Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-03-27
DEATH OF GEN. JOE JOHNSTON.
LAST OF THE GREAT CONFED-
ERATE LEADERS.
Died Respected Alike by North and
South.

EX-COnfederstc General Joseph + John.
ston died at his home In Washington, II. e..
at near midnight Of the 2lst inst, after al
| illness Of about three weeks, aged 50 years
| He was born in LongwO Od. near FaTmyile,
Va, and was the son OF Peter Johnston. a
| urist Of Prince Edward county, that state.
lie was Of Scotch descent, his grandfather
coming from Scotland 10 this country in
l12I aud settling ON the James river.
Early in life Joseph was sent 10 the L. 6.
Military Academy, where he graduated In
lSs in the same class with Robert +. Lee,
aud was commissioned second lieutenant in
the ith artillery lie served mostly on gar
risOn duty from that time TIL 1856
He was made first lieutenant Of the 4th
artillery July 81, 1896, and in the Seminole
war he was on the stat Of Gen. Winfield
Scott as an aid.
lie resigned his commission in 1887 to be-.
come q civil engineer, but the following
wear rC-entcrcd the army aS first Lieutenant
Of typographical engineers, and was breyet-
ted captain for gallautry during the war
with the Florida Indians. After this
he served several years in the topo-
graphical bureau and in the govern
ment coast survey. During tho Mexican
war he has in all the important actions rs
captain OF the typographical engineers under
Gen. Scott, and was twice wounded. In
this campaign he was successfully brcN cited
NS major, Northumberland and CO'Onel. As
lieutenant cOlOnel he was in charge 1t a regi.
mcnt of vOltigeurs. II disbandcd in 1915,
and he was replaced In the army as a cap
tain. He is found busy with western river
improvements, surveys in Kansas, and with
the Utah expedition as its pectOr-general
from 1910 up TO 1860, when he became
quartcrmastcr-zcneral with the rank of
hrit n aIuH Thi.
h. resigned April -, 1861, TO enter the rebel
service. In 20 days from the time he donncd
the confederate gray lie was made = briga-
dier-genCral and superseded StOnewall Jack
son in command of IIarprr's Ferry.
For some reason Davis felt an opposition
10 Johnston and made his career somewhat
uncomfortable.
The battle of Bull Run was fought, and,
with Mr.. Davis on the field, besides Johnston
and Bcaurcgard, the Dispute is not vet ended
rs TO who was the commander on that field.
II certainly was not Gen. John, ton, and II il
evident that he magnaumOuslv waived the
light he had I" take precedence Of Beaurc.
gard on the field, as the latter had begun the
battle before the former, arrival. Ii is plain
that Johnston did all he could on that dav
and won credit by hi, disposition Of troon,,
All through the fall aud winter Of 1s6l'6l
Johnston held McC lellan in supine inactIyi
ty, and in this wonderful achievement ne
renderei the greatest possible service TO the
Gen. JohnstonS management
on the peninsula was of the most adranta.
geous character for the rebel cause.
At the battle Of Fair Oaks Gen. Johnston
was wounded, but after he had recovered
from the wound received there, he was. ON
NOV. u, lS}2, by special order assigned 10
The command OF geographical department.
including the states OF Tennessee, Mississin
vi, Alabama and parts of Louisiana Gcor.
Eia and North Carolina.
And now, in the late spring Of 1864. Grant
was pushing his magnificent Nirksbury cam.
laign, aud sonnet hing must lie done 10 STAY
The tide, but from the start Johnston saw the |
result of that movement.
ore OF the greatest events Of the ramnaion |
was the removal OF Gen. Johnston and t6r |
of Hood JohuStOn's camnaign
had not answered the expectations OF his |
at Richmond.
AS to Johuston'S ability and wisdom I'm
this calnpaign, let n better authorty-tbe
very best on the contradiction. Grant. h..
quoted Johns'on'S tactics in this campaign
do not seem to have met with much favor
either In the eyes Of the administrator ar
Richmond or Of the people Of that crction Of
he country in which he was COmmanding
! he very fact of change Of commanders
hclng ordered under such Crcumstan ,cs was
M indication OF change Of policy, and
hat now they would become the agyressors
the very thing our troops wanted, For nv
'wn part, l think that Johnston's tactics
we're right Anything that could have pro-
ongcd the war year beyond the time that
t finally did close, would probably have ex-
lausted the North to such an extent that
hoy might have abandoned the contest and
agreed TO separation"
When Lees army was brought TO bsy.
Johnston was still terror to the Union
eteranS
Atthis time Gen. Johnston seems TO have
AIKEN broad, and even patriotic, view NJ
he situation, and showed an earnest drIre
o turn right about and build anew on the
10 foundations In his interviews with
herman he urged and cndcayorcd TO ~.
ire conditions OF general pariiiCation,
which, Of course, Sherman could moi then
uarantcr. The conditions Of surrender AZ
greed upon by the two generals were re-
'rtcd at Washington aud Gen. Grant hur.
ied TO North Carolina to straightcn matters
After the war closed Gen Johnston no.
anne actively engaged in the industrial r..
instruction OF the South, and was potent
ctor in the revival OF the agricultural in.
rests, and i'll the fostering OF commercial
nd railway enterprises
In 1884,, Gen. Johnston published his .
.'ui a','' VI NIltarg operations Directed
urlng thc Late War Between the States"
hich includes a severe criticism OF ,Iener.
N DAVIS in his management of the war,
W hen ten. Grant was buried Gen. John.
on was conspicuous among the old rclcl
'mmanders who honorcd the great chief.
M. lie was also prominent as q pallbearer
lring the obscques Of the late Gen. w, r
herman. Gen. Johnston Is the last of the
eat generals of the war, and commanded I
NH his death the esteem aud respect of the c
st people throughout the Union. I