Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/141

 JOHNSTON

JOHNSTON

were confirmed by the provisional Confederate senate, Maj"^ 13, 1861. Johnston was assigned to the command of troops near Harper's Ferrj', where he arrived, May 23, 18G1, and found Col. Tliomas J. Jackson in command. He superseded Colonel Jackson and at once began the work of organi- zation on a much larger scale than had been attempted by Jackson. He brigaded his troops and assigned Colonel Jackson to the command of the Virginia brigade. He withdrew to Wiu- cliester, June 15, 1861, and upon his arrival there was ceaseless in his labors to improve the effi- ciency of his army. He left Winchester for Man- assas, July 18, 1861, and arrived there, July 20, 1861, wiili part of his command. Altliougli ranking officer, his late arrival and ignorance of the topography of the region made him depend- ent on General Beauregard for the necessary information. Feai'ing the arrival of General Patterson, both generals, after a long discussion, decided that the offensive should be assumed before reinforcements could arrive to their op- ponents. The Federal movement was supposed to have been planned against the Confed- ■erate right for the purpose of seizing Manassas Junction, Beauregard's base of supply. Accord- ingly orders were issued strengthening the right on July 21, 1861. McDowell also decided to ad- vance and attack Beauregard, not knowing of the arrival of Johnston. The attack was made on the weakened left of the Confederate forces, with disastrous results. After two hours' stub- born fight, McDowell won the first advantage, and while General Bee was attempting to rally his shattered command, Johnston and Beaure- gard arrived on the field accompanied by their color-bearers, and by their presence sustained the troops until reinforcements arrived under Cash, Kershaw, Preston and E. Kirby Smith, and subsquently, u])on the arrival of Early, McDowell gave up the contest and abandoned the field in utter rout. The Confederate gov- ernment passed " resolutions of tlianks to Gen- erals Joseph E. Johnston and Gustave T. Beau- regard and the officers and troops under their command at the battle of Manassas." Up to this time the relations between President Davis and Genei'al Johnston had been most in- timate. Upon the reorganization of the army after the battle the President ranked Jolmston fourth instead of first in the list of generals. Johnston, in a letter dated Sept. 12, 1861, jiro- tested against the action of the President, and this led to an estrangement. Johnston remained in command of the Army of Nortliern Virginia and prepared to go into winter quarters. The Federal army crossed the Potomac, intending to attack the Confederate forces at Leesburg, but met with defeat at Edwards Ferry and Ball's

Bluff, Oct. 21, 1861. Early in April, 1862, Johns- ton was ordered to oppose McClellan at Yorktown and the departments of Norfolk and of the Penin- sula were added to his command. McClellan laid siege, and on May 3, 1862, was ready to open his batteries and pour a deadly fire into the town. Johnston, however, withdrew his troops in the night and concentrated at Williamsburg, May 4, 1862. The battle of Williamsburg opened May 5, and resulted in the retreat of the Con- federates. On Maj' 31, 1862, Jolinston was re- inforced by Iluger's division of three brigades and attacked McClellan at Seven Pines. About the close of the fight he was wounded in the shoulder, and was soon after unhorsed by a heavy fragment of shell, which struck his breast. He was carried from the field to Rich- mond, and the command of the army devolved on Gen. Gustavus W, Smith. Upon his return to duty in November, 1862, he was deprived of his old command and assigned to the command of the armies in the southwest, Nov. 24, 1862, with headquarters at Chattanooga, Tenn. He reported at Chattanooga, Dec. 4, 1862, and assumed com- mand of the armies commanded respectively by Generals Bragg, Pemberton and E. Kirby Smith. The Federal forces separated Bragg's army at Jackson, Pemberton's forces holding Vicksburg while Holmes was at Little Rock, Ark., with 50,000 men, but not under the control of John- ston. An attack by Grant was expected, but Van Dorn reached the Federal rear and destroyed their supplies at Holly Springs, causing an ex- peditious retreat. While the detachment under Bragg was advancing to assist Pemberton in repelling Grant, Rosecrans advanced on Bragg, and a battle took place at Murfreesboro on Stone's River, Dec. 31, 1862, and Jan. 1 and 2, 1863. On the first day the Confederates succeeded in de- feating the Federal right, and on the second and third days they held their ground, although a heavj' Confederate loss was sustained ; but Bragg, fearing that Rosecrans was receiving reinforce- ments, withdrew behind Duck river to Manches- ter, Tullahoma and Shelby ville. Bragg's force was greatly weakened by the withdrawal of troops by order of the President, who was on a visit of inspection in Mississipi)i, for the purpose of strengthening Pemberton's army, in spite of Johnston's protest and his suggestion that the reinforcement should come from Holmes's army at Little Rock. On March 9, 1863, Johnston was ordered to assume command of Bragg's army in middle Tennessee, and lie reported at Tullahoma, March 18, to find Bragg's absence from the army caused by the severe illness of liis wife, and lie so reported to the war department. About this time his own health failed, and on April 10, at his request. General Bragg was allowed to re-