Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston
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Name	Joseph E. Johnston
Birth date	February 3, 1807
Birth place	Farmville, Virginia
Death date	March 21, 1891
Death place	Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States of America, Confederate States of America
Branch	United States Army, Confederate States Army
Rank	General

Joseph E. Johnston was a career United States Army officer, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia native who played a significant role in the American Civil War. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, alongside other notable figures such as Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. Johnston's military career spanned over five decades, with service in the Mexican-American War, Seminole Wars, and American Civil War. He was also a close friend and colleague of Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, and P.G.T. Beauregard.

● Early Life and Education

Joseph E. Johnston was born in Farmville, Virginia, to a family of modest means, and was raised in Abingdon, Virginia. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he graduated in 1829, alongside other notable figures such as Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Leonidas Polk. During his time at West Point, Johnston was influenced by prominent instructors such as Dennis Hart Mahan and Charles Ferguson Smith. After graduating, Johnston was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and served in the 4th Artillery Regiment under the command of John E. Wool.

● Military Career

Johnston's military career began in the United States Army, where he served in various roles, including as a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer and a United States Army Quartermaster Corps officer. He participated in the Seminole Wars and the Mexican-American War, where he was wounded at the Battle of Cerro Gordo and later served as a United States Army officer under the command of Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. Johnston also served as a United States Army officer in the Comanche Campaign and the Utah War, where he interacted with notable figures such as Alfred Sully, John Sedgwick, and Albert Sidney Johnston. In 1860, Johnston was appointed as the United States Army Quartermaster General by President James Buchanan.

● American Civil War

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Johnston resigned his commission in the United States Army and joined the Confederate States Army, where he was appointed as a Full General (CSA) by President Jefferson Davis. He played a significant role in the war, commanding the Army of the Shenandoah and later the Army of Tennessee. Johnston was involved in several key battles, including the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Seven Pines, and the Battle of Atlanta. He also interacted with other notable Confederate States Army generals, such as P.G.T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, and James Longstreet. In 1865, Johnston surrendered his army to William Tecumseh Sherman at the Bennett Place, marking one of the final surrenders of the American Civil War.

● Later Life and Legacy

After the American Civil War, Johnston went on to become a successful author and politician, serving in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He wrote several books, including his memoirs, Narrative of Military Operations, which provides valuable insights into his experiences during the American Civil War. Johnston was also a close friend and colleague of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Jubal Early, and was involved in various Confederate States of America veterans' organizations, such as the United Confederate Veterans. Johnston died on March 21, 1891, in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, alongside other notable figures such as John Wilkes Booth and John Quincy Adams.

● Command History

Johnston's command history includes service as the commander of the Army of the Shenandoah, the Army of Tennessee, and the Department of the West. He also served as the Quartermaster General of the United States Army and the Confederate States Army. Johnston's commands included the 4th Artillery Regiment, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. He was also involved in the Seminole Wars, the Mexican-American War, the Comanche Campaign, and the Utah War, where he interacted with notable figures such as Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott, and Albert Sidney Johnston. Johnston's legacy as a military commander has been the subject of much debate among historians, with some, such as Douglas Southall Freeman and Craig Symonds, praising his strategic abilities, while others, such as William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, have criticized his tactics and decision-making. Category:American Civil War