Joseph Eggleston Johnston (1807-1891) grew up in Abingdon, Virginia, son of Judge Peter Johnston, Jr. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1929, in the same class as Robert E. Lee. He left the Army for a brief period, then re-joined as a first lieutenant and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He eventually achieved the rank of brigadier general and was appointed the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster General.
When the Civil War broke out, Johnston was the highest ranking member of the U.S. Army to resign and offer his services to his state. The following is his formal letter of resignation to the U.S. Secretary of War Simon Cameron and Colonel Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant General of the U.S. Army:
Washington
April 22d 1861
Sir:
With feelings of deep regret, I respectfully tender the resignation of my commission in the army of the United States.
The feelings which impel me to this act are, I believe, understood by the Hon. Secretary of War.
I hope that long service, with some labor, hardship, danger & loss of blood, may give me some claim to ask the early consideration of this communication.
Most respectfully,
Your obt servt
J. E. Johnston
Qr Mr Genl
Col. L. Thomas
Ad. Genl
Johnston’s resignation letter was lengthier than his colleagues’ and betrayed, perhaps, a hint of misgiving or regret. He reportedly told Secretary Cameron that secession “is ruin in every sense of the word, but I must go.” No one doubted his courage. He was wounded five times during the Mexican-American War. But like Lee, he could not raise his sword against his native state.
The Commonwealth of Virginia passed Johnston over for command of its provisional army in favor of Robert E. Lee. Confederate President Jefferson Davis made him a brigadier general and sent him to replace Thomas J. Jackson as commander of Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley. Johnston’s wartime contributions were too numerous to go into detail, but he served in various capacities for the remainder of the war, finally surrendering in North Carolina on April 26, 1865. He died on March 21, 1891 at the age of 84.
Spirit of '61 