Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-23


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his men and so was the first who was
seen and shot by the enemy. THIS was
his ninth wound received In battle, ana
closed his active service until the great
war between the States took place.
Two or three years before that war
broke out two regiments OF cavalry were
added TO the regular army OF the Uni'eu
States. Colonel Johnston was appoint
cd lleutonant-colonel OF the First cav
airy, and Lee lieutenant-colonel OK the
Second Cavalry.
Co,oael sidney Johnston was appoint
cd colonel Of the First Cavalry. Not
long afterwards Colonel j. j..
Johnston was appointed rigadier-seneral
United States army and quartermaster-
general Of the army, which rank he at
once accepted, and resigned his lieu
tenant-colonelcy Of cavalry 10 which the
senior major Of cavalry. George Thomas.
or Earle Van Dorm, was promoted.
Colonel Cooper was adjutant- general
United States army. Thus when war be-
tween the States was declared these
officers stood thus in relative rank:
Brigadier-General-J. l.. Johnston.
Colonel-samuel Cooper.
Colonel--A. S. Johnston.
Lieutenant-C olonel-R. Il. Lee.
Major-G. n. Beauregard.
The Congress Of the Confederate States
made a law by which officers OF the
United States army who should resign
their commissions IN that army TO take
service In the army Of the Conicderacy
should rank relatively according to their
rank S. the United States army. which
law was well known to these officers.
General Bradley Johnson disposes COM
pletcly OF the law Of the Confederacy,
which fixed the relative rank of the five
generals who had been serving in the
army of the United States.
Under the act Of the Confederate Con-
Gress OF March 18th five brigadiers were
appointed with relative rank, as follows
viz:
l. Joseph e. Johnston, brigadier United
States army.
q Samuel Cooper, colonel United Stltes
army.
g. Sydney Johnston. colonel United
States army.
4. r. i. Lee, lieutenant-colonel United
States army.
5. G. T. Beauregard, captain United
States army.
On May 10th Congress passed another
act declaring that those five brigadiers
shall have the rank and denomination OF
generals. but when the President issued
TO them commissions he changed their
lawful rank thus:
First Cooper to rank as general May
16th second, A. S. Johnston from May
2sth third, Lee from June 18th; fourth
J. f. Johnston, July 9TH; fifth, Beauregard
July Dist.
General Joe Johnston filed his remon-
STRANGE against a ruling so unjust, and
then went on doing his duty as only he
was able to do It, 10 the very end.
On July 2st was fought the first battle
OF Manassas. of which Joe Johnston was
the experimenting providence. lie issued
the orders and moved the troops and dl-
rected the blows which produced the
yreat result"
BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG
Early in May, 1862 (see page SO. Bradley
Johnson. Johnston had upon the PENN
sula on army OF 5000 men. Mcclellan,
with 10000 men, was slowly advancing
by regular approaches to attack john
ston, Mcdowell lying at Fredericksburg
with 1000 men. 1t was necessary for
Johnston to Withdraw from the PENN
sula and take position near Richmond
from which he could meet the attack Of
either wing.
In the execution Of this movement he
was attacked May s. 1852. by Mcclellan,
who was repuised with great vigor by
Johnston.
Johnston captured many prisoners, ten
cOlOTs, and twelve field pieces. MeClel-
Ian made no further attack.
Johnston held the field, slept upon II,
and next day pursued his march towards
Richmond. Mcclellan made no further
attempt TO modest the Confederate army,
which marched quietly on to Richmond
and took position near Seven Pines, six
miles from the city.
This battle Of Williamsburg has been
claimed by some writer's as "a great
Union victory" Ii was one OF those bril-
liant strokes OF battle which Johnston
knew how and when to deliver, and an
effectual defeat Of the great Federal
army.
Johnston urged upon the President the
Importance Of at once assembling all Of
the dispersed troops OF the Confederacy
into one great army and with that falling
upon Mcclellan, whom he had thus drawn
from his base, and crushing him. Neither
the President nor General Lee approved
of this, and so the opportunity was lost
of destroying then and there the greatest
and best organized army that ever in
vaded Virginia.
Mcclellan moved up and occupied the
opposite side of the Chickahominy. John
ston was reinforced by brigades from
Norfolk and North Carolina. and by the
latter part OF May his whole force was
1900 electives.
on the 22d OF May Mcclellan did what
Johnston hoped he would do, "stradded"
the Chickahominy with his army. throw
ing the two corps Of HelntZeman and
Keys over TO the west the side upon
which Johnston lay with his army, hoping
for the opportunity thus given him by
his great adversary. The separated corps
advanced very slowly towards Johnston,
and entrenched as they came. Johnston
knew the treacherous character Of the
Chickahominy, and hoped from the wea-
Their indications that the stream would
soon be in flood. so that he might destroy
the two advanced corps before Mcclellan
could get to their help.
on the 2Sth of May Johnston prepared
TO attack the separated corps. The ele-
ments, as he foresaw, helped him, a heavy
rain swelling the Chickahominy so that
all cooperation between Mcclellan and
his separated corps was impossible, when
Longstreet, that Incompatible corps COM
mander, fell upon Heintzleman and Keys.
'His onslaught drove back the first line,
the second line the third line, and the
fourth and last Federal line"
THEY WE'RE ROUTED.
'"rhey were routed. rolled up. disor-
ganized. At nightfall came Sumner. over
the flood and swinging bridge. 10 the as
sistance of his comrades. but he was too
late; the battle was irretrleyably lost be-
fore he got up"
About o'clock p. M. May Both, about
shutdown, General Joe Johnston records
that he received "a slight wound In the
VT feskf
had smashed through his shoulder blade.
and would serve any other soldier TO talk
about all the rest OF his life, but he says,
IN