Vexatious delays occurred, but by nightfall he had separated the Federal left, and purposed to finish it the next day. About dusk he was wounded in the shoulder by a musket ball, and a moment afterward was completely disabled by a shell. General Gustavus W. Smith, who first succeeded him, did not follow up his advantage; and when General Lee was assigned to the command later the opportunity had passed. After a long convalescence General Johnston reported for duty, and late in 1862 he was assigned to the Western command, an unsatisfactory position where he controlled no army of his own but had to supervise Bragg and Pemberton. He advised the union of the Trans-Mississippi troops with Pemberton's for the overthrow of the forces threatening Vicksburg, and advised against attempting to reinforce Pemberton from Bragg, as the two were each facing superior numbers and were too far apart for mutual support. His advice, however, was not heeded.
When Grant landed a portion of his army south of Vicksburg, Johnston wired Pemberton to draw his forces out of the lines and attack him, but Pemberton hugged the vicinity of Vicksburg and allowed Grant to interpose between him and Johnston despite the latter's orders to move toward Johnston for a junction. Grant was thus enabled to coop up Pemberton in Vicksburg by an army could not hope to succeed. The opinion has been given that the repeated disregard of Johnston's orders resulted in the loss of Vicksburg and its army.
Bragg's terrible defeat at Missionary Ridge was followed by his removal from command of the army of Tennessee, and late in December, 1863, Johnston was given charge of it. He found it at Dalton dispirited by the late defeat and weakened in numbers, equipments, and artillery. Opposed to it was Sherman with more than double its strength, composed of the best troops of the North. December 3ist the effective total of infantry
