The farmers' union., 1891-03-26
TO THE SILENT TOMB,
A GREAT GENERAL LOSES HIS
LAST BATTLE

| General Joseph f. Johnston, of Confeder-
ate Fame. Dies Peacefully at His Home
in Washington Reached Ripe Old
Age-Sketch of His Life.
General Joseph +. Johnston died at
his residence on Connecticut avenue,
Washington. The General had been
suffering for three weeks with an afTcc-
tion OF the heart, aggravated by 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 anc,
| of Maryland. his brother in law, and IT,"
nurse. The immediate eau of his death
was heart failure, the result of dcgcnera-
| ton of the heart, due in Il measure to n
cold contracted some weeks ago, but
more particularly due to extreme Old
| age. At times for about two years Gen
cral Johnston had shown unmistakablc
signs of a general breaking down. His
mind often became Dcwildered 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 state of
perspiration, which greatly aggravated
| the slight cold with which he was then
suffering. This brought on Il severe at
tack of his old heart trouble, which com
| pletcly Frustrated him. His physician,
DR.. Lincoln, succeeded, however with
| much difficulty. in arresting the disease
| for a time, and for a day or two he
seemed to be really improving. One day,
| however, he went down stairs witiout
| assistance, as he had done lcfore but it
| proved too much for his strength. and
only with the aid Of Coy. McLane could
| h" again reach h'S bed. or even li,c
! from the sofa where he was sit
| ting From that time he continued
| to grow worse. DR. 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 Me-
| Lane entered the room. and as he ap-
preached the Generals bedside he heard
| an almost inaudible sigh, and the Gen
eral was dead. Gen. .IohnSton'S nearest
| living relative is a sister Mrs. Mitchali,
! who lives in Washington The funeral
| services We're held in Washington. and
| the lntcimrnt in Grrenmount Cemetery.
Baltimore
| General Johnston was the Ias: save Gen
cral Reaurcgard. of the six full Generals of
| the tonf"dtracy. He was born at Cherry
! Grove. Va. III 1>0,, and was graduated
| from West Point in lsao, in the same elias,
| with 'ien. Ro,~ F. Lee. He was appointed
| second lieut., eint Of the Fourth Artillery.
| and first active service in the field in
! lN:i". in the Black Hawk Indian eNfciit ION
| He was promoted in 1s:6. and was an aid
| de-ramp ON Gen. Winfield SCOTS >taf in
the Seminole war. He participated in all
| the important battles connected with Gem
| cral SCOTS campaign in MEXICO, from the
| taking OF Vera Cruz to the "a p1ure of the
! city of Mexico. He was thrice i,reyetted
| for gallantry during this war and in 1>4s
| was mustered out If the service "A. :.
lieutenant colonel of volunteers, only to be
| rcinStatcd by Congress with his orig
| inal rank of captain of topo-ra phicaI engi-
| ncer>. He was commits sioeu Guartcrm:is,.r
| general of the United States army in june.
| LOO. but resigned the following April tn en-
| ter the Confederate service, in which. i> :,
| major general of volunteers. he assist ed
| & neral Lee the work Of organizing the
| men who were pouring into Richmond
| subsequently he was commissioned Il hriga =
! dlcr general in the Confederate service. and
| was placed in command at Harper's Ferry.
| He Joined forces with Beaurcgard. and re-
| maned in command of the ronsoiida,e,i
| Pines he was wounded and incapacitatcd
| for about six months. His next service was
| rs commander of the Army of the Ttnnc =
see. He employed the winter of 1854
to reorGanize his command. which had
| be; ONE dcmoralizcd hy the defeat at
| Missionary Ridge. He was relieved
| of this command in July. 1874 h?
order of the authorities at Richmond. Gen
| cral Hood succeeding him. Early in 1868
General Lee again assigned him to the COM
mand from which he had been relieved. and
ordered him to drive back sherman G,n-
| Pral Johnston urged Lee to abandon Rich
! inond. join forces with him. and fight >hcr-
man before Grant could come up. but Leo
! replied that it was impossible for him t.
I leave Virginia. as his force was small. Gen
| efni Johnston. declining a decisive engage
ment. hung on Sherman's hankS. annoying
the latter ami impeding his march from
| Atlanta toward Richmond as much n EOS
sible. Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
| and Johnston obtaining the consent al
| President jefferson Davis that the wal
| should not be further prolonged. entered in
| to negotiations with Sherman. The first
| agreement framed was disapproved by
! the Federal Government. and on Apr
| 26 second agreement was concluded
| General Johnston. after the war; became
| succeS>ively President of railroad COM
| pany in Arkansas of an express c,mpany
| in Virginia. and Insurance agent II
| Georgia. lie was elected To Congress from
! the Richmond district in 1877. aud next S:iw
| 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 man of siende
| build. Of not more than medium height. ant
| with q kindly, pleasant face. He was un-
| obtrusive in manner and invariably rourte-
| ouS to all persons with whom he wa:
| brought in contact.