General James H. Lane, in acknowledging to the editor the receipt of advanced sheets of this volume, writes as follows of a gallant and noble young officer of the First North Carolina Infantry (the roster of the officers of which is given
ante, pp. 51-55):
‘
Captain Johnston was not, as published, “one of my
adjutants,” but one of my
adjutants-general—the first of my own selection.
When my regiment was cut off from the brigade under
General Branch, near Slash Church, in
Hanover county, by the
Federal divisions of
Porter and
Sedgwick, and
Johnston's company was subsequently cut off from the regiment, after a most gallant fight,
Johnston swam the river near by to encourage his men to cross, but when none of them would venture to follow him he would not
[
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desert them, but swam back, rejoined them, was captured with them, and was marched drenching wet to
West Point, or rather to the “
White House,” and was subsequently sent to
Johnson's Island.
He was the son of
Rev. Mr. Johnston, of the Episcopal Church in
Edenton, and married the daughter of
Dr. Johnson, of
Raleigh.
One of his brothers used to laughingly tell him that he had never been married—that
Miss Johnson only consented to take
t with him. He was the life of the prison on
Johnson's Island, though rapidly nearing death with consumption, and used to read the
Episcopal service to his fellow-prisoners every Sunday.
He used to tell them that he never knew how to appreciate his prayer-book, especially the litany, until he was himself a prisoner and invoked God's “pity upon all prisoners and captives.”
He had a young, joyous-hearted brother in my command who is now an Episcopal clergyman in
Canada, though he has recently been travelling and preaching in
England in the interest of missions.
This younger brother took charge of the remains of my youngest boy-brother, killed in action at
Chancellorsville, and carried them to
Richmond for burial in
Hollywood.
I have two young hero brothers buried in that beautiful cemetery on
Monroe Hill.’
