Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-15
GEN. JOE JOHNSTON.
His Peculiar Powers of Observation and
Other Characteristics.

His Peculiar Powers of Observation and
Other characteristics.
[Cor. St. Louis Republican,
Here are few anecdotes of Gen. Joe
Johnston, illustrative of his peculiar powers
of observation and other characteristics of
mind which have not appeared in print:
After assuming command of the army of
the Tennessee, at Dalton, a grand review
was ordered, and Gen. Johnston, superbly
mounted on a magnificent thoroughbred
bay, came sweeping down our line, followed
by the usual cavalcade of general and staff
officers. He would halt moment in front
of the colors Of each regiment, face to the
line and raise his cap with martial grace
.aever excelled. In passing our regiment
his quick eye caught the gallant bearing of
our boy colonel John E. Murray, then
about 81 years of age, who had been a
cadet at West Point for two years, and was
notably distinguished for what the boys
called 9gallus salute" After the parade
Gen. Johnston sought our brigadier, Govan.
and inquired the name of his young colonel
of the grand martial salute;" and after
hearing of his proud achievements as the
the boy hero of the brigade, he invited him
to his headquarters and entertained him for
a week The colonel used to say that "he
picked up more solid chunks of wisdom
that week than he had ever done in his life be-
fore" The brilliant career of this gallant boy
closed with the campaign in the last ba tie
around Atlanta, where he foremost fight
ing fell' with bullet-hole through his
commission of brigadier general in his
breast-pocket.
During this Georgia campaign Gen,
jackson would often inspect the hastily
constructed line of rife-pits, and in riding
down the line at full speed he would some
times halt suddenly and beckon an officer Of
his staff, and with few rapid motions of
his hand order an anglo reversed or the line
advanced OF retired in conformity with the
contour of the ground in front; and on one
of these occasions the writer, who was
Longing ON the ground with his comrades
some thirty PAGES in the rear, made wager
that he could attract the generals attention
by salute. Upon arising and facing
toward the general as he rushed by, looking
in the opposite direction, the writer
modestly raised his "coonskins." When tine
generals white hat shot up in the air in
graceful recognition, the boys all remarked
that the "old man could see as well in the
rear as he could in front"
In passing through Jackson, Miss, to take
command of the army, large crowd OF
citizens and furloughed soldiers insisted on
his presenting himself Oh t 5ne platform of the
car~and making them a speech. He said:
"1f all the able-bodied men 1 see before me
were in line at the front there would be nc
occasion for retreat of the army"
When he was relieved of command at At
lanta his soldiers literally shed tears of hope
less sorrow, and when Gen. Hoods plaB
of swinging around to Gen. Sherman'S rear
was fully detailed to him by a staff officer
and his opinion asked as to the wisdom OF
the plan, he replied with sadness in the pro
phetic words "Too brilliant"
In social conversation with his staff one
of them asked him how many times he had |
been wounded, Eight times" The staff re-
marked that he was the most unfortunate |
general in this respect he had ever known
"No, sir" said he, "the most fortunate: |
for it was only by the mercy of God [ was
not killed upon either OCCASION