The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-03-28
JOSEPH {. JOHNSTON.
Another Of the Conspicuous Figures In the
War Of the Rebellion Passes Away-Gen.
Joseph 4. Johnston. Nearly the Last OF
the Famous Field Generals OF the Lost
Cause. Is No oMore-Biographicai.

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Joseph T. Johnston. Nearly the Last of
the Famous Field Generals OF the Lost
Caue. Is No neutrality-suspicious..
WASHINGTON, March 2S.-Gen. Joseph
:. johnston died shortly after II o'clock
saturday night at his residence on Con-
lecticut avenue. The general had been
suffering for the past three weeks with
IN affection of the heart, aggravated by
l cold which developed soon after Gen.
Sherman's funeral in New York. His
physician tried to keep his strength up
sor some days, but his advanced age
rare little hope for his recovery from
he beginning of his illness.
The general did not seem to suffer in
hI least and was conscious to the last.
VI his bedside were ex-Gov. McLane of
Maryland, the generals brother-in-law,
md the nurse.
The immediate cause of death was
laart failure, the result of degene !ation
# the heart, due in a measure to a cold,
but more particularly due to extreme
Did age. At times for about Two years
len. Johnston has shown unnistaka-
Die signs of a breaking down. His mind
'ften became bewildered, so that he
;ould not tell where he was or how he
,ame there. Some days after the Sher-
mn funeral the general one night got
Up out of his bed while in state of pro-
u'.e perspiratiOn, which greatly aggra-
'a.ed the slight cold with which he was
sh'n suffering. This brought on a Sc
we're attack of his old heart trouble,
which completely Frustrated him.
His physician, DIR. Lincoln, succeeded,
however, with much difficulty in ar
resting the disease for time. and for
day or two he seemed to be improving.
On March IL, 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
Gov. McLane could he again reach his
bed or even rise from the sofa where he
was sitting. From that time he con-
tirued to grow worse until about 8
o'clock Saturday evening, when DIR.
Lincoln found him perfectly comfort
able and apparently a little better.
While his friends and attendants knew
that he might pass away at any time,
vet they had received no warning that
the end was so near.
Gov. McLane entered the room at a
little after IL o'clock, and as he ap-
preached the generals bedside he heard
an almost inaudible sigh and the gen.
eral was dead.
Gen. JOhnston's nearest living rela-
tive is sister, Mrs. Mitchell. who lives
in this city. The funeral services will
be held in this city: Ehe-interment will
be made in Greenmount cemetery, in
Baltimore.
tGen. Johnston was the last, save Gen.
Beaurrgard. of the six field generals Of the
eonfederIcy. He was born at Cherry Grove,
Va. in IsOs. and was graduated from West
Point in 1879. in the same class with Gen.
Robert F. Lee. He was appointed second
lieutenant of the fourth artillery, and
LIS: saw active service in the field in
Is in the Blackhawk Indian e1pedi-
ton He was promoted in IS 6, and was
IN aide -de-camp on Gen. Winfield Scott's
staff in the Seminole war. He participated
N all the important battles connected with
Gen. S"ott's campaigns in Mexico, from the
king Of Vera Cruz to the capture of the
"ty of Mexico. He was thrice breyeted for
,;slan:ry during this war. and In ls4s was
mustered out of the service as lieutenant
'olonel of volunteers, only to be reinstated
by congress with his original rank of captain
nf typographical engineers
He was commissioned quartermastrr- gen.
erI,l of the United States army in June 1870,
but resigned the following April to enter the
service, in which as a major
general of volunteers, he assisted Gen.
Lee in the work of organizing the
men who were pouring into Richmond.
he was commissioned briga-
diCr- general in the regular confederate
service. and was placed in command of Har
per's Ferry. He joined forces with Beaure-
z nd. and remained in command of the con-
sol!dated troops until 1852 At the battle Of
Seven Pines he WAS wounded and incapaci-
tatcd for about six months. His next serv.
Ice was as commander Of the army of the
Tennessee, and he employed the winter Of
1868 to reorganize his command. VIII ch had
become demoraliZed by the defeat Of Mis-
sorary Ridge. He was relieved of this COM
maId in July, 1874, by order of the authori-
ties ut Richmond. Gen. Hood succeeded
him.
Early in 1855 Gen. Lee again assigned him
to tie command from which he had been re-
lievcd and ordered him to drive back Sher-
man Gen. Johnston urged Lee to abandon
Join forces with him and fight
Sherman before Grant could come up, but
Lee replied that IL was impossible for him to
leave Virginia Gen. Johnston, declining a
decisive engagement, hung on Sherman's
fianks. annoying the latter and impeding his
march from Atlanta towards Richmond as
l.Irck as possible. Les surrendered at Apo
mattox and Johnston, obtain ny the consent
Of President J, fferson Davis that the war
should not be further prolonged, entered
into negotiations with Sherman. The first
agreement framed WIS disapproved by the
federal government and ON April rs a second
agreement was concluded.
Gen Johns after the war became sue
co-sively president of a railroad company in
Arkansas, of an express company In Nir-
ginia, and an insurance agent In Georgia
lie WAS elected to congress from the Rich
mond district in 1877 and next saw public life
as commissioner of railroads, which Office
he held under President Cleveland's admin
istratIon. He had lived in this city since he
lost hi. Office under the present administra-
tion.
In person Gen. johnson was n man Of slen-
Ter build, of not more than medium height
md with kindly, pleasant face. He was
In manner and invariably cour-
teous to all persons with whom he was
brought in contact.