Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 11.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[262] and his sword to her cause. A brief description of his personnel at this period of life, taken from his faithful and loving biographer, may not be uninteresting. He pictures him ‘with brown hair clustering over a noble forehead, and from under heavy brows his deep-set, but clear, steady eyes looked straight at you with a regard kind and sincere, yet penetrating. With those eyes upon him any man would have scrupled to tell a lie. In repose his eyes were as blue as the sky, but in excitement they flashed to a steel gray and exerted a wonderful power over men. He was six feet and an inch in height, weighed 180 pounds, straight as an arrow, with broad, square shoulders and a massive chest. He was strong and active, but his endurance and vital power seemed the result rather of nervous than of muscular energy, and drew their exhaustless resources from the mind rather than the body. His bearing was essentially military and dignified rather than graceful, and his movements were prompt, but easy and firm. He was, indeed, in appearance a model for the soldier.’

Leaving Louisville, Mr. Johnston proceeded to New Orleans and thence to Alexandria, La. After tarrying a few days with his brother, Judge Johnston, who resided at Alexandria, he proceeded, on horseback, in company with Leonard Gives and brother, and Major Bynum, of Rapides, La., to the camp of the defenders. Here he found an army of men composed of every character, without discipline or order, and whom Santa Anna had characterized as the ‘Tumultuario’ of the Mississippi Valley. When Mr. Johnston reached the Texan army, then under the command of General Thomas J. Rusk, though he bore letters of introduction from his old commander, General Atkinson of the Fifth infantry, and other distinguished persons in the States, he, with his instinctive dread of being an ‘office seeker,’ quietly volunteered in the little squadron of horse, from seventy to a hundred strong. General Rusk's attention was drawn to him, says Mr. Davis, “by his bearing as a soldier and the way he sat his horse;” and calling on him, after a brief interview, tendered him the position of Adjutant of the army. On the same day (fifth of August) on which General Rusk appointed him Adjutant of the army, with the rank of Colonel, President Burnett appointed him a Colonel in the regular army, and assigned him to the post of Adjutant-General of the republic. President Sam Houston about the same time sent him a commission as aid-de-camp, with the rank of Major. He at once entered on the-task of organizing and disciplining the army. This was partially accomplished, when, on the 17th of September, 1836, he was summoned by the Hon. John