The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-19

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last great battle of the war.
AZ different times during the war
inc signal for active work. An aide
came with sweating horse from, Cen
General Johnston had upon his stan
some very able men. among them l
others:
General William W. Mackall. chief
OF staft, an officer of the old army, and
the most accomplished STAFF officer ]
was ever thrown with; Colonel BcnJa-
min $. Ewc!l. Acknowledgement. a man
among men when Virginia was full OF
giants, President Of William and Mary
College before and after the war.
Licutcnant-Colonci Thomas f.. lamar.
assistant acknowledgement, one Of ma
lures noblcmen, without previous
training he quickly mastered the
duties OF the office and became a mower
on the staff; Major James b. Eustis.
in charge of military courts and
conference.-the. represented his state
louisiana, In the United States Sen
ate after the war, and recently am
bassador TO France from the United
States.
l never heard General Johnston tell
an anecdotc, and yet he appreciated
and enjoyed wit. I recall two stories
which he and Mrs. Johnston made me
tell more than once. Followed by his
Stoh 'i ~ IT'LL ca 81 from Dalton lie
was passing q long line OF army
wagons The roads were bad and
enc Of the wagon stuck fast
in the mud. the driver ours
Ing and swearing and lash
ing the mules. Just then m army
chaplain RODE UP and said, My friend.
DO you know who died to save sin
ners. Ihe answer seemed to hiss
from the tcaTrster's mouth: .D--
your ~conundrums: don't you sec I'm
stuck in the mui?'' Again some officers
met in a tent, l won't say where; fur
niture scarce. only o box In sight and
upon II a little brown Jug surrounded
by Tin cups. One Of the officers draw
Ing upon his i'm Uxgination for facts, told
OF European trips, etc. etc. Finally he
returned TO America and went 10 live
in Florida, where he proceeded to tell
OF c~apturing an alligator twenty feet
long. a little man in the company
rentured 10 cast just a shade OF doubt
on the statement. .Surprised are YOU.
said the unsurpassed story-tcllor. "Oh.
no" replied the little man, mot at all.
l am a liar myself" These stories
would always make the general hold
his sides.
tEStract from letter OF Ex-Governor
Porter. OF Tennessee. to Colonel Har-
vie:)
After tie battle or C@hica,nauyn
General Bragg dissolved Checthams
division. and 8 V him a division OF
troops from other States, allowing him
TO retain one Tennessee brigade, upon
me ground that 50 large a body of
troops from one State in one u1v1sicn
prompted too much State pride Mt the
expense OF pride in the Confederate
States. When Genera Johnston as
suraed OF the army at Dali
ton. one OF his first acts was to restore
the old organization. The order to
this effect created unbounded cnthus-
iasm in the division. With one i'm
pulse the men marched to army head
quarters with a band Of music, and
called for General Johnston. General
Cheatham escorted him from h;- room
70 The front door, and presented him to
MS with q heertiness as
genuine as It was unmilitary. Placing
his hand upon the bare head or The
chief OF the army, lie patted II two or
three times. Looking at the men he
said: Boys. this is Old joe This was
a presentation speech TO captiyate the
soldiers hearts; they called their own
chief Old Frank and it meant that
mere Is another to trust and tc love.
That was the happiest presentation
speech ever made by any man-happy
because Genaral Johnston had the good,
sense to appreciate, and happy because
1t touched and thrilled the hearts and
minds Of soldiers who loved their own
chief. General Cheatham was the ONLY
man III the Army OF Tennessee who
could have made such a presentation
speech without offending General
Johnston. and to my mind 1t was a
supreme test of the good sense Of the
last named that no received it in the
presence of several thousand private
soldiers with all the kindly grace OF
m n n +, r 4 1,1f 11,a sc ~ n,;, -
his noble life"
T was paroled by his side. Alone and
almost broken-hearted l turned from
him, realizing that l was leaving be-
hind me the grandest military char
actcr that I ever got close to.
After the close of tho war he was
actively engaged IN the industrial re-
construction Of the South. especially
with agricultural, commercial and rail.
road enterprises, reading st ~savannah,
Georgia. Later he came to live in
Richmond n was elected to Congress
from the Richmond. Virginia. district,
and served one term.
After this he Yves appointed United
States Railroad Commissioner in Cleve.
lands first administration, I think. ana
then retired to private life IN Wash
ington.
Soon aftar his death !. was asked by
Confederates living in Washington to
write a tribute to his memory AT the
expense OF repeating myself, l incor-
porate it with this article:
y prince among men has fallen. Gen.
eral Joseph E, Johnston, ripe IN years
and full of honor, died at his r%eeiaance,
in Washington. D. c.. March 81. 1891,
in the eighty-ifth year OF his age. 4
In his death the country loses a
great. conspicuous md noble character;
the South its higheStl typa nf chiyaI rv
and manhood. Tho peer OF Lee Tho
central figure or a hundred glorious
tableauS, looming like Saul from his