Johnson, Joseph Eggleston essays

Johnson, Joseph Eggleston essays Graduating drom the US Military Academy in 1829, Johnston was assigned to the 4th artillery. He resigned from the army after eight years, but in 1838 he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Topographical Engineers, seeing service in the Seminole and Mexican Wars. On April 22, 1861 he resigned from the US Army and on May recieved a Confederate brigadier general's commission. He first commanded at Harpes Ferry, then brought his troops east to join battle at First Bull Run. On August 31, he was promoted to full general. He objected, however, to the fact that he was the fourth on the general's list when he had been first on the US Army brigadier general's list; he and Jefferson Davis had a falling out on this that lasted untill the war's end. Next he was in charge of stemming McClellan's thrust on Richmond untill badly wounded at Seven Pines. Recovered by November, he was named commander of the Depatment of the west, a nebulous title with uncertain powers. After Bragg was remove d, he was given the command of the Army of Tennessee which he led in retreat in a dance of manoeuvre with Sherman to the gates of Atlanta. There Hood replaced him and he was out of action untill Lee gave him command again in time for the last battleand then its surrender on April 26 1865. During the war Johnston was among the most popular of all Confederate generals. One artillery colonel wrote, 'As a soldier he will always rank high, though he never achieved great results, attributable to some extent to his relations with President Davis... The head of the Bureau of War noted in his diary on July 26 1863: 'While I do not trust him because he is timid and because he hated Davis and Lee, I do not think he has done anything worthy of a second-rate officer during the war. Finally, one of his privates later recalled that, he was loved, respected, admired; yes almost worshipped by his troops.Johnston was a fine organiser, but his main flaw as a general was in pa...