Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-04-02
TO THE SILENT TOMB.


General Joseph Nc. Johnston. Of confsdsr-
ate Fame, Dies Psacefuliy at His Home
In washington-Ho Reached = Ripe Old
Ags-skesch OF His Life.
General Joseph e. Johnston died at
his residence on Connections avenue,
Washington. The General had been
suffering for three weeks with an affec-
ton Of the heart, aggravated by a cold
he caught soon after General Sherman's
funeral In New York. His physician had
been trying to keep his strength up for
some days, but his advanced age had
given little hope for his recovery from
the beginning of his Illness
The General did not seem to suffer IN
the least, and was conscious to the last.
At his bedside were Ex-Governor Mel ane,
of Maryland, his brother-in-lav, and tho
nurse. The immediate cause Of his death
was heart failure, the result of degenera-
tion OF the heart, due In measure to
cold contracted some weeks ago, but
more particularly due to extreme old
age. At times for about two years GEN
eral Johnston had shown unmistakable
signs OF general breaking down. His
mind often became bewildered so that
he could not tell where he was or how
came there. Some days after the
Sherman funeral, the General one night
got up out OF his bed while in a state of
perspiratlon, which greatly aggravated
the slight cold with which he was then
suffering. This brought on a severe at
tack Of his old heart trouble, which COM
pletely Frustrated him. His physician,
DIR. Lincoln, succeeded, however, with
much difficulty, In arresting the disease
| for time, and for day or two he
seemed to be really improving. One day,
however, he went down stairs without
| assistance, as he had done before, but it
| proved too much for his strength, and
only with the aid OF Gov. McLane could
he again reach his bed, or even Use
| from the ssofa where he was sit
ting. From that time he continued
to grow worse. DIR. Lincoln found
him perfectly comfortable and APP
parently little better; while his friends
and attendants knew that he might pass
away at any time, yet they had no warn
Ing that the end was so near. Gov Nc
Lane entered the room, and as he APP
| preached the Generals bedside he heard
an almost inaudible sigh, and the Gen
eral was dead. Gen. Johnston's nearest
living relative is sister, Mrs. Mitchall,
| who lives In Washington The funeral
services were held In Washington, and
the interment In Greenmount Cemetery,
| Baltimore
| General Johnston was the last, save Cen
| eral Beauregard, of the six full Generals of
the Confederacy. He was born at Cherry
| Grove, Va, In 1907, and wa graduated
from West Point in 1929. In the same class
with Gen. Robert f. Lee He was appointed
| second lieutenant of the Fourth Artillery,
and first saw active service in the field In
| 1892, in the Black Hawk Indian expedition.
| He was promoted in 1885, and was an aid
| de- - L..
the Seminole war. He participated in all
the important battles connected with Gem
| eral Scotts campaign In Mexico, from the
| taking OF Vera Cruz to the capture of the
City OF Mexico. He was thrice brevetted
/ for gallantry during this war, and In 1913
was mustered out Of the service as
| Lieutenant colonel OF volunteers, only TO be-
| reinstated by Congress with his orig
inal rank of captain of typographical engi-
/ neers. He was commissioed Quartermaster
| general OF the United States army In June,
| 1850. but resigned the following April to en-
| ter the Confederate service. In which, as a
major general of volunteers, he assisted
| e neral Lee In the work of organizing the
men who were pouring into Richmond.
| subsequently he was commissioned briga-
| der general In the Confederate service, and
| was placed In command at Harper's Ferry.
| lie Joined forces with Beauregard and re-
| mained In command of the consolidated
| troops until 1863. At the battle of Seven
Pines he was wounded and incapacitated
| for about six months. His next service was
as commander of the Army of the Tennes-
see. He employed the winter of 1863
| to reorganize his command, which had
become dcmoralized by the defeat at
Missionary Ridge. He was relieved
| of this command In July, 1864, by
| order OF the authorities at Richmond. Gem
| eral Hood succeeding him. Early In 1858
| General Lee again assigned him to the COM
mand from which he had been relieved, and
| ordered him to drive back Sherman Cen
| eral Johnston urged Lee to abandon Rich
mond, join forces with him, and fight Sher-
man before Grant could come up, but Lee
| replied that It was impossible for him TO
! leave Virginia, as his force was small. GEN.
eral Johnston. declining a decisive engage
ment. hung on Sherman's tanks. annoying
| the latter and impeding his march from
| Atlanta toward Richmond as much as EOS
| siDle. Lee surrendered at Appomattox,
and Johnston obtaining the consent Of
President Jefferson Davis that the war
should not be further prolonged, entered in
to negotiations with Sherman. The first
agreement framed was disapproved by
the Federal Government, and on April
| 20 a second agreement was concluded
General Johnston, after the war, became
successfully President of n railroad COM
pany In Arkansas, OF an express company
in Virginia, and an insurance agent In
Georgia. He was elected TO Congress from
the Richmond district In 1877, and next saw
public life as Commissioner of Railroads,
which Office he held under President Cleve-
lands administration. He had lived in
| Washington since he lost his Office under
the present administration. In person
| General Johnston was a man of slender
build, of not more than medium height, and
with a kindly, pleasant face He was un-
obtrusive In manner and invariably courte-
Gus to all persons with whom he was
brought In contact.