JOHNSTON, ALBERT SIDNEY, an American military officer; born in Ma con co., Ky., in 1803; was graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1826; resigned his commission in the United States army in 1834, and enlisted in the army of Texas, of which he be came commander-in-chief; made secre tary of war of the Republic of Texas in 1838. He used all his influence in bring ing about the annexation of Texas to the United States; and served in the Mexican War with marked distinction. In 1857 he was put in command of an expedition to Utah to force the Mor mons to submit to the laws of the United States government, and showed such ability and tact in the delicate mission that he was brevetted Brigadier-General. When the Civil War broke out he was in command of the Department of the Pa cific, but promptly resigned; was made a General in the Confederate army and assigned to the command of the Depart ment of Kentucky. On April 3, 1862, he marched from Corinth, Miss., intending
to attack Grant at Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh Church, 20 miles off, on the 4th. There was delay on the part of some of the troops so that the attack could not be made till the morning of the 6th, but with his 40,000 men Johnston attacked Grant's 50,000 with such im petuosity, skill, and dash, that the Nat ional force was driven back at every point, and huddled together at Pittsburg Landing. Just as Johnston remarked to one of his staff: "The victory is ours. We shall soon water our horses in the Tennessee river," he was stricken with a minie ball and bled to death in 15 min utes. Johnston's death delayed the con templated attack and in the meantime Buell and Mitchell came up with 55,000 fresh troops, and thus the fruits of John ston's early victory were lost, and the next day the Confederate army was forced to fall back to Corinth.