Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson - the rest of the story

Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson died an early, tragic death in 1931 when his foot became tangled in his mule's gear, dragging him about a mile. A previous post appeared on this blog last month about Bonie Johnson and his wife Texie. The accompanying article to the right, provided by Itawamba historian Bob Franks, indicates that Bonie - as he was called - returned to the field to plow following dinner one June evening. He rode his mule back to the field, and when he jumped from the mule his foot became tangled in the mule's gear. This frightened the mule who immediately took off, dragging Bonie along with him.

In a moving tribute to her deceased husband a year later, Texie Wheeler Johnson wrote "his precious form is now smoldering beneath the clay near the little church he loved so well, but his memory will ever be alive to me." She continued, "He left the children at their work, telling them he would soon return. Little did he dream that he would never see them again. Our little boy, Hubert, says the last thing papa said to him was, 'Plow good son.'"

Dear Bonie's face we'll see here no more
But when the toils of this life are o''er,
We all shall meet on that bright shore.