Richard W. Johnson

Richard W. Johnson (1827-97) was an American soldier, born in Kentucky

Early Career

He graduated at West Point in 1849 and up to the time of the Civil War was employed chiefly on frontier service. In 1861 he was commissioned colonel in the Third Kentucky Cavalry and soon afterward was made a brigadier general of volunteers. He took part as a cavalry commander in the western campaigns of 1861 and 1862 and on August 21 of the latter year was defeated and captured by Col. John H. Morgan, whom he had been sent to drive out of Tennessee.

In the Army of the Cumberland

In the battle of Murfreesboro he commanded a division on the right flank under MG Alexander McCook and largely eliminated from the battle. Johnson's command was flanked from its position by the initial Confederate attack. At Chickamauga his division of XIV Corps formed part of the command of General Thomas, and it was one of those which during the battle of Chattanooga charged up the heights of Missionary Ridge. The next year he commanded a division in the Army of the Cumberland during the invasion of Georgia and was severely wounded at the battle of New Hope Church (May 28, 1864).

Cavalry Service

On August 22 of 1864 he was made chief of cavalry of the Military Division of the Mississippi. He commanded a cavalry division at the battle of Nashville. On the second day of the battle, Johnson was given the brevet rank of major general of volunteers, supplemented on March 13, 1865, by the brevet rank of brigadier general in the regular army, and on the same day was brevetted major general in the regular army for "gallant and meritorious services during the war." Johnson was left behind when MG James H. Wilson began his raid into Alabama in 1865.

Post War

He was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866, and became provost marshal general of the Military Division of the Tennessee, and later acting judge advocate in various military departments. He resigned in 1867 with the rank of major, which grade by an Act of Congress (March 3, 1875) was changed to that of brigadier general. He published "A Soldier's Reminiscences in Peace and War" (1866) and a "Memoir of Major General George H. Thomas" (1881).

ee also

* List of American Civil War generals

References

* Cozzens, Peter, "No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River", University of Illinois Press, 1990, ISBN 0-252-01652-1.
* Cozzens, Peter, "The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga", Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994, ISBN 0-252-01922-9.
* Cozzens, Peter, "This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga", University of Illinois Press, 1992, ISBN 0-252-02236-X.

External links

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