Connecticut western news., 1895-12-05

| memory will live even though he di1n't | win the highest laurels. Like Robert E. Lee, who was the son of Light Horse | Harry" Johnston inherited battle stained sword. His father ran away | from college at the age of 16 to join Lees legion. Boy that he was, he arose to rank by showing gallxhtry on the l field. At the attack upon Fort Watson, in the Carolinas, by Marion and Lee, | Ensign Johnston called about him a band of volunteers from Marion's regi- ment of partisans and led them in dar- ing charge against the abatis inclosing ! the fort. That vigorous assault won the day.
 "Joe " Johnston, as he was familiar | ly called to distinguish him from other soldiers of the name, graduated at West Point in the class with the man whom he most closely rivaled in after life, Robert B. Lee. Both served for a time in the engineer corps, place, as it usu- | ally proves, to bury talent But John ston found chances to gain personal dis tinction, even in the routine service of | engineering. During the Florida wars, while out on survey, his party ran | into Indian ambuscade, and all the officers of the military escort were shot down at the first volley. The young en- gineer stepped to the front and by gal lant exposure of himself warded of the panic which threatened to stampede the | men. A bullet struck him in the fore head and ranged backward, grazing the skull the whole length. At the end of the fight his uniform showed 80 bullet holes.
 | The Mexican war brought honors to Captain Johnston, as it did to scores of soldiers who gained renown in the civil war. Scott's battles at Cerro Gordo, Churubusco, Chapultepec and the gates of Mexico gave him the brevets of major, lieutenant colonel and colonel He was among those daring staff officers who reconnoitered the mountain passes at Cerro Gordo, penetrating for miles on the flank of Santa Annals army, to fer ret out paths for the infantry and artil- lery so as to give them positions envel- | oping the Mexican line. In order to find the exact location of the enemy's batter ies, Johnston followed up a blind foot path and getting within range of Santa | Annals outposts received two severe wounds
 During the campaign congress author ized the formation of a special regiment of voltigeurs and foot rifemen. These soldiers were placed in advance of the storming columns when assailing Mexi- can stroDgholds. They received their baptism of fire at Chapultepec. Several gallant officers of the line had been as- signed to the companies, and Johnston became lieutenant colonel of the regi- ment. In the assault upon the castle of Chapultepec the voltigeurs held the post of honor to dash through the openings the moment the cannonading ceased. Johnston led four companies, with or ders to force the entrance through the immense wall inclosing the castle park The battalion advanced along the wall toward the gate, moving in line forma- tion. Upon nearing the gate it was fired upon from a lunette covering the pas- sage, but the men gallantly deployed and turned their rifles against the Mexi- cans along the top of the wall. In few minutes the enemy broke from the para pets and ran back across the park to . line of intrenchments in front of ono of Scott's divisions. The voltigeurs follow ed, Johnston leading them all in their wild run. The flag of his battalion was the first Americas banner planted upon the walls of the ancient citadel. Infan- try columns and batteries quickly ad- vanced to seize the ground cleared by the voltigeurs. Leaving the prizes to them, the brave colonel, already wound ed, hurried his men across the park to the rear gates to cut off the garrison from retreat. This feat was accomplish ed in the face of a sharp and close fire poured upon the voltigeurs from the park terrace in their rear.
 It is a matter of history that when the Confederate army was organized Johnston was assigned to the fourth place among the five generals instead of the first, as the law of the Confederate congress prescribed A sharp core spondence between him and Davis re- suited, as it is asserted, in stirring up 8 prejudice at Richmond against John- ston. On the other hand, it is said that the hostility of the executive arose from Johnston's Fabian policy in campaign ing. His opening career as a Confeder- } ate general was anything but that. When the Confederate leaders saw that the Union army was to march upon
 Richmond by way of Bull Run, John ston held the Shenandoah valley in the
 face of General Robert Patterson s com
 mand. Patterson crossed the Potomac
 for the express purpose of threatening
 attack Winchester and keep Johnston
 h the valley, while Dowell struggled
 with Beauregard on the plains of Ma
 nassas. Patterson was militia general,
 but he had served in the Mexican wal
 and was not m enemy to be despised
 Johnston received no orders to march tt
 Bull Run. It was left to his discretion
 as was also the manner of carrying ou
 the plan. Patterson held an army O
 16,000 soldiers in hand, while Johnston
 had but about 5, 900. Every device tha
 Patterson could think of was brough
 into play to keep Johnston in fear O
 attack, every device but fighting. Upoi
 the very day that Johnston began hi
 march Patterson boasted to the genera
 in chief that he had succeeded in keepinj
 Johnston at Winchester and in causinl
 him to be re-enforced. All the ground
 he had for the statement was the fac
 that Jeb Stuart scattered his trooper
 along the Confederate outposts and i'm |, pressed the Union general with the idle
 that strong force lay in front. In fact
 Stuart gradually withdrew the most 0 his troopers, and he led them in a charg < at Bull Run. The famous battle o Manassas would not have been Tough
 but for Johnston's arrival. His troop
 were among the best fighters on tha field-Jackson, who there earned hi . unique sobriquet, "Stonewall;" Be \ ord parfo xobo lad hy{ dau I,,,hr.dan