JOHNSTON
JOHNSTON
of whom were competent instructors. He at-
tended the Abingdon academy, an excellent clas-
sical school, and in 1825, through the influence of
Senator Barbour, he was appointed to the U.S.
Military academy, entering with a class of one
hundred and five, in which were Eobert E. Lee
and seven other Virginians. He was graduated in
1829, thirteenth in the class of forty-six graduates,
and was the only Virginian, besides Lee, to grad-
uate, Lee standing second, with Charles Mason
of New York first in the class. Johnston was
assigned to the 4th artillery as 2d lieutenant;
was in garrison at New York and Fort Monroe,
1829-32; served in the Black Hawk war under
Scott, 1832; on duty in Charleston, S.C, during
the nullification troubles, 1832-33: at Fort Mon-
roe and Fort Macon, 1833-36; and on the staff of
General Scott, in Florida, 1836-37. He resigned
from the army, May 31, 1837, and worked as a civil
and military engineer under the government.
He again offered his services to the government
in the army and was assigned as topographical
engineer in the Powell expedition to Florida,
when, in the fight of Jan. 15, 1838, he barely
escaped from the Indians with his life, being
twice wounded in the forehead. Lieutenant
Powell attributed the escape of his command to
the bravery of Lieutenant Johnston. For this
action he was brevetted captain and promoted
first lieutenant in the topographical engineers,
July 7, 1838, which restored him to the rank he
liad held when he resigned from the army in
1837. He was engaged in topographical duties in
Texas and on the Great Lakes, and was with
General Worth in Florida fighting the Semi-
noles, 1842-43. He was on the Canada boundary
survey, 1845-46. On July 10, 1845, he was mar-
ried to Lydia, daughter of the Hon. Louis Mc-
Lane and a sister of Gov. Robert McLane of Mary-
land. They had no children and his wife died Feb.
22, 1887. He was commissioned captain of topo-
graphical engineers, Sept. 21, 1846, and at once
sought to be assigned to General Scott's army of
invasion soon to start for Vera Cruz en route for
the City of Mexico. Scott readily accepted his
services and he took part in the siege and capture
of Vera Cruz, March 27, 1847. On April 9, 1847,
he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of volti-
geurs, a regiment of regulars, in Cadwalader's
brigade. Pillow's division. He also continued his
duties as topogi-aphical engineer. On April 11,
1847, he led the advance of Twiggs's division at
the pass of Cerro Gordo and was twice wounded
while reconnoitring before the Mexican works.
His action gained for him the brevets of major
and colonel in the regular army. His wounds
prevented his taking part in the battle of Cerro
Gordo, April 17, 1847. At Contreras he again
distinguished himself, and at Churubusco his
favorite nephew, Lieut. J. Preston Johnstone, who
commanded a gun in Magruder's battery, lost his
life. The information of his death was con-
veyed by Capt. R. E. Lee to Colonel Jolmston,
while he was standing on the captured intrench-
ments and the news prosti-ated the victorious
leader. At Churubusco the voltigeurs were held
in reserve. At Molino del Rey they supported
Duncan's battery, and in Worth's report of the
battle Johnston's name is mentioned with other
officers of Cadwalader's brigade. The voltigeurs
lost 98 of their 341 men. At Ciiapultepec, Pillow
was wounded and Cadwalader commanded the
division and led it up the hill to the castle. The
voltigeurs were prominent in the assault and their
standard was the first planted on the ramparts
from which the Mexicans were driven. Colonel
Andrews led the left wing and Lieutenant-Col-
onel Johnston the right and the latter received
three slight wounds which did not prevent his
leading his men. He was brevetted lieutenant-
colonel " for gallant and meritorious conduct "in
the battle of Ciiapultepec, to ^fete from Sept. 13,
1847. After the fall of the City of Mexico he was
in charge of expeditions to carry supplies from
the coast, and in the svimmer of 1848, vipon the
mustering out of his regiment, congress passed a
special act, approved, July 19, 1848, reinstating
him as captain of topographical engineers, from
Sept. 21, 1846. He engaged in topographical serv-
ice in Texas, and on the improvements of the
western rivers, and in 1855 he was commissioned
lieutenant-colonel in Col. E. V. Sumner's regi-
ment of cavalry, served on frontier duty, and in
1858, was acting inspector-general of the Utah
expedition. Upon the death of Quartermaster-
General Jesup, in the summer of 1860, the war
department requested Scott to name the officer
best fitted for the office. Scott named four:
Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee, Albert Sid-
ney Johnston and Charles S. Smith, and suggested
that the appointment be contested for. It was
finally settled by the appointment of Joseph E.
Johnston, who was commissioned brigadier-
general, June 28, 1860. He remained in Wash-
ington attending to his duties as quartermaster-
general until the outbreak of the civil war, when
he resigned his commission in the army, April
22, 1861, and left for Richmond, where he reported
to Governor Letcher, who at once commissioned
him major-general in the state service. He co-
operated with Robert E. Lee in organizing and
equipping the Virginia levies. In the meantime
the state of Virginia had turned the conduct of
military affairs- over to the Southern Confedei'acy
and the Confederate congress had passed an act
authorizing the appointment of five brigadier-
generals. Johnston and Lee were two of the
appointees and both accepted. The nominations
