JOHNSTON, Albert Sidney, American general: b. Mason County, Ky., 3 Feb. 1803; d. Shiloh, Miss., 6 April 1862. General Johns ton had but a brief career in the Confederate army and the first part of that career was one of great disaster and consequently of severe criticism; but he fell on the field of glory' at Shiloh, and not a few endorse the opinion of President Davis that he was the greatest gen eral whom the war produced. Descended from a long line of illustrious ancestors, he obtained his literary education at Transylvania Univer sity and was graduated at West Point 30 June 1826, being number eight in a brilliant class of which Jefferson Davis was a member. He was brevetted second lieutenant in the 2d Infan try, transferred to the 6th Infantry in 1827, was regimental adjutant from 1828 to 1832, aide to General Atkinson a year, and acting assistant adjutant-general to Illinois volunteers during the Black Hawk War—in all of which posi tions he showed the qualities of an accom plished soldier. He resigned his commission in the United States army 31 May 1834, having determined to settle in Texas and cast in his fortunes with the °Lone Star° Republic.
The battle of San Jacinto was fought 21 April 1836, and soon after Johnston arrived in Texas and enlisted as a private soldier in the Texan army. His merit soon brought him promotion and he was made adjutant-general of the Army of Texas and not long after briga dier-general and chief commander of the army in the place of Gen. Felix Houston. As a re sult of jealousy growing out of this promo tion there was an unfortunate duel between Houston and Johnston, in which the latter was wounded. He continued in command of the Texan army until 1838, when he was made Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas. In 1839 he led an expedition against the hostile Cherokee Indians and in a battle on the Neches defeated and routed them with great slaughter. He used all of his abilities and wide influence in bringing about the annexation of Texas to the United States, and promptly enlisted when the Mexican War broke out, being colonel of a regiment of Texas volunteers.
ti He was disnguished in various battles, especially at Mon terey, where he had three horses shot from under him and was highly complimented by General Butler, on whose staff he was serving.
On 31 Oct. 1849 he was appointed by Presi dent Taylor paymaster in the United States army, with the rank of major and when the 2d Cavalry regiment was formed he was appointed, 3 March 1855, its colonel on the recommenda tion of his old classmate and lifelong friend, Jefferson Davis, who was at that time the able and efficient Secretary of War. In 1857 he was put in command of an expedition to Utah to force the Mormons to submit to the laws of the United States government and overcame great difficulties and showed such ability and tact in the delicate mission that he was made brevet brigadier-general. When the war be tween the States broke out General Johnston was in command of the department of the Pa cific. but he very promptly resigned his com mission and with a small party made his way across the plains, passing through New .Orleans and reached Richmond on 2 September, where he had a cordial reception and was made a full general and assigned to the command of the department of Kentucky, whither he went at once, beginning the able and efficient discharge of his duties there.
It could not be published at the time that he had a force barely 20,000 to defend that long line against overwhelming numbers of the enemy, and he was severely criticised in the newspapers for not being more aggressive and when Forts Henry and Donelson fell and he was compelled to fall back and abandon to the enemy so large a section of Confederate ter ritory that abuse and severest criticism were heaped upon him, he was denounced as incom potent and his removal from command was de manded. President Davis calmly said: "If
Albert Sidney Johnston is not a general, then I have none to put in his place.>> He wrote his old friend a noble letter, and Johnston replied in the same spirit, concluding with this senti ment : uThe test of merit in my profession, with the people, is success. It is a hard rule, but I think it right. If I join this corps to the forces of General Beauregard (I confess a hazardous experiment), then those who are now exclaiming against me will be without an argu ment.° He alluded to his plan of uniting with Beauregard to strike Grant before Buell and Mitchel could join him, and in pursuance of which plan he marched from Corinth, Miss., on 3 April, intending• to attack Grant at Pittsburgh Landing, or Shiloh Church, 20 miles off on 4 April. There was delay on the part of some of the troops so that the. attack could not be made until the morning of the 6th, but with his 40,000 men Johnston attacked Grant's 50,000 with such impetuosity, skill and dash that the Federals were driven back at every point, were huddled together at Pittsburgh Landing and there seemed to be lacking at 2.30• P.M. only one more vigorous advance to annihilate Grant's army. But just at this moment the great com mander who had just remarked to one of his staff : ((The victory is ours. We shall soon water our horses in the Tennessee River," was struck by a minie ball in his leg, and bled to death in 15 minutes. In the confusion which followed, the advance was not made. Beaure gard. (who had been ill in his ambulance all day and did, not appreciate the real situation) ordered the Confederate lines to fall back. Buell and Mitchel came up that night with 55,000 fresh troops, and thus the fruits of Johnston's great victory were lost and the next day the Con federates were compelled to fall back to Corinth.
No nobler eulogy could be pronounced on Albert Sidney Johnston than that of President Davis in a special message to the Confederate Congress, in which he said: ((Without doing injustice to the living, it may safely be said that our loss is irreparable. Among the shining hosts of the great and good who now cluster around the banner of our country, there exists no purer spirit, no more heroic soul than that of the illustrious man whose death I join you in lamenting. In his death he has illustrated the character for which, through life, he was conspicuous— that of singleness of purpose and devotion to duty with his whole energies. Bent on obtaining the victory which he deemed es sential to his country's cause, he rode on to the accomplishment of his object, forgetful of self, while his very life blood was fast ebbing away. His last breath cheered his comrades on to vic tory. The last sound he heard was their shout of victory. His last thought was his country, and long and deeply did his country mourn its loss 1D It is scarcely extravagant to say that had Albert Sidney Johnston lived the victory at Shi loh would have been complete, the whole char acter of the campaign in the West would have been changed, and with Lee in Virginia and Johnston in the West, the result of the war might have been different. The monument to Albert Sidney Johnston in New Orleans is one of the most beautiful in the country; he is buried in Austin, the capital of his adopted State. Consult the biography by his son, W. P. Johnston, 'Life of Albert Sidney Johnston' 'New York 1878).