 | John Warfield Johnston was born near Abingdon, Virginia, September 19th., 1818. His mother was a sister of Gen. Rees T. Bowen. He received his academic education at Abingdon Academy, and South Carolina College, Columbia, S.C.; studied law at the University of Virginia; and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He located at Jeffersonville, and was Commonwealth's Attorney for Tazewell County in 1844 - 1846. He represented the county and district in the State Senate at the sessions of 1844-45 and 1846-47. In 1866, he was made judge of this judicial circuit and seved as such until 1870. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia, and served in that body from October 26th., 1869 to March 3rd., 1883. Judge Johnston died in Richmond, February 27th., 1889. |