Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Bradley T. Johnson Papers, Accession 5594-c, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

These papers were purchased by the Library on November 10, 1992.

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Scope and Content

This collection consists of ca. 425 items (1 Hollinger box), 1852-1896, and undated, the business and financial papers of the former Confederate General Bradley Tyler Johnson (1829-1903) of Baltimore, Maryland , chiefly concerning the various financial negotiations and subsequent litigation involving his interests in the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mining Company , Sussex, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada . The business papers contain drafts of agreements; a title and partition; a promissory note; receipts; cancelled checks; business correspondence; proxies; the will of Maria Tyler [Belt ?] (1882 Jan 16); and drafts of minutes of the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mining Company stockholders meetings. Other papers include: a bill of complaint of Bradley T. Johnson vs. Walter H. Harrison concerning Harrison's fraudulent selling of stock in the Jordan Mountain Mining Company , 1891-1892; insurance papers and receipts arranged alphabetically within the folder by the name of the insurance company; reports and prospectes on the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mines ; telegrams; and a "sketch of Frederick W. Stockton 's Manganese Mine, Kings County, New Brunswick."

After the Civil War, Johnson practiced law in Richmond and occasionally represented the Commonwealth. He served in the Virginia General Assembly from 1875 until 1879 as the state senator for Richmond and Henrico County . Apparently about 1879, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland , where he set up a law practice with John P. Poe , Johnson & Poe , Attorneys & Counsellors at Law, at the corner of Lexington & St. Paul Streets. He authored several books on history, genealogy, law, and the public debt.

The business papers show that Johnson's interest in the manganese enterprise began in December of 1884, when Johnson entered into an agreement with Frederick Stockton to buy the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mine for 50,000 dollars for the purpose of reselling the same; the ownership of part of this mine was in question and thus was under an injunction in a suit between Frederick W. & Charles A. Stockton and Wesley N. Gould (who agreed to settle with Johnson for 5,000 dollars).

According to a summary of the case, September 1887, W. H. Harrison and Andrew J. Guise came to Johnson's law office with an option to buy a manganese mine in New Brunswick and hired Johnson as counsel to raise the money, buy the property, and work the mine. John Browne , a mining engineer of New Brunswick , had discovered the mine and agreed to a contract assigning his option for the property, which expired December 1887, to Frederick W. Emmerson , Walter H. Harrison , Andrew J. Guise , and Johnson, each to have equal interest.

Other items in the business papers documenting the progression of this business proposition include: an agreement between John Browne , Andrew J. Guise , and Walter H. Harrison (1887 Sep 30); James B. White 's , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , assessment of the current value of manganese ore and his doubts that the New Brunswick property is worth $55,000 (1887 Nov 22); the agreement between Johnson and Frederick W. Stockton to purchase his unencumbered manganese property for $50,000 (1887 Dec 7); the efforts of Wesley N. Gould to extend the option on the manganese property (1887 Dec 19); the discussion of manganese mining and its profits (1887 Dec 20); the West Virginia certificate of incorporation for the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mining Company for the purpose of mining and preparing the manganese ore and other minerals for market (1887 Dec 21); a letter regarding the purchase of Wesley N. Gould 's right to the manganese property and its effect upon his suit against Frederick Stockton (1887 Dec 28); and a two month option from W. C. Pope & Company to buy their manganese mining leases, plant of all description, and good will of the business (1887 Dec 31).

Additional items concerning the mines include: the expiration of the option to purchase the mines and Johnson's plan to organize a mining company for the purpose of raising money to buy the property and operate it with a capital stock of one million dollars, with a portion of this stock to be sold at fifty cents on the dollar to raise the necessary funds (1888 Jan 2); correspondence with John Browne concerning the running of the mine while negotiations continue (1888 Jan 4,5, & 11); a discussion by the manager of the Queen Manganese Mining Company , Alfred Markham , of the details of running the mine should it be procured (1888 Jan 12); the minutes of the meeting of the stockholders of the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mining Company with the election of J. Wilcox Brown , President , Bradley T. Johnson , Secretary and Attorney for the Company, and Henry W. Rogers , Treasurer (1888 Jan 21); Johnson's offer of a contract to Walter H. Harrison to raise money to enable Johnson to acquire control of the entire property in New Brunswick and to buy out all the conflicting interests for the benefit of the Mining Company, who also points out that the New Brunswick property is the most extensive deposit of manganese ore known in the world and along with the Crimora Mine in Virginia , supplies the only manganese found in North America (known at that time) suitable for the manufacture of steel or glass (1888 Jan 28); Stockton's concern for the property negotiations (1888 Feb 3, 5, & 14); and the objections of F. W. Emmerson and John Browne to Johnson's actions concerning the company and his request that they supply a share of capital for the purchase price as not being part of their original agreement (1888 Feb 14 & 22).

Other items include: new circumstances lead to the proposal of a new contract (1888 Mar 3 & 13); a new agreement between Frederick Stockton , Bradley T. Johnson , and Walter H. Harrrison , to sell the property to Harrison in lieu of Johnson, for $50,000, whereby "Stockton's option to Johnson is assigned to Harrison"(1888 Mar 6); a letter from Jedediah Hotchkiss (1888 Apr 27), mentioning his work at Crimora, Virginia , and requesting his expenses be paid before he agrees to report on the New Brunswick mines; the possibility of mining gold, tin, and manganese in Nova Scotia and eastern Quebec (1888 May 3 & 8); the failure of the W.C. Pope & Company (1888 May 15); Walter H. Harrison to Andrew Guise (1888 Jun 28) concerning his "system"; Johnson's proposition to Harrison (1888 Jul 5); the agreement between Harrison and Johnson (1888 Jul 6); the Newfoundland Railway Company , a concern of Harrison's (1888 Jul 10); and Johnson's communication to the Company to rescind his contract (1888 Aug 22).

Additional items of note include: stockholders meetings (1888 Aug 27 & Sep 27); a receipt from Harrison to Johnson, used later as plaintiff exhibit A in the bill of complaint, Bradley T. Johnson vs. Walter H. Harrison (1888 Sep); letters concerning Harrison's activities in New Brunswick (1888 Oct 5, 8, & 11); Frederick Stockton 's complaints re Wesley N. Gould 's misrepresentation of his business with Johnson (1888 Oct 13); Johnson's request to be released from his previous agreement with Stockton and to begin new negotiations for the sale of the manganese property as Trustee on behalf of Andrew J. Guise , John Browne , F. W. Emmerson , and himself (1888 Oct 19, 24, 29, & 30; and Nov 5); discussion of the injunction case against Frederick Stockton (1888 Oct 25 & 30; Nov 5, 13, & 17; and 1889 Jan 19); and an inquiry from the St. John, New Brunswick , chief of police re Walter Harrison 's character and standing in Baltimore (1888 Nov 17).

Other items include: Harrison's absence from St. John for several days (1888 Nov 17); the agreement of F. W. Emmerson to accept $5,000 as his share of the venture and to aid Johnson in recovering the amount he lost through Harrison (1888 Nov 27); the agreement of John Browne to accept $5,000 as his share of the venture, his request to retain the management of the mines, and his regret at having to accept such a small recompense for introducing the deal (1888 Nov 27); the absence of work done at the mine since the fall of 1887 and the activities of Harrison (1888 Dec 8); the suit against Harrison by the Bank of British North America concerning the sale of railway bonds (1888 Dec 17); the resolution at the Jordan Mountain Manganese Mining Company stockholder's meeting to discontinue the business of the company and to surrender all its chartered rights to the state of West Virginia (1889 Mar 2); and in the last dated document concerning the manganese venture in the business papers, in consideration of a sum paid by Johnson to Seth H. Whitely and Charles D. Gaither , they agreed to release him from all claims arising out of any transactions between Whitely and Gaither and Harrison and Johnson (1889 Mar 29). According to the bill of complaint of Bradley T. Johnson against Walter H. Harrison , "because of the fraudulent and corrupt action of the defendant the enterprise was fully and finally abandoned." Apparently Johnson was never able to consummate the sale of the property or to sell any manganese ore from the mines whatsoever.