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Joseph Eggleston Johnston (1807–1891)
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Joseph E. Johnston’s Civil War career was a
little like the Confederate experiment itself in
that it was begun with high hopes, riddled with
missed opportunities, and ultimately met with disappointment.
Johnston joined the rebel army as a leading contender
for high command. His brilliant performance at the
First Battle of Manassas earned him a general’s
commission and seemed to foretell further military
laurels. Yet his promotion was the beginning of
a tempestuous working relationship with President
Jefferson Davis. The two simply did not trust each
other. When assigned to command in Tennessee and
Mississippi, Johnston erroneously complained that
his orders were nominal and lacked authority. In
turn, when the strategic river town of Vicksburg
fell, Davis blamed Johnston for circumstances beyond
his immediate control.
The problem hurting Johnston most, however, was
his overcautiousness, which was interpreted by
his superiors as passivity. He liked ideal situations
in which his army had a numerical edge and could
take the defensive, but at no time was the Confederacy
ever blessed with superior numbers.
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Benjamin Franklin Reinhart (1829–1885)
Oil on artist board, not dated
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
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