Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-02-19

him he received a Characteristic
evidence of his thoughtful consid-
Grafton. 1t was the day before his
army moved to fight the battle of
Shiloh. The General was in consul.
tation with his corps commanders
preparing for the momentous
movement. sent my name. The
officer in waiting brought out the
polite message That Gen. Johnston
regretted, but that lie was so Ell.
gagged that it was mpossblNAto see
me, but that if | would cai1 back
at another time he would be glad
to re ceive me. That the general |
of the army should extend such |
courtesy to an humble captain, i'm
pressed me strongly at the time,
and | have never ceased to remem-
Der regret(ul!y the kingly spirit
that, amid all absorbing excitement
of preparation for grand battle,
could thus observe the amenities of
politeness.
l know of nothing more dramatic
in this great war than Johnston's
glory. Every circumstance was
redolent of chivairy. 1t illustrated
alike his military genius and his
knightly spirit. In planning the
campaign his consummate general
ship was displayed. He was at
Corinth with three corps under
Bragg, Polk and Hardee, aggregat-
ing about 35, 900 men, with Beaure-
gard second in command.
| Grant, the Union general, TO
whom belongs the ineXtinguisha-
BILE glory of leading the armies tn
the grand final victory, was at
Pittsburg Landing, on the Tonnes
see river, eighteen miles distant,
with six large divisions. Buell.,
with five divisions more, was COM
ing up to join Grant, and when
united, their object was to seize and
destroy the railroad junction at
Corinih. Johnston's object was to
strike and aunihilate Grant before
Buell. could reinforce him, and thus
defeat him in detail. The Fe leral
force under Grant was between
81, 600 and 40, 1000 men.
On Sunday the 9th of April, 1862,
johnson with his eager army began
his fateful fight. 1t was a complete
surprise in the misty Sabbath
morning of n splendid army in a
luxurious encampment unsuspect-
ing danger. Never fought a sur
prised force more gallautly, nor
was one ever handled more skill
fully thus taken unawares. But the
attack was irresistible. With SUI
preme daring Gen. Johnson urged
on the onset. He handled his ar
my with brilliant impetuosity.
Wherever there was u pause in the
onward movement he led the
charge in person. To those who
saw him that day, rs the writer
did, in all the glorious fever of that
delirious success, mounted upon
magnificent steed, his massive fig
ure seeming to enlarge to gigantic
size with the ardor of battle, his
noble face aflame with his indomi-
table spirit of fight, he was the
ideal embodiment of the fiery es-
sence of war. He threw himself
with reckless indifference into dan
ger. The entire line of the enemy
was in retreat little before noon.
The victory was gloriously be-
gun. 1t is in pushing broken ell =.
envy to utter humiliation that con-
stitutes one of the chief merits of
the great General. Johnston press
ed the fierce pursuit of the broken
foe. Oblivious of the peril from
the swarming bullets of the re-
treating but still fighting enemy,
he rode swiftly in advance. 1t was
in this supreme moment of victori-
Gus onset, II decisive triumph SEEM
ingly in his eager grasp, that the
fatal bullet struck him; n small
wound under the knee severing an
artery. He never needed it, but
sweeping on in the rush, exclaimed
to one of the officers, We will
water our horses in the Tennessee
River"
An aide perceiving blood on his
clothes asked him with deep anX-
iety, if he was not wounded. He
answered in the exalted ardor OF
his feelings, removed above the
sense Of pain, "Only scratch"
Even then the life blood was
flowing from his deadly wound, and
, his moments were numbered. But
his great soul was in the battle
heat, and self was sublimely for.
! gotten. He went on to say in the
, same sublime eXhilaration OF
his lion spirit, "Was not that
: splendidly done! Glorious fellows
We have got them nowW
, He began to reel in the saddle
dying. He WAS lifted to tbs
, ground. His boot was full of blood
: and the life current pouring out
, beyond recall. He never spoke
again. Removed into ravine out
of the range of the
mercless bullets, he was dead
, in twinkling. Stimulants were
, applied in vain. The grand old mar
, was gone from this worlds strife
} and the Southern people mourneC
the heaviest bereavement they hat
yet suffered in the mighty strug
gle.
, Take it all in all, with all its ac-
> cessories and the late war, as full a:
it was of romantic events, show.
/ no more dramatic picture than thu
= taking off of this heroic chieftain
/ 1t was fit exit for the royal sol
( dier to thus expire in the crimson
tide of such q triumph. He died IL
f the supreme conviction of splendid
q victory. That he left none behint
e able to reap the complete result
and that from the abstraction o
his masterful genius out of the bat
tie skillful foe the next day re-
/ trieved the disaster does not lesser
! Johnston's refulgent glory. Coull
his spirit ia the dark day
1 of popular misconstructior
, have seen the honorS paid
, his memory by the South
ern people when his loss was an
nounced, he would have beer
spared deal of unnecessary an