. ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁an ▁ep ide mic ▁was ▁spread ing ▁through ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁and ▁Lincoln ' s ▁son ▁T ad ▁Lincoln ▁had ▁small po x . ▁Johnson ▁t ended ▁to ▁Lincoln ▁and ▁became ▁quite ▁ill ▁by ▁January ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁a ▁hospital . ▁Johnson ▁died ▁within ▁the ▁next ▁couple ▁of ▁weeks . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁Johnson ' s ▁mother ▁was ▁an ▁ens la ved ▁woman . ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁growing ▁family ▁while ▁living ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁Dick ▁Hart , ▁past ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁Association ▁and ▁historian ▁who ▁focus es ▁on ▁black ▁history ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁has ▁been ▁un success ful ▁in ▁finding ▁any ▁information ▁about ▁Johnson ▁in ▁Spring field . ▁Lincoln ▁guaranteed ▁the ▁mort g age ▁on ▁a ▁house ▁for ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁employed ▁Johnson ▁as ▁a ▁v alet ▁and ▁driver ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Illinois ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁United ▁States ▁president ial ▁election . ▁The ▁Lin col ns ▁hosted ▁an ▁event ▁for ▁the ▁Republican ▁President ial ▁Nom ination ▁Notification ▁Committee ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁at ▁their ▁house ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Illinois . ▁Johnson ▁announced ▁people ▁as ▁they ▁entered ▁the ▁house ▁and ▁directed ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁parl our ▁to ▁meet ▁Abraham ▁and ▁Mary ▁Tod d ▁Lincoln . ▁Either ▁before ▁or ▁while ▁working ▁for ▁Lincoln , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a