The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-04-11
A FIT EXIT.
Albert Sidney Tohnson's Dramatic
Death.


regard second in command.
Grant, the Union general, to
whom belongs the inextinguishable
glory of leading the armies to the
grand final victory, was at Pitts
burg Landing, on the Tennessee
river, eighteen miles distant with
six large divisions. Buell., with
five divisions more, was coming up
to join Grant, and, when united,
their object was to seize and de-
stroy the railroad junctlon at
Corinth. Johnston's object was to
strike and annimlate Grant before
Buell. could reinforce him, and thus
defeat him in detail. The Federal
force under Grant was between
81 1000 and 10000.
On Sunday, the 9th of April, 1862,
johnson, with his eager army began
his Hateful fight. 1t was complete
surprise in the misty Sabbath morn
ing of splendid army in luxuri-
Gus eneampment, unsuspecting dan
ger. Never fought a surprised
force more calamity, no one was
ever handled more skillfully, thus
taken unawares. But the attack
was irresistible. With supreme
daring Gen. Johnston urged on the
onset. He handled his army with
brilliant impetuosity. Wherever
there was a pause in the onward
movement he led the charge in per-
son. To those who saw him on
that day, as the writer did, in all
the glorious fever of that delirious
success, mounted upon a magnifi-
cent steed, his massive figure
seemed to enlarge to gigantic size
with the ardor of battle, his noble
face aflame with his indomitable
spirit OF fight, he was the real en-
bodiment of the fiery essence of
war. He threw himself with reck-
less indifference into danger. The
entire line of the enemy was in re
tIeat little before noon.
The victory was gloriously be-
gun. 1t is the pushing of broken
e2emy to utter annihilation that
constitutes ore of the chief merits
of a great general. Johnston
pressed the fierce pursuit upon the
broken foe. Oblivious of peril
from the swarming bullets of the
retreating but still fighting enemy,
he rode swiftly In advance. 1t was
in this supreme moment of victori.
Gus onset, decisive triumph, seem
ingly in his eager grasp, that the
fatal bullet struck hIm-a small
wound under the knee, severing an
artery. He never needed it, but
sweeping on in the rush, exclaimed
to one of his officers, 1--WE will water
our horses in the Tennessee river
tonight"
An aide perceiving blood on his
clothes asked him, with deep ankle
ty, if he was not wounded. He an
swered in the exalted ardor of his
feeling, removed above the sense oil
pain, "only a scratch" Even ther
the life blood was flowing from his
deadly wound, and his momeats
were numbered. But his great sou
was in the battle heat, and self was
sublimely forgotten. He went or
to say, in the same sublimated ex
hilaration of his lion spirit, "Was
not that splendidly done. Glorious
fellows We have them noww
He began to reel in the saddle
dying. He was lifted to the ground.
His boot was full of blood, and the
life current pouring out beyond re
call. He never spoke again. Re
moved out of the reach of the mer
CHESS bullets he was dead IN ,
twinkling. Stimulants were applied
in vain. The grand old man wal
gone from this worlds strife, anC
the Southern people mourned th,
heaviest bereavement they had We
suffered in the mighty struggle.
Take it all in all, with ali its &C
cessories, and the late war, as ful
as it was of romantic events, show
no more dramatic events than th
. taking off of this heroic chieftain
r 1t was fit exit for the royal sol
, dier to thus expire in the crimson
tide Of such a triumph. He dice
in the supreme conviction of /
+ splendid victory. That he would
have pressed this overwhelming
!, success TO its full fruItion nom
: doubt who knew him That b
! left none behind him able to real
] the complete result, and that iron
, the abstraction of his mastery 90
/ Mus out of the battle, skillful 70
Z the next day retrieved the disaster
does not lessen Johnson's refulgen
} glory. Could his spirit in Tn
r dark day Of popular misconstruc
! ton have seen the honors paid hi
memory by the South when his los
? was announced, he would have bee
: spared a deal of unnecessary an
E gnish. II is due 20 truth 20 sa
/ that while the South bad man.
e brilliant lieutenants capable of larg
= subordinate commands, Gen. Sidne
Johnston was one of the few me
/ on either side possessed of a grea
/ genius for war. But the grandes
r element OF this great soldier
greatness was his moral splendol
e Honor and truth and courage an
: patriotism and duty, and all othe
! moral excellencies were 50 sovei
s eign in his soul that at last the
l constitute the portion of his chai
acter and fame OF which his South
!, ern countrymen are most proud
/. Col. /. w. Avery, in Detroit Ere
: Press.
A new lot Of Hamburg Edgings at u
, New York store.