Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-26

Johnston was shot through the hip and
fell as if dead. But he at once raised
himself on his elbow, and said:
Gentlemen, had no grieveance
against Gen. Huston whatever, and ]
call upon you all to bear witness that
this meeting has been conducted ac-
cording to the laws of honor.n
Gen. Johnston was then lifted up
tenderly by Col. Moorehouse and DIR.
Reed and borne from the field, and,
although he suffered great deal physi-
cally, it was nothing compared to the
remorse that Huston carried with him
to his death bed, for there was nc
earthly cause for the challenge, as John
ston hadsdone him no wrong. Further,
the challenged man might have chosen
rifles, and was strongly urged to do so
by Col. Moorehouse, but declined be-
cause he was an expert shot with such
weapon.
In speaking of the duel some time
afterwards, Huston said to Gen. John
H. King, who commanded the Regulars
in the Atlanta campaign, and who lately
died in Washington of pneumonia:
"There are two kinds OF towards in
this world-the brave coward is one OF
them. In our duel in 1886, Albert Sid
ney Johnston was one, and so was /.
l knew he had put upon me no wrong,
and that out of respect for me he had
assumed command of the army with re-
luctance. l had no more right to chal-
lenge him to mortal combat than have
to challenge you. 1t was a shameful
piece of business, and / wouldn't do it
again under any circumstances. / was
l. 10 TO- l. ..1 &
l may coin the name. And so was John
ston, in accepting my challenge. l have
reproached myself many times for my
attitude. invited the general to sup
per, treated him cordially, and in half
an hour afterward challenged him to
mortal combat. And he not only ac-
cepted it, but named 6 O'Clock the fol-
lowing morning as the hour of meet
ing and selected pistols instead of guns.
Why, when l reflect upon the circum-
stance, hate myself, for the general
was an expert with rifle, but didn't
know dueling pistol from a sailors
knot. owned the only dueling pistols
in camp, and could hit the ace of dia-
monds at dueling distance at the drop of
a handkerchief. And l kept setting him
up until I hit him. Why. that one act
blackened all the good ones of my life.
But couldn't challenge congress; and
President Houston, although duelist,
was too far above me in rank. Well,
thank God, | didn't kill him. And,
mark my word: Lieutenant King, some
day, if occasion requires it, Albert
Sydney Johnston will display gallant
ry that may possibly carry him to his
grave"
The writer once met Albert Sydney
Johnston in Utah, nearly thirty-fve
years ago, and was greatly fascinated
with him. He looked every inch sol
dier. He stood at least feet inches,
was massive in proportion, but possessed
no superfuity OF flesh. AS he remem-
bers him there was the most perfect
symmetry in his physique and in his
face and manner there was combina-
ton of elegance, serenity, dignity and
benignity that made him at once au-
gust, winning and heroic. He was
killed at Shiloh at II 80 O'Clock on Sun
day, April 6, 1862, while seated on
magnificent gray horse, in full uniform,
leading his army through as dreadful
carnage as has ever been seen on
any field Of battle. The historian of
the future will pay him no small tri-
butte. His whole career will be chron-
icled by unimpassioned writers after
the turbulent and prejudiced ones are
gone and, probably, no character upon
either our own or the confederate side
will stand out more luminous, chival-
Gus or sublime than that of General AL
bert Sydney Johnston.
Last July | was guest at the house
OF his son, Hancock Johnston, who owns
a beautiful ranch near San Jacinto, San
Diego county, California. Hancock
Johnston is about As years old. and has
thousands of fine horses, sheep and
goats, while his "cattle feed upon
thousand hills. He has lovely wife
and a number OF handsome grown-up
children. His latchstring is always
out, and he has happy way OF making
one feel, while partaking of his hospital
ity, that he is monarch of all he sur
v4ys. Mr.. Johnston has mountains of
game and forests of song birds and
streamlets of fish all around him, and
blue skies above $50 out of 365 days of
the year.
| have known him intimately twenty
four years, and l cannot resist saying
that he has one of the prettiest places
on the face Of the earth, and that, happy
as he is with his family and general sur
roundings, he is never so happy as when
there are guests in his house. Fruits
and vegetables grow the year round.
Probably there is no night that the win
dows and doors are not all open; and
there are servants, and Jerseys, and
horses, and peacocks, and turkeys, and
good cheer at all times; and when say
that Mrs. Johnston, who was Miss
Eaton of Virginia, can take Winches-
ter and shoot butterfly on the wing, 1
do not exaggerate in the least. Indeed,
there are great many ladies in South
ern California who can converse with
you in Spanish and French, and who
also kill Quail or deer from m the tor M of
a amoving coach and whip out fifty pounds
of trout in half day.