General joe johnston biography

Joseph E. Johnston: Early Life and Military Career

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was born on February 3, 1807, near Farmville, Virginia. His father was a respected judge and Revolutionary War veteran, and his mother was the niece of Patrick Henry.

With the help of his father’s political connections, Johnston secured an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1825. He graduated in 1829, finishing 13th out of 46 in his class.

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General Joseph E. Johnston was the highest-ranking U.S. Army officer to join the Confederacy during the Civil War, and was the only Confederate general to command both the Eastern and Western theaters of battle.

Johnston was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 4th U.S.

Artillery, and spent his early military career on garrison duty before serving in a non-combat role in the Black Hawk War (1832). After a stint at Fort Monroe in Virginia, Johnston served on General Winfield Scott’s staff during the Second Seminole W