Albert Monroe Johnston

Albert Johnston was the 7^th child of 8 children born to Abel Johnston & Jane Leech. There were 6 boys and 2 girls born from their marriage. Jane, the mother of these 8 children was taken from this life in a "yellow fever " outbreak around 1844.

Abel and the 8 children then moved west into Lafayette County, Mississippi. Arriving there in 1845. The family raised crops and Abel married his second wife, Ruth Frazier. Ruth bore him 2 daughters and two sons. The eldest son died in infancy, the youngest born in 1861 was named Jefferson Davis Johnston. There were no mistakes as to where the family loyalties would lay.

When the War Between the States finally erupted the Johnston boys hurried to defend their family and homes for the Southern cause. Of the six boys who went off to the war four of the boys would never return

Albert Monroe Johnston enlisted in Company K of the 22^nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment at Oxford, Mississippi in July of 1861. The regiment enlisted for the duration of the war. They received the initial training at Iuka, Miss. And were rushed north into Kentucky with Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston’s army. (Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston was said to related to the Kentucky branch of the family). In the fall of 1861 they arrived at Camp Beaureguard in Kentucky. They were assigned to Bowen’s Brigade.

After the fall of Fort Donaldson, the 22^nd Ms. with the balance of the Army of Central Kentucky fell back to Murfreesboro, Tn. The regiment was assigned to a new brigade with Col. Statham of the `15^th Ms. The brigade was composed of the 15^th &22^nd Ms .Inf., the 19^th, 20^th,28^th,and 45^th Tenn. Infantry Regts., Rutledge’s Tennessee Battery, and Nathan B. Forrest’s Tennessee Cavalry.

They were now part of the 3^rd Brig. Reserve Corps under Gen. John C. Breckenridge. The brigade was moved rapidly to Gen. Johnston’s army now concentrating in northern Mississippi.

At the Battle of Shiloh Apr 6-7, 1862 the regiment was in heavy combat and suffered with heavy casualities. Stathams Brigade was on the far Confederate right flank. The brigade made 2 assaults on the "Hornets Nest", including its collapse. Gen Albert Sidney Johnston was mortally wounded while personally leading Stathams Brigade on one of these assaults through the" Peach Orchard" and into the "Nest". The brigade drank from the "Bloody Pond" and spent the first night on the high ground overlooking the Tennessee River.

After Shiloh the 22^nd went into the lines around Corinth, Ms. When the Army of Mississippi withdrew the 22^nd Ms. & the 5^th Kentucky acted as rear guard for the left wing. They were cut off from the main army but managed to fight through Federal lines to reach the main army now at Baldwin, Ms.

Breckenridge’s Corp was ordered to Vicksburg, MS. They were sent to Bovina and to the Four Mile Bridge. They came under heavy naval fire from the river fleet. They witnessed the naval battle between the ram CSS Arkansas and the entire US Mississippi River Squadron.

On July 29,1862 under Gen. Breckenridge they left Vicksburg and moved to Camp Moore, Louisiana. From here the marched to attack Federal forces at Baton Rouge on Aug 5, 1862.

On Aug 7 they moved to Port Hudson, La. were they helped build fortifications. On Aug 29, 1862 they were ordered to Jackson, Mississippi. Arriving at Jackson they were assigned to a new brigade. They were part of Gen. John S. Bowen’s brigade which contained the 6^th Ms, 15^th , & 22nd Ms Regs. As well as Caruther’s Battalion and the 1^st Missouri Inf. Reg. This brigade was part of Lovell,s Division Van Dorn’s Army.

In Sept they marched into Tennessee. The army then turned south and struck Iuka, Mississippi. They then formed with Gen, Price and attacked Corinth, Mississippi on Oct 3-4, 1862. The 22^nd was deployed as skirmishers in front of the division as they advanced on Corinth. It was here that Pvt. A.M. Johnston was struck in the left upper thigh by a Federal skirmisher. Family stories said Albert did not give that Yankee a second shot to finish the job. He killed the enemy soldier before he could reload.

After the battle Albert was left at the Johnston family farm in Lafayette county as the army was passing through. Albert did not return for service until Sept of 1863. The 22^nd had been in 11 engagements all around Vicksburg. They were cut off from the main army at the Battle of Champion’s Hill. They marched around Grant’s army to Jackson and Gen. Joe Johnston’s army which was forming there.

In Feb of 1864 Pvt Albert M. Johnston was sent before a medical review board. His wound was causing him great difficulty in keeping up with the hard driving infantry. It was determined to transfer him to the cavalry where he could still render useful service to the army. He could not walk with out a limp but he could still fight.

The 22^nd Mississippi Infantry would go on to fight in the Atlanta campaign, Resaca, New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, Peach tree Creek, Jonesboro, Franklin, and Bentonville. They fought in 37 battles and engagements. In the Army of Tennessee, they were with Featherston’s Brig, Lorings Division, Stewart’s Corp.

Pvt Johnston was assigned to Co F, Cpt Duncan’s Company, of Col. Falkners 1^st Mississippi Partisan Rangers, Chalmers Division, Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cav. Corp. In July or Aug of 1864 the 1^st Partisan rangers were renamed the 7^th Mississippi Cavalry.

The 7^th Ms Cav fought in 44 battles and engagements. Albert was in about 20 of these. He fought under Gen Forrest in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Some these actions were Fort Pillow, Brice’s Cross Roads, Pontotoc. Harrisburg, Tishimingo Creek, Wilson’s & Sturgis’s Invasions, Memphis, Pulaski, Johnsonville, Murfreesboro, Lynnville, Decatur, and Macon. Albert was around Columbus when the unit surrendered in May or June of 1865.

Returning home he found the farm destroyed. In 1867 he married Elizabeth Bowles. They had ten children. The oldest William Abel Johnston was my great grandfather.

Like many across the war torn and ravaged Southland Albert decided to start from scratch. Texas had open spaces and welcomed Confederate veterans with wide open arms. Elizabeth’s father gave Albert a carpenter’s plane to build a coffin if she died on the trip. She was suffering from the "consumption’. She thrived in Texas and lived into her seventies.

In 1871 Albert M. Johnston came to Texas. He saw the last of the great buffalo herds and the end of the Plains Indians. He witnessed the Railway as it was first being built to stretch across Texas.

In 1881 he brought the family to Deep Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River. (About 15 miles north of present Colorado City, Texas). He was the first farmer in Scurry County, Texas. Elizabeth brought seeds from Mississippi to plant. Among these were Pecan. Those trees grow along that creek to this day. Family stories say the cowboys from nearby ranches would on occasion bring a deer or beef and hang it up on a tree near the front door. This friendly gesture rewarded both parties. The Johnston’s got extra meat and the cowboys could flirt with the only girls to be found for many miles!

My Great- aunt Lorena,(now passed on) was named by Albert, her grandfather. She asked me to try and put a Confederate marker on his grave. She told me he was very proud that he was a rebel soldier. She said she could remember that as a child he would sit her on his lap and sing "Dixie", "Lorena", "The Bonnie Blue Flag" and many other Southern songs. He was a member of the United Confederate Veterans. He attended a National Convention in New Orleans when he was about eighty.

In 1985 after two years of research I found Albert’s Confederate records and placed a C.S. marker on his gravesite. It was a very special day when my young son Jeff and I put his marker in place.