Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston (1807-1891) - Born 3 Feb 1807, Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia. A career Army officer and engineer who fought for the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War. Died 21 Mar 1891 in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. Joseph E. Johnston was a West Point graduate who served with the U.S. Army from 1829 to 1861. In 1861, at the start of the U.S. Civil War, he resigned his federal commission and joined the Army of the Confederate States of America (CSA) rising to the rank of full General. At the end of the war he returnded to civilian life.

He was appointed to the United States Military Academy, 1 Jul 1825, and graduated 1 Jul 1829 in the West Point Class of 1829, 13th in a class of 46. He served with the 4th U.S. Artillery and in the U.S. Topographical Engineers, he saw action in the 2nd Seminole War and the Mexican War where he was severely wounded at Cerro Gordo.

He served as the Chief Topographical Engineer of the Department of Texas (1848‑1853).

U.S. Civil War
He resigned his federal commission on 22 Apr 1861 and was appointed major general of the Virginia State forces on 26 Apr 1861; commissioned brigadier general, Confederate States Army, 14 May 1861, and general on 31 Aug 1861, in which capacity he served until 26 Apr 1865, when the terms of surrender of his army were agreed upon.

Post War
After the war he settled in Savannah, Georgia. He became president of a railroad company in Arkansas and engaged in the general insurance business in 1868 and 1869. He returned to Virginia and settled in Richmond in 1877 and became president of an express company. He was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth Congress (4 Mar 1879-3 Mar 1881) and was not a candidate in 1880. He was appointed U.S. Commissioner of Railroads by President Grover Cleveland in 1887 and served until 1891. He died in Washington, DC, 21 Mar 1891, and was interred in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.

Camp Johnston (1) in Texas was named for him in 1852.

Father: Peter Johnston (1763-1831) Born 6 Jan 1763, Osbornes Landing, Chesterfield, Virginia. Died 8 Dec 1831, Ponecille, Washington County, Virginia.

Mother: Mary Valentine Wood (1769-1825) Born 8 May 1769 Goochland, Virginia. Died 17 Jun 1825, Abington, Washington County, Virginia

Marriage:
 * Lydia Mulligan Mclane (1822-1887) Born 31 Jan 1822, Wilmington, Delaware. Died 22 Feb 1887, Washington D.C. Married 10 Jul 1845, Prince Edward County, Virginia

Children:
 * Sarah Jane Johnston (1851-1894) Born 7 Jun 1851. Died 7 Oct 1894, Marceline, Linn, Missouri.

Assignments:
 * (1825-1829) Cadet, United States Military Academy
 * (1830-1831) 2nd Lt. (1 Jul 1829), 4th U.S. Artillery, Fort Columbus, New York
 * (1831-1832) 2nd Lt., 4th U.S. Artillery, Fort Monroe, Virginia
 * (1832-1833) 2nd Lt., 4th U.S. Artillery, Charleston, South Carolina
 * (1833-1834) 2nd Lt., 4th U.S. Artillery, Creek Nation
 * (1834-1836) 2nd Lt., 4th U.S. Artillery, Topographical Duty
 * (1836-1838) 1st Lt. (31 Jul 1836), Second Seminole War
 * (31 May 1837) Resigned Commission
 * (7 Jul 1838) Reappointed 1st. Lt. and Bvt. Capt. (7 Jul 1838), U.S. Topographical Engineers
 * (1842-1843) 2nd Seminole War


 * (1846-????) Capt. (21 Sep 1846)
 * (1847-1848) Maj. and Lt. Col. (9 Apr 1847), Voltigeurs, Mexican War
 * (1848‑1853) Capt. Chief Topographical Engineer of the Department of Texas
 * (1855-????) Lt. Col., 1st U.S. Cavalry
 * (22 Apr 1861) Resigned Commission
 * (1861-1861) Maj. Gen. (26 Apr 1861), Virginia State Forces, Richmond, Virginia
 * (1861-1861) Brig. Gen. CSA (14 May 1861), Commander, Harpers Ferry, Virginia
 * (1861-1865) Gen. CSA (13 Aug 1861 - Dor 4 Jul 1861)

Personal Description:
 * Height: 5' 7"
 * Build: Rail thin
 * Hair Color: Brown
 * Eye Color: Deep brown

Sources:
 * Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
 * Ancestry.com, OneWorldTree entry for Joseph Eggleston Johnston
 * Miller, Francis, ed. The Photographic History of The Civil War. 10 vols, vol 10, p. 240. New York, Review of Reviews, 1912
 * Symonds, Craig L., Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography, Norton, 1994, ISBN 0-393-31130-9

Links:
 * Cullum Register - Joseph E. Johnston
 * Civil War History
 * Wikipedia