The morning call., 1892-02-07
"REMINISCENCES OF THE CIVIL War.
Andrew J0lH0lS Friendship for General John
T. Miller.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

Andrew Johnson Of Tennessee, during
the War of the Rebellion, made himself
very obnoxious TO the Southern fre-eateIs,
owing to the strong stand he took in support
of the Union cause. They hated him, if
possible, with more intense hatred than
they felt toward his co-worker, ParsOn
Brownl0w, and. without doubt, could they
have laid hands on him, he would have been
strung up with but little ceremony. john
son. though habitually a man of rare cOur-
age, must have experienced some nervous
ness on his own behalf, for rowing bands Of
Confederate cavalry under Morgan and
other reckless leaders, anxious for his cap
ture, were continually raidiDg the country,
so that his life was in constant jeopardy.
General John +. Miller, then in command
of the Federal troops in and around Nash
vile, took especial precautions for the per-
sOnal safety of Mr.. Johnson while he was
acting as Military Governor OF Tennessee
in 1929
The two men were naturally thrown to-
gether considerably and Governor johnson
formed great liking for the General, which
lasted during his lifetime, and when, by the
death OF Mr.. Lincoln, he was called to the
executive chair, he sent for General Miller
and at the conclusion of very pleasant in
teTYiew asked him about his plans for the
future. The General replied that he had
been out to California, that he liked the
country and thought OF going back there
again. The President, nothing lOath to re-
ward the services Of so gallant an officer,
told him to complete his preparations for
his departure and that a commission would
be sent him as Collector OF the Port Of San
Francisco. General Miller sailed on the
first steamer and his commission followed
him on the next.
Bent on making treason odious, PresT-
dent johnson at first proceeded very resO-
lutely against the enemies OF the Govern
ment. Although the woman might not have
been deserving of the death penalty, he
sanctioned the hanging OF Mrs. Surratt and
a majority Of her feliOw-cOnspratoIs, to-
gether with the notorious WirZ, the keeper
of the AndersOnVllle prison; but when,
subsequently,, in an unlucky hour lie sue
Cumbed to the Establishments OF the very
men who had brought on the war; he went to
the opposite extreme, and adopted policy
calculated to neutraliZ5 all the benefits eX-
pected 10 be derived from the victory so
dearly won. General Miller wrote a letter
telling him frankly that he was not III ac-
cord with his new policy" that he in
tended TO take the stump in opposition TO 1t,
and that under the circumstances he must
tender his resignation as Collector, PreSl-
dent johnson replied with a characteris-
tic letter Informing the General that
he was at liberty TO make as many
political speeches as he liked, and that he
could say as many ugly things about blm-
self as he chose, but he was to bear in mind
that so long as he renamed President OF the
United States he General MllleT) was going
to be Collector Of the Port of San Francisco.
The latter did take an active part in the
campaign which followed, but he must have
found it rather up hill business to say ANY,
thing dscreditabe TO his old friend, how
ever much he might have differed with him
politically.
One incident in connection with the de-
Tense of Nashville is worthy Of note When
constructing the Notifications about the city
General Miller utilized the labor of a large
number Of cOlOred men, for whose services
their masters demanded compensation. The
post commander refused to allow their
claims. and held that the men vino per-
formed the work were the ones to receive
pay therefor In this righteous decision he
was sustained by the authorities at Wash
iDgton.
General Miller was resOlute fighter. and
won his stars by conspicuous gallantTy in
the field. While leading his division in
a charge across Stone River to recover a
lost battery lie was severely wounded in the
neck, but kept the saddle for four days be-
fore submitting himself to a surgeons care.
His men did not recover the Identical bat
terry they went after, but they got a rebel
one in place Of it. Miller, in excusing him.
self 10 his supeTlOrs for exceeding his orders
in crossing the river, prevarcated a little
by saying that he couldn't stop his men
from going over" Subsequently. while
riding through Liberty Gap at the head of
the Union column, bullet fired by rebel
sharpshOoter penetrated his left eye and
lodged in the bony socket behind. An
army surgeon probcd for the ball at the
time, but could not find it. Nearly twenty
years later a distinguished oculist and sur
geOn of San Francisco while operating upon
the injured eye found the battered bullet
and removed If. J. n. (.