CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA
1807-1891
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Joseph Eggleston Johnston CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA 1807-1891 |
Joseph E Johnston was a capable field commander. Though he was slightly built, he impressed onlookers by his stately bearing. Elegant and well-mannered, he carried himself well and exhuded magnetism. Two of the most famous Confederate generals, Longstreet and Stuart, were deep friends and professed great esteem for Johnston. Before the Civil War, few officers in the regular army equaled Johnston's combat record. He fought Indians in the west and Florida, served under Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott in Mexico, and was assigned to "Bloody" Kansas and the Texas frontier just prior to the war. Johnston's reputation as a combat soldier and leader surpassed his peers. However, Johnston never quite lived up to those expectations. Johnston's military capabilities during the Civil War was best summed up by Joseph Glatthaar in Partners in Command:
Joseph E. Johnston possessed a hodepodge of strengths and weaknesses. A charismaic leader, one well grounded in tactics and logistics, Johnston captured the hearts and minds of most of the officers and men who served under him. Yet a tempermental nature and limited vision inhibited him from elevating his talents to satisfy the demands of large-scale warfare. Lacking the attributes of an effective military leader, Joe Johnston proved incapable of exploiting the manpower and resources at his disposal.
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QUOTES |
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My confidence and interest in you both as an officer and a friend cause me to turn constantly to your position with deep solicitude. The shot that struck me down was the best ever fired for the Confederacy. Despite the critics who know military affairs by instinct, he is a good Soldier, knows the troops, never brags even of what he did do and could at this time render valuable service. What luck some people have. Nobody will ever come to attack me in such a place. |
I cannot direct both parts of my command at once. Confident language by a military commander is not usually regarded as evidence of competancy. The news that General Johnston had been removed from command of the army opposed to us was received by our officers with universal rejoicing. No officer or soldier who ever served under me will question the generalship of Joseph E. Johnston. His retreats were timely, in good order, and he left nothing behind. |
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LINKS |
Civil War Biographies. Concise and informative account of Johnston's military and post-war career.
Civil War Miscellany on Joseph Eggleston Johnston. Some links and general information giving recognition to Johnston.
Prominent Men and Women of the Day's. A short biographical sketch of Joseph Johnston from an 1888 publication.
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For a while Johnston had the confidence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Davis anticipated great things from Johnston. He was capable, but not for the level of command that Davis expected. As the war progressed, tender egos and jealousies brought on petty bickering that intruded on their relationship until there was only bitterness between them. The final split came over Vicksburg. Johnston felt that saving the city was hopeless and Davis wanted an all-out assault, at the very least a desperate struggle for it. That attack never came and Davis never forgave Johnston for losing his beloved Vicksburg. |
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Johnston was put in command of all the Confedederate forces in Virginia as a result of his share in the stunning victory by the Confederate forces ath the Battle of First Manasses (Bull Run). His first great test came against union general McClellan who landed on a the Yorktown penninsula in eastern Virginia and advanced up toward Richmond in order to capture it, with Johnston constantly retreating in front of him. It was only McClellan's timidity that prevented the Confederate army from being defeated. McClellan came within sight of Richmond and the city was in serious danger of being captured. Finally, under intense pressure, Johnston attacked McClellan at the Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines). During the battle Johnston was wounded in the shoulder, with shell chunks buried in his chest and thigh. He was relieved of command of the Army, and in his place was assigned a general who had fallen into disfavor because of early losses in West Virginia at the start of the war, and who had since that time served primarily as a military advisor to Davis. That general's name was Robert E. Lee. Once Lee assumed command, he never looked back and went on to become arguably the greatest general in the Confederate army, possibly in the history of american warfare. |
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Johnston was a key player in the South's own version of a revolving door policy with commanders -- with the Army of Tennessee. By 1863, things had not gone too well with the Army of Tennessee. General Bragg, its commander, had lost battle after battle. Bragg was not well liked by his men, and had infuriated many of his subordiante generals. Following his loss of Chattanooga in a battle that many believed he could easily have won, Bragg submitted his resignation. Davis reluctantly put Johnston in command. Vastly outnumbered, Johnston fought a delaying campaign, fighting battles and even winning at Kennesaw Mountain, but retreating out of Tenneessee, across northern Georgia, and finally making a stand at Atlanta. The city fell under the onslaught of Union General Sherman and many blamed the cautious nature of Johnston as the reason for its fall. So, once again the commander of the Army of Tennessee was changed in favor of a more daring commander, John Bell Hood, and Johnston was relieved. But Hood, in his brashness, ended up dessimating the Army of Tennesse and Johnston was given his command back. By then, the Army of Tenneessee was a mere shadow of its former self. Johnston once again faced Sherman, and desperately tried to link up with Lee who was retreating befrore Grant and moving toward Lynchburg. The link-up never happened because Grant finally boxed Lee in at Appomatox Courthouse. Richmond had fallen into Union hands and Lee surrendered. Joe Johnston surrendered shortly after to Sherman at Bentonville, NC. |
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