Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-03-27
DEA TX OF GkM .IOHNSTON.

Gen. Joseph L. Johnston, last of the grea
Confederate chieftians, who with his sword
fastened his own biography to the history
of his country, has answered the roll cal
across "the great divide"
1t is somewhat notable that Sherman an6
Johnston both died within the period thai
single moon had waxed and waned They
had been opposing commanders in one o.
the most brilliant and desperate campaigns
Of the war in themarch from Chattanooga
to Atlanta, and that campaign is now re
garded by military critics at home and
abroad as the one that displayed the high.
est degree of military skill on both sides
1t was the one prolonged campaign thai
called for the most accomplished strategy
and the opposing commanders are freely
accorded in history the rare accomplish
ment of committing no blunder.
Of all the great generals of both sides
who commanded great armies, Gen. John.
ston was the Oldest in years, and yet the last
to fall in the race. He had passed the un.
common landmark of four score years and
with his faculties unabated. He was a pail.
bearer at the funerals of both Grant and
Sherman, and was their close personal friend
He had commanded Southern armies in
every section east of the Mississippi where
great army movements were made He
met the Army of the Potomac under Nc.
Dowell at the first battle of Bull Run, he
met the same army under Mcclellan on the
Peninsula, and Lee came into the command
only by the serious wound Johnston there
suffered. He next confronted Grant and
Sherman in the rear Of Vicksburg, and fol
lowed with the memorable campaign from
Chattanooga to Atlanta. When Sherman
appeared before Atlanta, Johnston was re.
moved from the command OF his army by
President Davis, who visited the army in
person, relieved Johnston and assigned
Hood to the command with instructions 10
take the offensive and force Sherman to
raise the siege. Hood obeyed President
Davis, but his attack was a serious defeat.
When Sherman had completed his march
from Atlanta TO the sea, and turned his steps
toward the North from Savannah, he again
met Johnston, who had been called into re-
sponsible command by the urgent necessi
ties of the Coniederacy There was nc
general engagement between the opposing
armies because Johnston was not strong
enough TO risk battle, but his compare
lively small and despairing army was han
died with consummate skill, with repeate
and severe conflicts between detached com.
mands, until the end came near Raleigh by
Johnston following Lee in the surrender Of
his entire forces.
All the great heroes of the war have
"crossed the river and sleep in the City oI
the Silent" Beauregard is alone among the
living OF those who commanded Southern
army in great battle, and he commanded
at Bull Run in 1861 only until Johnston
reached the field, and he succeeded to the
command at Shiloh only after the fall OF
Albert Sidney Johnston. Lee and John
ston, who led the Army of Northern Vir
ginia, and Scott, Mcdowell, Mcclellan
burnside, Hooker, Meade and Grant, who
commanded the Army OF the Potomac, all
sleep the dreamless sleep of the dead.
One by one the links in the long chain OF
heroic actors who stood in the van OF one
Of the most gigantic civil convusions that
ever shocked the civilized world OF startled
mankind have been broken and laid to rest
but their heroism will be remembered like
Grecian and Roman story of valor and
while freedom shall have worshipers."