The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25
BUT ONE OF THEM LEFT.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Dies at Washington.
His End Had Long Been
Expected by Friends.
Beauregard the Only One Of
the Six Southern Generals.
The Story OF His Career in War
and in Peace.
Personality OF the Man---The Cause
of Death.

WASHINGTON, March 21.-Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston died shortly after ii o'clock
tonight, at his residence on Connecticut
ave. The general has been suffering for
the past three weeks with an affection of
the heart aggravated by cold he caught
soon after Gen. Sherman's funeral in New
York. His physician has been trying to
keep his strength up for some days. but
his advanced age has 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 McLane
of Maryland, the generals brother-in-
law and the nurse The immediate
cause of death was heart failure,
the result Of degeneration of the heart, due
in a measure to cold contracted some
weeks ago, but more particularly due to
extreme old age. At times for about two
years Gen. Johnson has shown
unmistakable signs of a general
breaking down. His mind often
became bewildered so that be could not
Some DAYS after the Sherman funeral the
while in a state of profuse perspi-
ration, which greatly aggravated the
sight cold with which he was
then suffering. This brought on severe
attack of his old heart trouble which COM
pletely Frustrated him. His physic an,
DIR. Lincoln, succeeded, however, with
much difficulty in arrestng the
disease for time. and for a
day two prior to week ago
Yesterday he seemed to be really improv-
ing. On that day, however, he went
down stairs without assistance, as he had
done before, but it proved too much for
his strength, and only with the aid OF
Governor McLain could he again reach his
bed or even rise from the sofa, where he
was sitting. From that time he continued
to grow worse until about 6 o'clock this
evening when DR.. Lincoln found him per-
fectly comfortable and apparently little
better, while his friends and at
PENDANTS knew that he might
pass away at any time, yet they had
had no warning that the end was no near.
Governor McLain entered the room at a
little after II o'clock and as he approached
the generals bedside he heard an almost
inaudible sigh and the general was dead.
Gen. Johnston's nearest living relative
is a sister to Mrs. Mitchell who lives in
this city. The funeral services will be
held in this city. although the day has not
yet b. \ fix d upon. The interment will
be made in Green Mount cemetery in
Baltimore.
Gen. Johnston was the last, save Gen.
Beauregard, of the six full generals of the
confederacy. He was born at Cherry
Grove, Va, in 1897 and was graduated
from West Point in 1929 in the same class
with Gen. Robert Z. Lee. He was sp-
pointed second lieutenant of the Fourth
artillery and first saw active service in the
field in 1882 10 the Black Hawk
Indian expedition. He was pro-
NOTED in 1886 and was an aide
de-camp on Gen. Winfield Scott's staff in
the Seminole war. lie participated in all
the important battles connected with
Gen. SCOTS campaign in Mexico, from
the taking OF Vera Cruz to the capture of
the City of Mexico. He was thrice brevet-
ted for gallantry during this war, and in
1878 was mustered out of the service as a
Northumberland of volunteers, only to
be reinstated by congress with his original
rank of captain OF typographical en-
gineers.
He was commissioned quartermaster-
general of the U. s. army in June, 1860,
but resigned the following April to enter
the confederate service, in which. as a
maior-general of the volunteers, he as
sisted Gen. Lee in the work OF organizing
the men who were pouring into Rich
mond. Subsequently he was COM
missioned brigadier general in
the regular confederate service
and was placed in command of
Harper's Ferry He joined forces with
Beauregard and remained in command of
the consolidated troops until 1862. At
the bait of Seven Pines he was wounded
ana incapacitated for duty for about six
months. HIS next service was as COM
mander of the army of the Tennessee, and
employed the winter of 1868 In reorganiz-
ing his command, which had become de-
moraliZed by the defeat at Missionary
Ridge He was relieved of this command
in July, 1864, by order of the authorities at
Richmond. Gen. Hood succeeded him.
Early in 1865 Gen. Lee again assigned
him to the command from which he had
been relieved and ordered him to drive
back Sherman. Gen. johnson urged Lee
to abandon 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. Johnson. declining decisi e
engagement hung on Sherman's TANKS,
annoying the latter and impeding his
march from Atlanta toward 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 prolonged,
entered into negotiations with Sherman.
The first agreement framed was disap-
proved by the federal government, and
on April % second agreement was con-
uded. Gen. Johnston after the war be-
came successfully president OF a rail
read company in Arkansas, OF an
express company in Virginia.. aud
an insurance agent in Georgia. He was
elected to congress from the Richmond
district in 1877 and next saw public life
as commissioner of railroads, which Office
he held under President Cleveland's adj
ministrstion He had lived in this city
since he lost his Office under the present
administration.
Gen. Johnston was buried in Baltimore