Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston (2 February 1803 – 6 April 1862) was an American military officer whose thirty-four-year career spanned service in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army and the Confederate States Army. He fought in major conflicts of the nineteenth century, including the Black Hawk War, the Texas–Indian Wars, the Mexican–American War, the Utah War and the American Civil War. Killed at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, he was the highest-ranking casualty on either side of the Civil War. Confederate President Jefferson Davis regarded him as the South’s finest commander before the rise of Robert E. Lee, later calling Johnston’s death “the turning point of our fate.”

Early Life and Education

Johnston was born in Washington, Kentucky, the youngest son of Dr John Johnston and Abigail Harris Johnston. Raised in a family with Revolutionary War lineage through his maternal grandfather, Edward Harris, he developed early ties to Kentucky and later to Texas, which he came to consider his home. He first studied at Transylvania University in Lexington, where he met his lifelong associate Jefferson Davis.
Both men attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, with Davis entering two years after Johnston. Johnston graduated eighth in his class in 1826 and received a brevet commission in the 2nd U.S. Infantry. His early service took him to posts in New York and Missouri. He participated in the 1827 expedition against the Winnebago leader Red Bird and later served as chief of staff to Brevet Brigadier General Henry Atkinson during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Atkinson praised Johnston as a soldier of high talent, integrity and professional character.

Republic of Texas and the Texian Army

Johnston moved to Texas in 1836, shortly after its independence from Mexico. Enlisting initially as a private, he rapidly advanced to adjutant general and, by early 1837, to senior brigadier general commanding the Texian Army. His appointment angered the acting commander, Felix Huston, who challenged Johnston to a duel. Johnston, shot through the hip, relinquished command during his recovery. He viewed the duel as a necessary duty to uphold discipline in the army, though he strongly disapproved of the practice.
In late 1838 President Mirabeau B. Lamar appointed him Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas. In this role he defended the frontier against both Mexican incursions and the Cherokee campaign of 1839, in which he distinguished himself at the Battle of the Neches. He resigned in 1840 and returned to Kentucky.

Mexican–American War and Return to U.S. Service

When the United States declared war on Mexico in 1846, Johnston rode 400 miles from Galveston to join General Zachary Taylor. Elected colonel of the 1st Texas Rifle Volunteers, he later became inspector general of General William O. Butler’s division after his men’s enlistments expired. At the Battle of Monterrey Johnston’s leadership helped steady Butler’s division, earning high praise from future Union General Joseph Hooker and from General Taylor, who called him the best soldier he had ever commanded.
Johnston left the army after fulfilling a six-month promise to his wife. Political considerations in Washington limited his prospects for promotion at that time. Living on his Brazoria County plantation, China Grove, he returned to service in 1849 when President Taylor appointed him a major and paymaster in the U.S. Army. For more than five years he toured the Texas frontier, covering vast distances along the Colorado and Trinity Rivers.
In 1855 President Franklin Pierce appointed him colonel of the newly formed 2nd U.S. Cavalry. His subordinates included future Civil War generals such as Robert E. Lee, George H. Thomas, Edmund Kirby Smith, John Bell Hood and George Stoneman. Johnston briefly commanded the Department of Texas and pursued Comanche raiders vigorously.

The Utah War

In 1857 tensions between the federal government and the Latter-day Saints led to the Utah War. Johnston was appointed commander of the U.S. expedition to install Alfred Cumming as territorial governor in place of Brigham Young. Taking charge after the column had already departed, Johnston arrived to restore order and discipline. His leadership in the difficult winter encampment at Fort Bridger was widely respected. Major Fitz John Porter noted Johnston’s energy and reliability, saying that his presence restored confidence throughout the command.
Johnston remained in Utah until the crisis subsided and became a well-known figure for his steadiness under adverse conditions.

Confederate Service and the American Civil War

When the Southern states seceded in 1861, Johnston resigned from the U.S. Army and joined the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis quickly appointed him to command the vast Western Department, stretching from the Appalachians to the Ozarks. He faced enormous challenges: insufficient manpower, extended lines of defence and political pressures from multiple states.
After the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, Johnston withdrew to northern Mississippi and joined forces with General P. G. T. Beauregard. He advanced against Ulysses S. Grant’s army at Pittsburg Landing, launching a massive surprise attack on 6 April 1862—the opening of the Battle of Shiloh. Leading from the front, Johnston was wounded behind the right knee and bled to death, apparently from a severed artery. He died before receiving medical attention, unaware of the severity of his injury.

Legacy

Johnston’s death shocked the Confederacy. As the highest-ranking officer killed in the Civil War, he became a symbol of its early hopes and losses. Jefferson Davis believed that had Johnston lived, the outcome of the Western campaigns—and perhaps the war—might have been different. He was unrelated to General Joseph E. Johnston, another prominent Confederate commander.