THE DEATH OF GENERAL JOHNSTON.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1219, 10 July 1885, Page 3

THE DEATH OF GENERAL JOHNSTON.

“ General Johnston had passed through the ordeal seemingly unhurt. His horse was shot in four places ; his clothes were pierced by missiles; his boot sole was cut and tom by a minie, but if he himself had received any severe wound, he did not know it. At this moment Governor Harris rode up from the right. After a few words, General Johnston sent him with an order to Colonel Stathara, which having delivered, he speedily returned. 7 n the meantime knots and groups of Federal soldiers kept up a desultory fire as they retreated upon their supports, and their last line now yielding, de livered volley after volley as they sullenly retired. By the chance of war a minie ball from one of these did its fatal work. As he sat there after his fatal wound, Captain Wickham says that Colonel O’Hara, of his staff, rode up, and General Johnston said to him, ‘We must go to the loft, wli-re the firing is heaviest,’and then gave him an order, which O’liara rode elf to obey. Governor Hams returned, and finding him very pale, asked him, ‘ General, are you wounded 1 He answered, in a very deliberate and emphatic tone, ‘ Yes ; ard, I fear, seriously.’ These were his last words. Harris and Wickham led h’s horse back undercover of the hill, and lifted him from it they searched at random foi the wound, which had cut an artery in his leg, the blood flowing into bis boot. When bis brothert-in-law, Preston, addressed him with passionate grief, he smiled faintly but uttered no word. His life rapidly ebbed away, and in a tew moments be was dead. His wound was not necessarily fatal. General Johnston’s own knowledge of military surgery was adequate for its control by an extemporised tourniquet, bad lie been aware or regardful of its nature. Dr. D. W. Y andell, his surgeon, had attended his person during most of the morning ; but finding a large number of wounded men, including many Federals, at one point, General Johnston ordered Yandell to stop there, establish an hospital, and give them his services. Ho said to Yandell— ‘ These men were our enemies a moment ago; they arc prisoners now. Take care of them.’ Yandell remonstrated against leaving him, but he was preomptory. Had Yandell remained with him ho would have had little difficulty with the wound.”— ‘ The Century.’