Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/173

 General Joseph Eygleston Johnston. 173

After ten days General Scott had all of us borne on litters up to the beautiful city of Jalapa, where we were in a delicious climate and luxurious quarters.

After getting strength enough to walk to Captain (now Colonel) Johnston's quarters (he had been promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the fine regiment of voltigeurs) I went to see him every day, and we there formed an attachment which ever grew until the end. His nephew, the gallant young Preston Johnston, of the artillery, was his constant companion and nurse. Ten months later both had been shot down in battle "in the valley." Young Preston Johnston was killed instantly. His uncle, then heading the voltigeurs at Chapultepec, was again severely wounded.

TENDER AFFECTION.

Only a month ago he told me with deep feeling of his distress on hearing of his brave boy's death, and how Lee, who broke the news to him, wept as he grasped his hand and told it. The affection between these two great men was very tender.

A COMPARISON.

After the Mexican war we met no more on duty until about 1858, when a board of cavalry officers was assembled in Washington to establish a uniform equipage for our cavalry and artillery regiments. We were occupied several weeks on this business in Winder's build- ing, where during the same time Captain William B. Franklin and Raphel Semmes were serving together on the light-house board.

One day after our daily session Franklin said: Now that you have seen Lee and Johnston working together for some weeks, how do you estimate the two men ? In previous discussion I had thought Lee more full of promise and capacity.

I said: While both are as earnest and intelligent as possible, I have noticed that Colonel Lee often yields his opinions to those of the board or of other members of it, while Colonel Johnston has never on any occasion yielded his, but frequently has made the board yield to him. In fact, he is the one man who seems to have come to his work with a clear and fixed idea of what is needed in every detail of it.

CORDIAL INTERCOURSE.

Our intercourse, as you know, has been cordial, and even affectionate, ever since we met in Mexico. I was with him for a few days after