The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-03
Some Interesting "Reminiscences by
Gen Johnson

Gen. johnson.
The following "reminiscences were
written by Maj. Gen. r. w. Johnson
for the Louisville Courier Journal:
For the first few months of the war
l served as captain of cavalry in the
Shenandoah valley, but in September
obtained leave of absence to enable
me to come to Kentucky to accept the
position of lieutenant colonel in James
:. Jackson's regiment Of cavalry. left
the army of the East to join Jackson,
who was recruiting his regiment at
Owensdoro, and reached Louisville on
the 18th day of September, 1861. Here
L found the widest excitement prevail
ing, occasioned by the seizure of the
up-bound train from Nashville by Gen
). Il. Buckner, who had embarked his
troops thereon and was at that time en-
route to Louisville; in fact, he and his
army were expected to arrive that
evening. After taking tea at the Gait
House I walked out on Main street,
where it seemed the entire population
had assembled in groups to discuss
the situation. [ was soon convinced
that a large majority of them sympa-
thized with the South, and hoped to
fall into Buckner's hands within a
few hours. By a fortunate circum.
stance the train was derailed at Eliza
on the track Buckner concluded to
cease his forward movement and go
into camp in and near that town. Dur
ing the night of the 18th Gen Rous-
seau was ordered to move his regiment
across the river from Camp Joe Holt.
With the measured tread of we'll disci-
plined soldiers, they passed through
the streets to the Nashville depot,
where transportation was in readiness
n a E0 hn n - h. DoJ1
Fork of Salt river.
On the following day the HomeGuards,
composed of number of independent
companies of Louisville, were called
out and placed under my command. In
compliance with instructions, I moved
to Lebanon Junction and established
camp. In a few days troops came
pouring into Kentucky from Ohio, In
diana and Illinois, and the Home
Guards being no longer required, were
disbanded, and I was ordered to pro-
coed to Owensboro. l had hardly en-
tered upon duty at that point before
was appointed a brigadier general, and
ordered to report to Gen. McCook, then
in command Of Camp Nevin. Many Of
the veterans now in Louisville have
cause to remember this camp, as here
they received their first instruction in
the art of war, and learned something
of the hardships incident to a soldiers
life
The brigade was composed of the
Fifteenth and Forty ninth Ohio
Thirty-second and Thirty ninth Indi-
ana. Daily drills by company, regi-
ment and brigade began at once To
tell all that this gallant brigade did
during the war would require much
more space than can be allotted to me,
and so it will be necessary to omit
much that l would like to say. After
much delay we finally reached Nash
vile, and there my command was re-
inforced by two other brigades and
formed one of the divisions of the
right wing of the Fourteenth CORPS.
Then came the battle of Stone River
where the troops under my command
displayed great courage and galantry
The march southwark was soon re-
sumed, the Confederates falling back
to Chattanooga, which was evacuated
by Gen. Bragg. During the spring and
summer our advance kept pace with
the feathery fringe of the skirmish
smoke, and the thunder of our guns
rolled southwark continuously and at
last came to the death grapple at
Chickamauga. Then through the dark
night we filed and pitched our tents in
Chattanooga, and here for long woeful
weeks we held our position in the face
of the beleaguering enemy and gripping
famine and mortal disease
Then came Mission Ridge and after
a breathing spell we pushed down into
the very vitals of Confederacy 1t
seemed during all those months of
combat that, like the IsraeIites Of old
we followed cloud by day and q pill
low of flame by night, for in that time
Dalton, Resaca, Kennesaw, Peach
Tree Greek, Altoona, Jonesboro and all
those other crimson names of battle
had been bloodily written in our his
tory. At last the old flag f1oated over
the great Gate City of the South. Here
our legions separated. A portion un-
der Sherman made that eagle swoop
through Georgia and the Carolinas, par
ticipating in that stored march by the
sea. 1t also Joined in that gala day
when 200, 600 men marched up the prin-
cipal avenue of our country's capital
The other portion, under Thomas, de-
feated the enemy at Nashville
Theatrical Aside.