Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-03-27
DEATH OF GEN, los. e. JOHNSTON.

Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, the last but one
Gen. Beauregard- the five full generals of
the Confederate Army, died in Washington
on Saturday night last about midnight, in his
Eighty Fourth year. His health had been
failing for some months and his attendance
at Gen. Sherman's funeral a few weeks since
brought on an attack of pneumonia which
greatly enfeebled him. The immediate cause
of his death was fatty degeneration of the
heart Gen. Johnston was born at Cherry
Grove, near Farmville, Prince Edward coull-
ty, Va, in 1907, and was graduated from West
Point in 1925 in the same class with General
Robert E. Lee. He was appointed second
lieutenant of the Fourth Artillery and first
saw active service in the field in 1928 in the
Black Hawk Indian war. In one of
the engagements in that war, his uniform
was perforated by thirty bullets and was long
preserved as a curiosity At the same time
its wearer was shot in the head and taken off
the field. He was promoted in 1886, and was
staff in the Seminole war. He participated in
all the important battles connected with
General SCOTS campaign in Mexico, from the
taking of Vera Cruz to the capture of the City
of Mexico. He was thrice brevetted for gal
lantry during this war, and in 1913 was mus
tered cut of the service as lleutenant-cOlo-
mel Of volunteers, only to be reinstated by
Congress with his original rank of Captain of
Typographical Engineers. He was commits
stoned Quartemaster-General of the United
States army in June, 1860. but resigned the
following April to enter the Confederate SER
vice, in which, as Ma ior General of volun-
teers he assisted General Lee in the work of
organizing the men who were pouring into
Richmond. Subsequently he was commits
stoned Brigadier General in the regular Con-
federate service and was placed in command
of Harper's Ferry. He joined forces with
Beauregard at Bull Run and remained in COM
ma nd Of bn la tod trnOuc upti1
| the battle of Seven Pines he was wounded and
| incapacitated for duty for about six months
| On May Is, 1861 Brigadier Generals John
| ston, Cooper and Lee were created Generals
| in the order named On August ST. 1861, the
| appointment of tivefull generals, as author
| lied by act OF Congress of the Confederate
States was made, Johnston being one of the
appointees. 1t is claimed that in allowing
| three other generals to Outrank Johnston
| in this appointment, by priority of commits
sions, it was i'll direct Contradiction of the act
of Congress, which stated that when officers
resigned from the United States army the
rank of such officers in the Confederate service
should be determined by their former COM
missions in the United States army. The rank
| thus established by law should have been: j.
E. Johnston, brigadier general; Samuel Coop
er, colonel; A. S. Johnston, colonel; Robert
E. Lee, Northumberland, and F. Il. Z.
Beauregard captain. The protest made by
General Johnston in regard to what was thus
claimed as illegal action, led to continued
unpleasantness between himself and Presi-
dent Davis.
In March, 1868, after recovering from his
Seven Pines wound, Gen. Johnston was as
signed by President Davis to the command of
the army in the Southwest, and he employed
the winter Of 1868 to reorganize his command,
which had become demoralized by defeat at
Missionary Ridge, He was relieved of this
command in July, 1864, by order of the all-
thorities at Richmond. General Hood succeed
ing him. He next assumed command of the
| ,o97
save Vicksburg, which he possibly could have
done had General Pemberton carried out his
orders. AS it was Grant captured the city.
Early Ill 1865 General Lee again assigned
him to the command, from which he had been
relieved and ordered him to drive back Sher-
man. General Johnston urged Lee to aban-
don Richmond. join forces with him and fight
Sherman 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 decisive engage
ment, hung on Sherman's flank annoying
the latter and impeding his march from At
lanta towards Richmond as much as possible.
Lee surrendered at AppomattoX and Johnston
obtaining the consent of President Jefferson
| Davis that the war should not be further pro-
longed, entered into negotiations with Sher-
man. The first agreement framed was diSap-
proved by the Federal Government, and on
April 10th, the second agreement was con-
cluded.
General Johnston after the war became sue
cessively president Of railroad company in
Arkansas, of an express company i'll Virginia
and an insurance agent IN Georgia He was
elected to Congress from the Richmond Dis
| tlict in 1877, and next saw public life as Com
missioner of Railroads, which Office he held
under President Cleveland's administration
He had lived in Washington since he lost his
Office under the president administration. In
person General Johnston was man of strong
| build of not more than medium height and
with kindly, pleasant face. He was unob-
strusive in manner and invariably courteous
to all persons with whom he was brought in
contact.
Gen Johnston's funeral took place from
st. Johns Protestant Episcopal Church in
Washington city Oh Tuesday, and his remains
were taken to Baltimore and hurried in Green
mount cemetery by those of his wife. There
troops by Gov. Mckinney as an escort, was
Senators Morgan. of Alabama, and Daniel, OF
Virginia. j. l.. NJ. Curry, Minister to Spain
under Cleveland; Gen. John Il. Parke U. S.
army; Gems. Chas. w. Field and Harry Heth
Rear Admirals Rodgers and Temple, U. S.
navy; Gems. Ii. G. Wright and Ben amin w.
Brice Colonel Archer Anderson, who was
on Gen. ,JohnstOns staff Col. Edwin G. Har-
vey, J. g. Bancroft Davis, reporter of the
Supreme Court, and Gen. James Watmough.
The active pall-bearerS were all residents of
of Washington, who served under General
Johnston during the late war. Gov. McKin-
ney of Va, Mayor Ellyson of Richmond and
other prominent Eirginians attended the FIJI.
neral. Minute guns were fired at Richmond
| all the morning.