Sorting out the White House Staff

[kerry]

(06-11-2018 04:18 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(06-10-2018 07:09 PM)kerry Wrote:  On January 16, 1865, Mary requested that Forbes be made messenger in the place of William Johnson (who I think had died?)

Yes. Johnson went to Gettysburg with Lincoln, and both became ill (smallpox or a form of it) afterwards. Lincoln recovered, but Johnson died in January 1864. Johnson came to know the Lincoln family in Springfield, and he was Lincoln's valet on the inaugural train. In Washington Johnson was a messenger for the Treasury Department but also did tasks for Lincoln when asked.

I was going to say it was weird Mary took a year to replace him, but apparently his son held the position in the interim. The position was in the Treasury Department due to the "color" issue causing problems with his White House employment, but it seems like he spent a large part of his time with Lincoln anyway. There was a lot of that going on, and it seems like the go-to place was the Treasury. Everyone who needs a position is referred there. Why did they need so many people?

On second thought, probably because the Treasury had control of the money and could do what it wanted.