Johnston and his family were sold to Mr. Ewing of Richmond, Va., a very wealthy man who later lost his fortune and had to sell all of his property for the settlement of debts. Johnston was sent to Lumpkin Slave Prison, in Richmond and held there until he was purchased by Thomas E. George and taken to Tazewell County. While bonded to Thomas George, Johnston also worked for a young country lawyer named Joseph Stras, a boyhood aquaintance from Richmond. After being punished unjustly by Thomas George, Johnston asked Joseph Stras to buy him. He was purchased for the sum of $1,012.00 in cash and was the first slave owned by Mr. Stras.

Johnston and Cynthia had eleven children; John, Felix, Beverly, James, Truxton, Hoyt, Benjamin, Leman (died as an infant), Letitia, Josephine and Elizabeth. All of the children grew to be highly respected citizens of Tazewell and they remained devoted to their mother until her death on December 1, 1903. The Warren family home place is located at 217 West Main Street, Tazewell, Virginia

Johnston married Cynthia Ann Holley, a free woman, on March 15, 1849 and she worked along with him as if she was a slave. In 1858, Johnston bought his freedom from Joseph Stras for the sum of $470.00. The papers were prepared and witnessed by Judge Samuel Graham. Now a free man, Johnston pursued his trade as a tanner.

In the fall of 1858, the U. S. Government appointed Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beal to make a geological survey and repair of a wagon road from Fort Smith Arkansas to the Colorado River bordering Arizona and California. The former Virginia Governor, John B. Floyd, the Secretary of War at that time had his brother Dr. William Floyd and Johnston Warren appointed to accompany Lt. Beale on this trip. The journey lasted approximately twelve months.

Upon his return to Tazewell, Johnston resumed working at his trade in the E. V. Cox Tannery until the civil war broke out. He then engaged himself to Captain Joseph Harrison, who was the Captain of Co. "A" of the old 45 Virginia Regiment. Johnston was with Capt. Harrison through Tazewell, Wythe, Giles, Mercer, Pulaski, Montgomery and several other counties in the state and the engagement at Cloyds Mountain.

At the close of the war, Johnston and his brother-in-law James Milton Holley bought the E. Cox Tanyard and operated it as the "Holley and Warren Tanyard" for many years. Johnston built his home on the adjoining lot at 217 West Main Street. The old home place remained in the family from the close of the Civil War until 1994. It is still standing today (Oct. 1997) but will soon be demolished to make room for a parking lot.

Johnston and Cynthia had eleven children; Truxton, Benjamin, James, Hoyt, Beverly, Leman (died as infant), Felix, John, Letitia, Josephine and Elizabeth. Before his marriage to Cynthia, Johnston had two sons by a slave woman (name unknown), their names were Rush and Wade Warren.

During the Revolutionary War, there lived in Greenville, North Carolina a tribe of Indians called "Hawleyon" (Holley) Indians. They were of African and Indian descent. A member of the "Holley tribe" married a Cherokee Indian woman and through this union had seven sons and two daughters. The seven sons enlisted in the Revolutionary War as free men of color. Six of the boys fought in the war and Ben Holley attended to General George Washington. Five of the brothers were killed and Ezekiel and Ben returned home safely.

Ezekiel courted a woman named Anne, who was listed as white with Indian blood. Because of the laws in North Carolina against colored marrying white, they went to Halifax Court House in Virginia where they married after she went before a magistrate and swore that she had Negro blood. They settled in Tazewell County on the farm of Jonathan Smith in Abb's Valley and eventually bought a 125 acre farm. There they had a family of five boys and two girls; Edmon, Billie, Mack, Ben and Ezekiel, Clarsie and Betsy.

They lived there happily until the death of Annie and not more than a year or so later the death of their father, Ezekiel. The family scattered, the two girls, Clarsie and Betsy were under age and were bound out to the Bandy and Peery families and afterwards to the Harman family. After serving her time as bondmaid, Betsy had a child by Mr. Hugh Tiffany and named her Cynthia Ann Holley (born 2/12/1833). She was reared in the family of Col. Henry B. Harman and was treated as one of his own children.

On March 15, 1849, Cynthia married William Johnston Warren, a slave owned by Joseph Stras. She went with him to the home of his master, although a free woman, and worked as if she were a slave.

Cynthia worked at the Stras home until after the birth of her fifth child. She then became dissatisfied because she felt that the other slaves resented her free born children, so she decided to take her children out from among them. In 1858, her husband Johnston was allowed to purchase his freedom from Joseph Stras and resettle his family. Throughout the ensuing years, Cynthia and the members of the Stras Family remained steadfast friends. Johnston and Cynthia had eleven children; John, Felix, Beverly, James, Truxton, Hoyt, Benjamin, Leman (died as an infant), Letitia, Josephine and Elizabeth. All of the children grew to be highly respected citizens of Tazewell and they remained devoted to their mother until her death on December 1, 1903. The Warren family home place is located at 217 West Main Street, Tazewell, Virginia