Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-26
JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON DEAD,
The Noted Confederate Soldier
Breathes His Last in the City
of Washington.
The Cause of His Death Was an
Affection of the
Heart.
With the Exception of Beau regar
He is the Last of the Great
CGnfederates

lection OF the heart, aggravated Dy cOld
cought soon after Shermans funeral,
His physician has been trying to
build his strength for some
days but his advanced age has
given little hope for recovery from the be-
ginning of the illness General Johnston
was the last, save General Beaurgard, of
the six full generals of the confederacy.
He was born at Cherry Grove, Virginia,
in 1907. He graduated at West Point in
1920 and was appointed End lieutenant OF
fourth artillery, and saw active service In
the Black Hawk Indian expedition. He
was promoted in 1886 to aide-de-camp on
General Scots staff in the Seminole war.
He participated in important battles
connected with SCOTS campaign in
Mexico. Thrice brevetted for
gallantry during this war and in 1913
was mustered out of service as lieutenant
colonel of volunteers to be reinstated by
congress in the army with the rank of
Typographical engineer. He was
commissioned quartermaster general OF
the United States army in June, 1860,
but resigned the following April to enter
the confederate service, in which as major
general of volunteers he assisted General
Lee in organizing the men pouring into
Richmond. His subsequent service
throughout the war is we'll known. After
the war he became successfully president,
of railroad company in Arkansas; of an
express company in Virginia and an in
surance agent in Georgia and was elected
to con gress from the Richmond district
in 1877 and next saw public life as COM
missioner Of railroads during Cleveland
administration.
The general did not seem to suffer II the
least and was conscious to the last. The
immediate cause of the death was heart
failure, the result of degeneration of the
heart, due in measure to a cold. At
times for about two years
General Johnson had shown I'M
mistakable signs of general breaking
down. His mind often became bewildered
SO he could not tell where he was or how
he came there. At the beginning of the
last attack of illness, DR.. Lincoln was
summoned, and succeeded with much diff
cultn in arresting the progress of
his disease for time. Prior to
week ago yesterday the general seemed
to be improving but that day he went
down stairs without assistance over-eXert-
ing himself. Since then he continued to
grow worse, until about six o'clock
this evening the doctor found him per-
fectly comfortable and apparently a little
better. There was no warning that death
was so near. Gov McLane of Maryland
entered the room a little after eleven
o'clock and as he approached the bed
heard an almost inaudibe sign, and Gen.
Johnson was dead The funeral services
will be held in this city, and the interment
in Baltimore.
In the civil war he occupied the most
conspicuous position, next to Lee, on the
confederate side. Upon entering the SER
vice Of the South he was at once appointed
major general. He commanded the force
which occupied Harper's Ferry in May, 81,
and which subsequently, in the vicinity of
Winchester, held in check the Union force
under Gen. Robert Patterson, and which
still later reinforced Gen. Beauregard
in his position about Manas-
sas In the Peninsular cam
paign he commanded the Confederate
army, and at the close of the first days
battle at Fair Oaks MAY 81, 1862 was Sc
vowel, ~,,o,,,IoJ ,,1 woo c,,o,ooJo1 bx-,yo,,
Robert E. Lee. Alter his recovery he was
assigned to the southwestern department
and during the siege of Vicksburg made
several Intellectual attempts to relieve the
city. In 1868 he superseded Genera
Bragg, who was then in command of the
army of Tennessee, but failing to prevent
the invasion of Georgia by the union
forces under General Sherman, he wa
superseded by General j. B. Hood. |:
1865 he was restored to command in tn,
Carolinas to collect and command an ARA,
to oppose the advance of Gen. Sherman
but was defeated at Fayetteville, Benton
vile, ETC., and upon obtaining inteligenc
of the surrender of Lee, entered into COZ
respondence with Gen. Sherman, whic
led to the surrender of his army at Dun
ham Station, n c., April 26, 1865.
Baraboo Municipal Ticket.