The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-03-26

-une IS, 1860. On April 20, 1861,
his position was
RESIGNED 10 ENTER THE CONFEDERATE |
SERVICE
Il which service he was commissioned |
major general of volunteers, and with
General X. f. Lee organized the vol
lnteers which were pouring into Rlch-
nond. He was appointed by the
at Montgomery one OF
the four brigadier-generals then COM
nissioned, and was assigned to duty
at Harper's Ferry. Upon the ap-
proach of the Northern army, under
General Patterson, General Johnston
withdrew to Winchester. When Beau
regard was attacked at Manassas by
Johnston went to his as
sistance, and assumed command OF the
Joint forces and the direction OF the
battle. In'the spring OF '62 Johnston
to the Rappahannock, whence
he removed to meet Mcclellan S
advance. Owing to
wound received OF Seven Pines on May
II, 1862, he was incapacitated tor
duty until the following autumn.
COMMISSIONED GENERAL.
On May 16, 1861, Brigadier Cen
erals Johnston, Cooper and Lee were
created Generals in the order named.
On August 81, 1861, the appointment
Of five full generals, as authorized by
act of Congress of the Confederate
States, was made, Johnston being one
of the appolntees. 1t is claimed that
in allowing various other generals to
outrank Johnston in this appointment,
by priority of commissions, 1t was IN
direct contradiction of the &C: OF Con-
gress, which stated that when officers
resigned from the United States army,
the rank of such officer in the Conted-
crate service should be determined by
their former commissions in the United
States army. The rank thus establish
ed by law should have been: J. f.
Johnston, brigadier- general; Samuel
Cooper, colonel; A. S. Johnston, col
onel; Robert f. Lee, lieutenant-col-
onel, ?. G. T. Beauregard, captain.
The protest made by General John
ston in regard to what was thus claim
ed as illegal action, led to continued
unpleasantness between himself and
President Davis. On March "a, 1S6 8,
he was appointed to the command IN
the army of the Southwest. He next
assumed command of the troops OF
Mississippi, and endeavored to save
Vicksburg, which he possibly would
have done had General Pemberton
carried out his orders. As it was
Grant captured the city.
ARMY OF TENNESSEE.
In December, 1868, he was trans
ferred to the command of the Army
of Tennessee, and participated in this
memorable campaign against the late
VIM. Tecumseh Sherman, in which,
while overwhelmed by numbers, he
displayed considerable genius in his
mastery retreat. The authorities at
Richmond, however, being dissatisfied
with his movements, relieved him OF
the command and turned it over to
General John B. Hood. General
Johnston was placed in command OF
the Army of Tennessee by General Lee
on February %, 1865, with instruc
tons to gather all the forces in South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and to
drive back Sherman. Collecting what
provisions and men he could get, Cen
eral Johnston on March II, attacked
the head of the advancing column at
Bentonville, and captured four pieces
of artillery and 900 prisoners, but was
forced to retreat to Raleigh and
thence to Greensboro.
THE SURRENDER.
In the mean time Richmond had
been evacuated, and on the 9th of
April the Army of Northern Virginia
surrendered at Appomattox. John
ston and Sherman entered into mil
itary convention, the terms of which
were rejected by the Federal Govern
ment. Another agreement was signed
by the two generals on April 26th,
surrendering the Confederate army on
the same terms agreed upon between
Generals Lee and Grant.
AFTER THE WAR.
After the war General Johnston had
served in various capacities, as a rail-
way president in Arkansas, president
of the National Express Company in
Virginia. general insurance agent in
Savannah, Ca, Congressman from the
Richmond district of Virginia, and
upon the election of Cleveland as
President he was appointed Commits
sioner of Railways of the United
States, which position he resigned upon
the return of the Republican party to
power.
The General, early in life, married
Lydia Mclean, who died in 1886,
without issue.
General Johnston ! was wounded
ten times during his services in the
Indian wars, the Mexican and the
civil wars. He has published "Nar-
rative of Military Operations Directed
During the Late War Between the
States"
Il, n,,r i,.othar OF tn, Mnrr,hu Ri