Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-05-21
Biographical Sketches of Gen.
10 Johnston.
Nashville American, 49,


Nashville American, 49,
General Joseph Eccleston Johnston
was born in Prince Edward county,
Va, February, 1907. He graduated
at the military academy at West Point
in 1929, and served in various military
capacities until 1898, when he was
made first lieutenant in the topograph-
ical engineers, and was engaged in
various surveys of the boundaries
between the United States and British
possessions and on the coast survey.
During the Mexican war he served as
captain Of engineers, was twice wound
ed, was successfully breveted as ma
jor, lieutenant-colonel and colonel.
From 1858 to 1855 he was in charge of
western river improvements, and
subsequently in various duties in
Kansas, Utah and elsewhere. In
1860 he was made quartermaster
general, with the rank of brigsdier gem
eral. lie resigned his commission
April p, 1861, and entered the Com
federate service. During the earlier
part of the campaign Of 1862 he was
in command of all the Confederate
forces in Virginia, and was severely
wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks,
near Richmond, May 81. In Novem-
Der, Notwithstanding the personal
hostility of President Davis, he was
assigned to the command of the mill
tary department. of Tennessee, and in
the following spring made an effectual
effort to relieve Vicksburg, which was
then besieged by Gen. Grant. After
the defeat of Gen. Bragg at Chat
tanooga, November %, 1863, Gen.
Johnston was assigned to the com
mand Of all the Confederate forces
in the southwest. Early in 1864,
his forces were concentrated at Dali
ton, Ga, and at the beginning of May,
Gen. Sherman moved upon the posi-
ton with a greatly superior force.
Gen. Johnston fell back, making a
stand at each defensible point, from
all Of which he was necessarily out
lanked by Sherman who continually
threatened to interrupt his line of
communication with Atlanta, which
was his base of supply, and otherwise
a place of great military Importance.
Gen. Johnston reached Atlanta about
the middle of July, and had resolved
to hold the place to the last, but theau-
thorities at Richmond, altogether UNI
Outstanding the inferiorityof his force
to that Of the enemy, were dissatisfied,
and on July II, Gen. Johnston was
%summariiy ordered by President
Davis to turn over his command to
Gen. Hood. Near the close of Febru-
airy, 1865, when Sherman, after cap
turing Atlanta, had marched without
obstruction to Savannah, and thence
into South Carolina, Gen. Johnston,
at the express urgency of Gen. Lee,
was directed to assume the command
of the remnant of the army of Ten
nessee, and of all the forces in South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and
ITO concentrate all available forces
and to drive back Sherman" The
force which he could concentrate was
greatly inferior to that of Sherman,
and he was unable seriously to check
the march of the victorious army.
Having learned that Gen. Lee had
surrendered the army of Virginia to
Gen. Grant. he surrendered to Sher-
mar at Durham's station, North Caro-
lima, April 26, 1865. In his farewell
address to his troops Gen. johnson
said:
II earnestly entreat you to observe
faithfully the terms of peaci6cation
agreed upon, and to discharge the OBJ
legations of good aud peaceful citizens
as well as you have performed the du-
ties Of thorough soldiers on the field"
Since the close Of the war, he has
been actively engaged in agricultural,
commercial and enterprises, living in
Savannah, Ca, and subsequently in
Virginia.
General Johnston is now a member
OF congress, representing the Rich
mond, Va, district.
General Johnston, if any one, has
blue blood in his veins, his father
being an officer in Lees legion and
IL I'll. d.. 49, n IL " II