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30–37.JOHNSON, GUY
Johnson, Guy
(ca. 1740–March 5, 1788)
Loyalist Officer
D
espite his famous name, Guy Johnson
was a self-serving and generally inept
superintendent of Indian affairs
throughout most of the American Revolution.
He was absent constantly from his depart-
ment, feuded openly with subordinates, and
made very little use of his splendid Iroquois
allies.
Guy Johnson was born in County Meath,
Ireland, around 1740, a son of John Johnson.
His uncle was Sir William Johnson, the fa-
mous Indian agent and colonial militia officer.
In 1756, Johnson arrived in New York and was
immediately taken into his uncle’s household.
Being trained as a cartographer, he produced
many useful maps for the British government,
and Sir William also allowed him to attend
several important Indian conferences. When
the French and Indian War commenced in
1757, Sir William used his influence to secure
a lieutenant’s commission for Johnson, who
then commanded a ranger company in the
employ of Gen. Sir Jeffrey Amherst. In this ca-
pacity he distinguished himself during the
capture of Fort Niagara in 1759, and he also
bore increasing responsibility for affairs
within the Indian Department. In December
1762, Sir William prevailed upon him to resign
his commission and become both an officer
of his department and a personal representa-
tive to the Six Nations, or Iroquois Indians. In
1763, he cemented his relationship by marry-
ing Sir William’s daughter and received a
square mile of property along the Mohawk
River as a wedding gift. Johnson then built a
lavish baronial estate, immodestly named
“Guy Park.” He also continued advancing his
fortunes in the local militia and state affairs,
rising to both regimental colonel and a judge
of the common pleas by 1772. That year Gov-
ernor William Tryonappointed him to the
provincial assembly, and in 1774 Gen.
Thomas Gageelevated Johnson to acting su-
perintendent of Indian affairs following the
death of Sir William. As a bearer of the John-
son name and its legacy, he got along well
enough with the Iroquois, who christened him
Uraghquadirha (Rays of the Sun Enlightening
the Earth). But Johnson, the product of pa-
tronage and his own ambition, demonstrably
lacked the talent and persuasiveness that ren-
dered his uncle so famous and valuable to the
Crown. In contrast, he ceaselessly used his
position and prestige to enrich his holdings.
By 1775, Johnson had amassed great wealth
and was a figure of considerable import
throughout western New York. His overt Loy-
alist sympathies, often indelicately expressed,
also made him a target for nearby revolution-
ary activity.
When the American Revolution com-
menced in April 1775, the Tryon County Com-