Confederate Governor. George Washington Johnson received a place in American history as being the first Confederate Governor of Kentucky. Although American History books refer to Kentucky as a border state, representatives from 68 of the 110 counties of the state assembled calling themselves the “Convention of the People of Kentucky” and passed an Ordinance of Secession on November 20, 1861; this action was done outside of the official government of Kentucky, which stayed part of the Union. The Confederate Government of Kentucky was established with Bowling Green being the capital and Johnson being the governor. This was a “shadow government,” which is an organized government-in-waiting compiled of members of the opposing party rallying against the the sanctioned government. On December 10, 1861 Kentucky was the last state to join the Confederate States of America receiving the thirteenth star on their flag. The state was never controlled by Confederate forces. When Union Forces gained Bowling Green, Johnson escaped in exile to Tennessee in February of 1862 enlisting in the 4th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry of the famous Kentucky "Orphan Brigade" CSA. Though he held the office of a Confederate Governor, he was given the rank of private. Since his horse was shot out from under him earlier, he was going into battle on foot. He was handicapped from an old arm injury resulting in limited use of the arm. During the Battle of Shiloh on April 2, 1862, he was seriously wounded in the leg and abdomen. Found dying on the battle field after 24 hours of suffering, he was brought to an Union hospital where he died three days later. After Johnson was recognized by an Union officer, who had been a political colleague years earlier, his body was placed in salt and repatriated to Kentucky for burial. Born the son of a veteran of the War of 1812, who died shortly after Johnson's birth, Johnson was reared by his stepfather, John Allen. Johnson practiced law in Georgetown after receiving his degree from Transylvania University in 1833. As an active Democrat, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1838 and was offered, but declined, the office of State Lt. Governor and United States Congressman. He married and was the father of ten children with seven living to adulthood. In August of 1845, he led the Committee of Sixty, which became a mob, which seized the editor of an anti-slavery newspaper the “True American,” Cassius M. Clay's, printing press. As the Civil War started, he took a stand for Kentucky to be neutral but when Union forces entered the state, he considered that action an “invasion” of Union forces. Shortly after Johnson's death, Richard Hawes was elected to replace Johnson and remained in exile the of the war. Johnson's bungalow-styled home, the Shropshire House, was placed in April of 1973 on the National Register of Historical Places, which is maintained by the National Park Service. The property includes slave quarters and a smoke house. As a memorial to him, a State of Kentucky Historical Marker #610 is located in Georgetown on McClelland Circle.