Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-26
GEN. JOHNSTON DEAD
Death OF the Noted Southern
Leader.
The GENERALS CLOSING MOMENTS.
Heart Failure the Cause, superinduced BY
Severe Cold Caught at Gen. ShermAn's
FuneraI-The Eventful Life Of
the Deceased.

~.
Ger, died shortly after II o'clock Satur-
day night at his residence on Connecti-
cut avenue.
The general did not seem to suffer In
the least and was conscious to the last
At his bedside were ex-Gov. McLane, OF
Maryland, the generals brother-in-law,
and the nurse.
The immediate cause of death was
heart failure, the result of degeneration
of the heart, due in a measure to a cold
contracted some weeks ago, but more
particularly to extreme old age.
BIOGRAPHICAL
Gen Joseph Eggleston Johnston was born
In Cherry Grove, near Farmville, Va, Febru-
ary 3, 1907, was graduated at the United
States military academy in 1929 in the same
class with Robert +. Lee, was commissioned
second lieutenant in the Fourth artillery and
served mainly in garrison duty until 1854
He was made aide de camp to Gen. Winfield
Scott in the Seminole war. He resigned
May 81 1897, and became civil engineer.
He re- entered the army as first lieutenant in
the CORPS of Typographical engineers in July,
1898, and was breveted captain for gallantry
In the war with the Florida Indians He
served in the typographical bureau and in
1913 on the survey of boundaries between the
United States and British provinces. From
1874 to 1886 he was engaged in coast survey.
During the Mexican war the officer served
as captain of typographical engineers under
Gen. Scott in all the important actions, was
twice wounded and was successfully brew
eted as major, lieutenant colonel and col
onel He was mustered out as lieutenant
colonel of volunteers in 1s4s, but was rein
stated as captain of typographical engineers.
From 1886 he was in charge of western
Il Nfv,rr NTaT
or-general in the Utah expedition of lS4s
June %, 1860, he was commissioned quarter
master general of the United States army.
Gen. Johnston resigned April %, 1851, to
enter the confederate service. He was COM
missioned major general OF volunteers OF
the army of Virginia, and with Gen. Lee or
ganized the volunteers of that state. He was
appointed one of the four brigader- generals
and was assigned to the command of
Harperss Ferry. Gen. Robert Patterson, at
the head of a national force, was then ap-
preaching from the north OF the Potomac
and Johnston withdrew to Winchester with
his army, which was called the army OF the
Shenandoah.
When Beauregard was attacked at Manas-
sas July IS, 1861, johnson rapidly marched
to his assistance. On reaching the field he
assumed the responsibility and charge OF
the battle about to be fought He remained
in command and held tn e position at Manas-
sas Junction until the spring of 1852, when
he withdrew to the defense line of the Rap
pahannock, whence he moved to meet Nc
CIellan He was wounded at the battle of
Seven Pines Nay 81, 1867, and incapacitated
for duty until the following autumn.
August 81, 1861, Gen. Johnston was appoint
ed one of the five z ncI.;ls authorized by an
act of the confederate congress, who were
commissioned in the following order Sam
uel Cooper, Albert : dnCy Johnston. Robert
I
Beauregard This assignment of rank was
contrary to the act of the confederate con
gress which required that when officers re-
signed from the United States army the rank
of such officers, when commissioned IN the
army of the confederate states, should be
determined by the former commissions in
the United States army The order of rank
thus estabi he'd by law was: Joseph L.
Johnston, brigadier- eBcraI; Samuel Coop
or, colonel; Albert s. Johnston, colonel;
Robert T. Lee lieutenant colonel; Pierre g.
T. Bcauregard, captain. Gen. Johnston pro-
test"d ngainst this action, and his protest is
believed to have been the beginning and
cause of Mr.. Davis hostility throughout the
var.
when Gen Johns on was ordered to the
peninsula he asked to be reinforced with
troops from the seacoast to enable him TO
crush Mcclellan, but this was not done.
March "a 1853. he was assigned to the COM
mand of the southwest, including the troops
of Gen. Bragg, Kirby Smith and Pembrrton.
In Mag, 1863, Gen. Grant crossed the Mlssis
slppi to attack Vicksburg i'm the rear and
Gen. Johnston was ordered to take command
of all the confederate forces in Miss SiSSippl.
Going there at once he endeavOred to with
draw Pcmberton from Nicksburg and rein
force him from Bragg's army, but failed by
reason of PembertOn's disObedience of or
ders and Vicksburg was taken by Grant.
n.oau,bar 1861 Cen ,TOhn stOn was trans
ferred to the command of the army of the
Tennessee, with headquarters at Dalton, Ga.
During the winter of 1854 he was occupied
in reorganizing this force, which had been
broken by the defeat of Mission Ridge. By
Nav, 1864 he had collected 1900 men and
week later he was reinforced by Gen. Folks
CORDS July II, 1864 the Richmond authori-
ties. dissatisfied with JohnstOn's movements,
relieved him from the command and directed
him to turn it over to Gen. John b. Hood
On February q, 1865, Gen. Johnston was or
dered by Gen. Lee, then commander in chief
of all the armies of the confederate states, to
assume command of the army of Tennessee
and all troops in Florida, South Carolina and
Georgia, "to concentrate all available forces
and drive back Sherman" The available
forces were 5000 men of the army of the Ten
nessee near Charlotte. S. C., and 1l.0)0 scat
tered from Charleston through South Caro-
lima Sherman had 10000 men. An inspection
of the railroad depOts in North Carolina
showed that there were then collected In
them about five months provisions for 60. 900
men; but these Johnston was ordered not to
touch, as they were for the use of Lees
army.
Cen Johnston urged Lee to withdraw from
Richmond, unite with him and bea, Sherman
before Grant could join him, but Lee replied
that it was impossible for him to leave Vir-
ginia Collecting such troops as could be
ho oil
man, and March 1921 attacked the head of
his column at Bentonville and captured four
pieces of artillery and 900 prisoners. Then
he retired to Raleigh and thence to Green's
boro. In the meantime Richmond had been
evacuated, and April Lee surrendered the
army of northern Virginia to Grant
Johnston thereupon assumed the response
bility of advising Mr Davis that the war be-
ing decided against them it was their duty
to end it. Mr.. Davis agreed that he should
make terms with Sherman, and on April IS,
1865 Johnston and Sherman entered into a
military convention, by which it was stipu-
lated that the confederate armies should
be disbanded and conducted to their state
capitals TO deposit their arms and public
property in the state arsenals, the soldiers
to execute an agreement to abstain from
acts of war and to abide the action Of the
state an national authorities; that the sew
eral state governments should be recognized
by the executive OF the United stats upon
their officers and legislatures taking the
oath prescribed by the constitution Of the
United States; the people and inhabitants of
the sta. es to be guaranteed all their rights
under the federal and state constitutional
general amnesty for all acts in the late war:
war to cease and peace to be restored. This
agreement was rel cted by the national sd
ministration and April % Gems. Johnston
and Sherman signed another, surrendering
the confederate army on the terms Of agree
ment between Grant and Lee.