JOHNSTON
JOHNSTON
you can defeat or reptl him, j-ou are hereby re-
lieved from the coiumaud of the Army and De-
partment of Tennessee, which you will imme-
diately turn over to General Hood." Johnston's
reply stated that " Sherman's army is stronger,
compared with the Army of Tennessee, than
Grant's, compared with the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, yet the enemy has been compelled to ad-
vance more slowly to the vicinity of Atlanta than
to that of Riclimond and Petersburg, and has
penetrated much deeper into Virginia than into
Georgia." He immediately transferred his com-
mand and communicated his plans to his suc-
cessor, giving orders the next day which arrang-
ed the troops in the positions selected by him.
The feeling of disapproval of the removal of
Johnston was shown by the cheering of his
troops as they passed his lieadquarters. Hood,
after several assaults upon Sherman, was driven
out of Atlanta, and then undertook the inva-
sion of Tennessee, and after the calamitous bat-
tle of Nashville, he retired to private life. John-
ston remained in retirement, first residing at
Macon, Ga., and subsequently at Lincolnton, N.C.,
until Feb. 23, 1865, when General Lee, who had
been appointed to the position of commander-
in-chief of the Confederate army, assigned him
to the command of the Army of Tennessee and
all troops in the Department of South Caro-
lina, Florida and Georgia. He at once began
the organization of an army out of the scattered
troops aggregating 16,000 men, which he con-
centrated at Averysboro, N.C., in order to drive
back Sherman who was at Cheraw, S.C., threat-
ening Raleigh and Goldsboro, and if possible to
form a junction with Lee. On March 16, 1865,
Johnston transferred his headquarters to Fayette-
ville, N.C.,and concentrated his troops at Ben-
tonville. The Confederate force at Goldsboro
under Bragg, when attacked by General Cox,
checked the attack, inflicting great loss and sus-
taining but little. The Federal cavalry under
Kilpatrick were surprised by Hampton, who cap-
tured the camp and released many prisoners.
Johnston then decided on an assault on the Fed-
eral left at Bentonville. The attack was made
3Iarch 19, Johnston commanding in person, and
the Federals were driven into a pine wood. Sher-
man, on hearing of the action, marched his right
wing toward the firing and Johnston met it at
Mill Creek with a thin line under General Hoke.
On March 20 the entire Federal army was facing
the Confederate army and several attacks were
made, but were repulsed by the Confederates.
Mower's division moved against the Confederate
left on March 21, and broke through the line, but
were repulsed by a countercharge of Cummings's
Georgia brigade, a body of Texan cavalry, and
Allen's Alabamians under General Wheeler, and
under this attack the Federals withdrew. The
Confederate army subsequently withdrew to
Smithfield and marched to Raleigh, having cap-
tured many prisoners, and Sherman effected a
junction with Schofield at Goldsboro and on
April 10 commenced his march northward. At
Battle's Bridge Joluiston heard from President
Davis of the surrender of Lee. He immediately
repaired to Greensboro, where, after a long inter-
view with the President and attendance at a
cabinet meeting, Johnston dispatched a letter to
Sherman dictated b}^ Davis but signed by John-
ston, proposing a suspension of hostilities and
asking for an interview. This was granted and
the meeting took place, April 17. It was the first
time the two generals had met personally. Sher-
man informed Johnston of the assassination of
President Lincoln and proposed that Johnston
should surrender on the terms granted to Lee.
This Jolinston declined, as his army was not sur-
rounded, but he proposed instead a permanent
treaty of peace, which was approved by General
Sherman. The papers were signed, April 18, 18G5,
and were sent to the civil authorities, but were
not approved at Washington. General Grant
visited Sherman's headquarters, April 24, and on
the 26th Sherman and Johnston again met and
signed the first articles of capitulation. L'pon
thedisbandmentof the Confederate army General
Johnston issued a farewell address to liis men
directing them to return to their homes and
there discharge the obligations of good citizens
as expressed in the terms of surrender. John-
ston removed to Vicksburg, was president of a
railroad company in Arkansas and engaged in the
insurance business as a partner of Gen. B. G.
Humphrej's, 1868-77. In 1873 he aided in raising
funds for the erection of the Lee monument. He
removed to Richmond, Va., in 1877; was presi-
dent of an express company, and a Democratic
representative in the 46th congress, 1879-81.
Upon the expiration of his term he resided in
Washington and was appointed by President
Cleveland U.S. commissioner of railroads under
the interstate commerce bill, approved, February
4, 1887, serving 1887-91. In August, 1885, when
on official business in Oregon, lie was invited to
serve as a pall-bearer of General Grant in New
York city, and lie hastened across the continent
to attend. He was a member of the board of
visitors of the College of William and ]\lary. He
attended the Confederate memorial services at
Atlanta, Ga., in 1890, and upon the death of
General Sherman in February, 1891, he was se-
lected as one of the honorary pall-bearers, and
although suffering from heart trouble lieattended.
The exposure brought on a cold which caused
his death. He istheauthor of : Narrativp. of Mili-
tary Operations Directed during the Late War
