Joseph E. Johnston Quick Facts

Name Meaning

Joseph is of Hebrew origin meaning: “Jehovah increases”

Vital Stats

Birthday:  February 3rd, 1807
Birth Name:  Joseph Eggleston Johnston
Birthplace:  Farmville, Virginia
Date of Death:  March 21st, 1891
Cause:  Pneumonia
Place of Death:  Washington DC
Height:  5′ 8″
Nationality:  American
Ancestry:  Scottish
Occupation before Civil War:
U.S. Army officer
Occupation during Civil War:
Confederate Army general
Occupation after Civil War:
Insurance salesman, U.S. Congressman,
U.S. Commissioner of Railroads

Major Battles:

First Bull Run, Peninsula Campaign,
Vicksburg Campaign, Atlanta Campaign,
Bentonville

Relatives

Father:  Peter Johnston, Jr. (1763-1831)
Mother: Mary Wood Johnston (1769-1825)
Sister: Martha (1789-1789)
Brother: John (b. 1790)
Brother: Charles Clement (1795-1832)
Brother: Peter
Brother: Algernon
Brother: Edward
Brother: Benjamin
Sister: Jane

Romance

Married:  Lydia McLane (1822-1887) on July 10, 1845

Children

None
The personal appearance and characteristics of General Johnston, at this time, have been thus described: “He is about five feet eight or nine inches in height, of good form, very erect, a handsome face, thick moustache and beard, somewhat sprinkled with white. His hair is slightly gray…. He has the decided advantage over Beauregard in appearance. Every thing about him—his bearing, style of dress, and even his most careless attitudes—betoken the high-toned and spirited soldier, who loves his profession, and whose soul revels in the din and uproar of the battlefield. Intellectually, he is the equal of any of the generals in the army….”

Resources

• Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography (Norton Paperback) by Craig L. Symonds
• Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders by Ezra J. Warner