Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston’s early life was shaped by a rigorous education that blended engineering and military discipline. Graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1829, he was a classmate of Robert E. Lee, a cohort that would profoundly influence the course of the American Civil War.

His initial service in the U.S. Army provided him with extensive experience in frontier warfare, including the Seminole Wars in Florida and campaigns in Texas and Kansas. By 1860, Johnston had achieved the rank of brigadier general and held the crucial position of Quartermaster General. This role demanded meticulous planning and resource management, skills that would later inform his strategic approach as a Confederate commander.

His background as an engineer likely contributed to his methodical and often defensive tactical style, prioritizing the preservation of his troops and resources.

Upon Virginia's secession in 1861, Johnston entered Confederate service as one of its most senior generals. However, his tenure was frequently marked by friction with Confederate President Jefferson Davis. These tensions often stemmed from differing strategic visions and personality clashes, which hampered Johnston's ability to fully implement his plans.

While he commanded at the First Battle of Bull Run, the victory is largely attributed to his subordinate, P.G.T. Beauregard. During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, Johnston skillfully defended the approaches to Richmond against George B.

McClellan's significantly larger Army of the Potomac, but was forced into a strategic withdrawal. A severe wound sustained at the Battle of Seven Pines led to his temporary replacement by Robert E. Lee, who would go on to achieve greater battlefield fame with the Army of Northern Virginia.

Johnston’s cautious approach, while aimed at preserving his army, sometimes led to criticism for not being aggressive enough.

Following his recovery, Johnston was assigned command of the Department of the West. In 1864, he faced his most significant challenge leading the Army of Tennessee against William Tecumseh Sherman's Union forces in the pivotal Atlanta Campaign. Johnston employed a Fabian strategy, conducting a series of delaying actions and tactical retreats, aiming to inflict maximum casualties on Sherman while preserving his own outnumbered army.

He successfully slowed Sherman's advance and inflicted significant losses, but his strategy was not popular with Confederate leadership, who desired more aggressive offensive actions. This led to his controversial removal from command by President Davis just before the fall of Atlanta. In the war's final months, Johnston was reinstated to command the remnants of Confederate forces in the Carolinas Campaign, facing overwhelming Union superiority.

In a remarkable display of post-war reconciliation, Johnston developed friendships with Union generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, who admired his conduct and professionalism despite their wartime opposition.

This mutual respect underscores a desire for national healing. After the war, Johnston transitioned into business, working in the railroad and insurance sectors. His public service continued when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat, representing Virginia for a single term.

He later served as the federal commissioner of railroads under President Grover Cleveland, demonstrating a continued commitment to public life. Johnston's death in 1891, just a month after attending Sherman's funeral, symbolized the passing of an era and the complex legacies of the Civil War generation.