Born in Orange County in the Virginia Colony, Johnson moved with his father to Kentucky in 1779.

He served as lieutenant colonel in the War of 1812 and fought alongside his brother Richard at the Battle of the Thames.

(See: Yellowstone expedition) He served as presidential elector on the ticket of Monroe and Tompkins in 1820.

Johnson was elected as a Jacksonian to the Nineteenth Congress and served from March 4, 1825, until his death in Washington, D.C., August 13, 1826.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress