Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/136

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

JOHNSTON


JOHNSTON


ciation in 1881, and a member of the American Mathematical society in 1891. He was married, Aug. 12, 1869, to Susannah Leverett Batcheller, and of their two sons, Charles William Leverett Johnson, Ph.D., became instructor in Greek at Yale, and Theodore Woolsey Johnson, M.E., pro- fessor of mechanical drawing at the U.S. Naval academy. He is the author of: Elementary Treatise on Differential Calculus (1819); Elemen- tary Treatise on Integral Calculus (1881) ; Curve Tracing in Cartesian Coordinates (1884); Trea- tise on Differential Equations (1889); Tlieory of Errors and Method of Least Squares (1890); Trea- tise on Mechanics (1893), and mathematical con- tributions to technical journals.

JOHNSTON, Albert Sidney, soldier, was born in Washington, Ky., Feb. 2. 1802 ; youngest son of Dr. John and Abigail (Harris) Johnston, and grandson of Archibald Johnston, of Salisbury, Conn. His father was born in Salisbury, Conn., and removed to Ken- tucky in 1790. Al- bert Sidney attend- ed Transylvania uni- versity, and in 1822 was appointed a ca- det at the U.S. Mili- tary academy by his half-brother, Josiah Stoddard Johnstons representative from Louisiana in the 17th congress. He was graduated in 1826 ; declined a position on tlie staff of Gen. Winfield Scott : was assigned to the 2d infantry, and was trans- ferred to the 6th infantrj', of which he be- came adjutant. He served through the Black Hawk war of 1832, and was commissioned colonel of the Illinois state line for gallant services at the battle of the Bad Axe. He was married in 1833 to Henrietta, daughter of Maj. William Preston, of Louisville, Ky. He resigned his commission in the army, April 24, 1834, on ac- count of his wife's declining health, and upon her death, in 1836, he enlisted in the Texan army as a private. He was appointed adjutant-general of the army on the Coleto ; on Aug. 5, 1836, adju- tant-general of the republic, and in January, 1837, was made senior brigadier-general of the Texan army. His rapid promotion involved him in a duel with Gen. Felix Huston, in which he was severely wounded, and he was obliged to re- sign his commission in May, 1837. He was ap- pointed secretary of war of the Republic of Texas by President Mirabeau B. Lamar, and carried out the president's plans for the protection of the


^ ^«^^^.<g^^^3


border against invasions by the Mexicans. He returned to private life, purchased a plantation in Brazoria county, Texas, and was married in 1843 to Ehza Griffin, of Louisville, Ky., cousin of his first wife. At the outbreak of the Mexican war he organized the Texas Rifles, and with this regiment liastened to the Rio Grande. He was inspector-general of Butler's division at Monte- rey, and at the close of the war returned to his farm. He was commissioned paymaster in the U.S. army by President Taylor in 1849, and was appointed colonel of the 2d cavahy by President Pierce in 1855, and assigned to the command of the Department of Texas. In 1857 the Mormons openly rebelled against the national government, and Colonel Johnston was sent to Utah, where he succeeded in restoring peace without a con- flict. He was brevetted brigadier-general, and remained at Salt Lake City until December, 1860, when he was transferred to the command of the Department of the Pacific. At the outbreak of the civil war the government became anxious for the safety of the forts and arsenal in Califor- nia, and Johnston being a southern man, Secre- tary Cameron secretly sent Colonel Sumner to assume command. When Johnston heard this, and that Texas, his adopted state, had seceded, he resigned his commission in the U.S. army, but was not relieved until the arrival of Colonel Sumner. Previous to his leaving the army. President Lincoln sent him a major-general's commission in the U.S. army, which he declined. He was also assured by Secretary Cameron of the highest command in the Federal army, but he withdrew to Los Angeles with the intention of engaging in the cultivation of a farm. The con- stant surveillance to which he was being sub- jected by the Federal authorities annoyed him, and when President Davis asked liim to help the southern states in their extremity, he proceeded on horseback to Texas, and thence to Richmond, and on Sejit. 16, 1861, he was given command of all the territory west of the Alleghany moun- tains except the gulf coast. The Confederate force in his district was made up of the army of Price and McCuUoch, of 6000 men ; the army of Hardee, with about the same number of raw re- cruits ; the army of Gen. Leonidas Polk, of 11,000 men ; that of Zollicoffer, with 4000 men, and that of Buckner, with 4000 men. General Johnston issued to the southern governors a call for 50,000 men, and began to concentrate his force, to for- tify his position at Bowling Green, Ky., and to drill his troops. His army of 25,000 men was confronted by the Federal army, 100.000 stron;;. Crittenden and Zollicoffer were defeated by Tliomas at Mill Spring, Jan. 19, 1862, the battle be- ing fought in disregardofJolmston's orders. Tliis expi).s(Ml Jolinston's right, and he ai)piied to the