilbert J. Woodfork Jr.
Note: For a more detailed accounting of Manuel Johnson, Rose Bailey and other descendants, relatives and
friends, refer to the Johnson + Bailey Family* Tree book or the Ancestry.com link on the last page of this site.
American Civil War