The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1891-03-25
WEDNESDAY, March 2s, loyI
GEs. JOSEPH L. JOHNSTON.

In the death of Gen. j. E.
johnson, a most prominent mil
itary chieftain has been remov-
ed from thu gaze of men.
Throughout the entire period of
the recent unhappy Civil War,
he was one of the most promi-
nent generals of the Confed-
eracy.
His military abilities were
conspicuously shown in 1861, by
withdrawing the whole army of
the Shenandoah from the inn
mediate front of Patterson's
army, transferring it by forced
marches to Manassas reinforced
Beuregard's Army of the Poto-
mac, and won the battle of
First Manassas. After this he
was the Commander of the
whole army till the battle of
Seven Pines, 31st May 1862,
when he was severely wounded
by a she'll and succeeded by
Gen. Lee.
His Atlanta campaign has
been the subject of much criti-
cism, both favorable and unfav-
orable. The naked facts in the
case are a full and sufficient
vindication of his course. At
the commencement of the
Georgia campaign, in round
numbers, Johnston had 10000
men all told while Sherman had
100000. Both armies were COM
posed of veterans. Johnston
saw that but one course was
open to him; to gather his army
on the front of Sherman, and
take advantage of any error his
able antagonist might make.
But Sherman gave him no such
chance. AS soon as Johnston
was removed from the command,
Hood his successor, engaged in
those battles around Atlanta
which resulted in the ruin of
his army and the immediate
fall Of Atlanta. Then came the
wildesto of wild goose campaigns,
Hoods march to Nashville,
Tenn, and the almost annihila-
ton of his army. This cam
paign of Hoods to Tennessee
left no army on Sherman's front
and Sherman's "Grand March
to the Sea" was simple per-
Torrance which any intelligent
sergeant could do.
Grant had been raised to the
supreme command Of all the
Federal armies. In the last
graspsof the dying c odfederacy,
Lee has been raised to the su.
preme command of all the Con.
federate armies in the vain hope
that his imperial genius could
wrench victory from despair
and defeat. Lee Immediately
demanded Of President Davis
that Johnston should be ASSIGN.
ed to the command of the scat.
tered fragments Of what had
once been armies. Though con.
stantly on the march, he organ.
lied these remnants into a com.
pact army, and dealt telling but
useless blows on the oyermas.
tering battalions Of Sherman.
But nothing could avert the
coming disaster, no arms could
prop the tattering fabric Of
the Confederacy. Appomattox
found its necessary sequel at
Benefits house near Durham.
Since the close Of the war,
Gen. Johnston has commanded
the respect Of both sides in the
late civil war. Side by side
with Sherman, his great anita
gonist, he helped as a pall.bearer
TO carry Grant to his grave; he
unveiled the bronze equestrian
statue Of Lee at Richmond, Va. ,
and as pall-bearer, almost as Of
yesterday, he helped to carry
Sherman to his last resting
place.
Gen. johnson was kind heart.
ed, humane man, and greatly
beloved by his soldiers. Like
Grant and Lee, and his own
great antagonist, Sherman, he
was plain and simple in his
habits and kindly disposed to
his soldiers.
The veterans on both sides
are rapidly MASKING AWAY.