The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-05-27
JESSE NoR0TENT,
Secretary.
Sketch of Gen. Joseph Z.
Johnston.

Gen. Joseph Eccleston Johnston was
born in Prince Edward county, Va.
Feb. 1907. He graduated at tie Mil
itary Academy at West Point in 1929,
and served in various military cupIci-
tiles until 1888, when he was made
First Lieutenant i'll the Typographical
Engineers, and was engaged III 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 wounded, was
successfully brevetcd as Il Major, Lieu
tenant-Coloncl and Colonel. From
1858 to 1898 he was in charge OF IVES
tern river improvements, and subse-
quently in various duties in Kansas,
Utah and elsewhere. In 1860 he was
made Quartermaster General, with tire
rank of Brigadier General He re-
signed his commission April, -, 1861,
and entered the Confederate service.
He was in command ut the battle of
Bull Run. During the earlier part OF
the campaign Of 1861 he was in COM
mand of ali the Confederate forces in
Virginia, and was severely wounded
at the battle of Fair Oaks, near Rich
mond. May 81. In November, not
withstandIng the personal hostility of
President Davis, he was assigned to
the command OF the military depart
ment OF tennessee, and i'll the follow
ing spring made an ctfectual effort to
relieve NIcksburg, which was then be-
sicged by Gen. Grant. After the de-
feat of Gcn. Bragg at Chattanooga,
Nov, %, 1868, Gen. Johnston WAS as
signed to the command Of all the Con-
fedcrate forces i'll the Southwest Ear
" in 1864, his forces were concen-
tratcd ut Dalton, Ga., and ut the be-
ginning of May, Gen. Sherman moved
upon tine position with Il greatly supe-
rlor force. Gen. Johnston fell back.
making Il stand ut each defensible point
from all of which he was necessarily
Out-fanked by Sherman, who continu-
ally threatened to interrupt his line of
communication with Atlanta, which
was his base of supply, and otherwise
Il place of great military Importance
Gen. johnson reached Atlanta about
the middle Of July, and had resolved
to hold the place TO the last, but the
authorities at Richmond, altogether
understanding the interiority OF his
force to that OF the enemy, were dis
satisfied land OH j uly II Gen. Johnston
was sumnIarily erucrcd by President
Davis to turn over his command to
Gen. Hood. Near the close of Fcbru-
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 Tennessee,
and of all the forces OF South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida, and ''to conccn
tr;Ite 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 surrender
ed to Sherman at Duham's Station,
North Carolina, April 70, 1865. In
his farewell address to his troops Gen.
johnson said:
Il earnestly cntreat you to observe
faithfully the terms OF pacifcation
agreed upon, and to discharge the OBJ
legations OF good and 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 i'll agricultural,
commercial and railroad enterprises,
living in Savannah, Ga, and subse-
quently i'll Virginia.
Gen. Johnston is now a member Of
Congress, representing the Iticiunond,
Va, district.
Gen. Johnston, if any one, has blue
blood i'll his veins, his father being an
officer i'll Lees legion and his mother Il
niece of the noted Patrick Henry.