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FLS Town &
Country
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Who the H#** was Old
Alleghany?(FLS
4/8/06)
OLD ALLEGHANY
The Life and Wars of General Ed
Johnson
by Gregg S. Clemmer
By Michael Aubrecht, FLS
Town & Country
Date published: 4/8/2006 CIVIL
WAR
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Living here in the Fredericksburg
area, otherwise known as "The Crossroads of the
Civil War," it's pretty hard not to be aware of the
battlefield exploits of such great Virginians as
Robert E. Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson and the
flamboyant J.E.B. Stuart. One can hardly drive
anywhere in our region without passing a monument
or roadside marker testifying to the heritage of
these great Confederate commanders. That said, for
every one of our local luminaries, there are dozens
of others whose stories have fallen through the
cracks of Southern Civil War history. One such
individual is Gen. Edward Johnson, also known as
"Old Alleghany."
As
a Jackson biographer, I was casually aware of
Johnson's service to the Confederate States of
America, but I must admit that I knew virtually
nothing about this "blue-collar" rebel. Apparently,
I am not alone in my ignorance and this is the
rationale behind author Gregg S. Clemmer's
monumental effort entitled "Old Alleghany: The Life
and Wars of General Ed Johnson."
Although several of our more highly
regarded historians, including Harry Pfanz and Bud
Robertson, have briefly glanced into the life of
Gen. Johnson, many others have filed his story in
the "Who?" category of Civil War history. The lack
of literary preservation on Johnson's behalf is
understandable, as the general died during the
Reconstruction period, leaving behind no family.
Thankfully, we have people like Clemmer to maintain
the memories of these forgotten heroes.
Clemmer, himself, is fully aware of
this dilemma and addresses it immediately inside
the front panel of his book jacket. In fact, the
first words a potential reader sees are "Who the
H#** was Old Alleghany?" in a large, bold typeface.
I'm not exactly sure if this was an intentional
marketing ploy, but the obvious question confronts
the reader and beckons him to enter the life and
times of this unknown soldier.
Briefly stated, Edward Johnson was
the descendant of a prosperous Virginia family that
resided on an estate christened Salisbury in
Chesterfield County. In fact, his lineage can be
traced back to a much more famous Virginian named
Thomas Jefferson. Edward's family later moved to
Kentucky. After attending Kenyon College and
Grammar School in Ohio, he was awarded an
appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in 1833.
Like many of his peers and some of his superiors,
Cadet Johnson struggled academically at West Point
and required five years to complete his
studies.
Upon receiving his commission,
Johnson was assigned as a second lieutenant in the
6th Infantry and served in the Seminole Wars in
Florida, as well as the Mexican War. After the
outbreak of the War Between the States, he followed
the secessionist path of most Virginia officers,
choosing duty to his state over that to the Union.
Despite the popular notion that
Johnson was assigned a command within the ranks of
the Army of the Valley, he was actually given
control of the fledgling Army of the Northwest. It
was only later, in 1862, that he aligned his forces
with those of Gen. Jackson.
Praised by most of his superiors
and subordinates, Johnson's career flourished until
he was injured during Stonewall's famous Valley
Campaign at the battle at McDowell. This
interruption of service had a huge impact on the
general's future legacy, as his extensive recovery
time drastically limited his opportunities for
recognition or advancement. Nobody knows for sure
how high Johnson would have risen in the echelons
of Confederate legends, if not for this untimely
wounding.
Johnson returned a year later to
serve under Gen. Ewell's division at Gettysburg.
Johnson was also at the Wilderness and shortly
thereafter he was captured in Spotsylvania. After
an imprisonment at Fort Delaware, Johnson was
released, only to be captured again in Nashville
and held as a POW in Boston.
Following the surrender at
Appomattox, Johnson returned to Virginia's
Chesterfield County and took up farming. He died in
March of 1873 and was buried in Richmond's famous
Hollywood Cemetery. Ironically, the exact location
of Johnson's grave has been lost and no one knows
for sure where he lies.
That, of course, is the short
version. For the long one, "Old Alleghany" provides
the reader with an encyclopedic study of the
general from the beginning to the end--and
everything in between. At over 700 pages, this book
can be intimidating to even the most voracious of
readers, but the author's talents as a historian
and wordsmith shine through the numerous pages.
Each chapter flows very nicely from one to the
next, and the narrative style paints an intimate
portrait of a real "soldier's soldier."
Author Clemmer is a native
Virginian who now resides in Maryland and also has
published other Civil War books, including "Valor
In Gray: The Recipients of the Confederate Medal of
Honor."
"Old Alleghany" is his fourth
effort and, in defense of the size, Clemmer offers
an argument in the introduction with which I cannot
disagree. He states that although extensive, his
exhaustive study of Johnson does not follow the
mold of the traditional military biography. He is
referring to the standard in which a writer spends
25 pages on the first 25 years of the subject's
life; then several hundred more on his exploits
during the war; only to wrap it up with a "token"
postwar synopsis.
Therefore, Clemmer leaves no stone
unturned, and I must applaud his efforts for taking
the time to dig through the National Archives and a
few other caches of Johnson's personal letters to
compile a most well-rounded portrayal. I also would
like to mention the inclusion of maps, photos and
illustrations that provide occasional breaks and
complement the editorial pages of the text.
As
a validation of his efforts, Clemmer's book
received the 2005 Douglas Southall Freeman History
Award, a citation that, in my opinion, is well
deserved. Honestly, this is one of the longest
studies that I have ever read on a single
individual, but it is also one of the most
thoroughly composed biographies that I have ever
seen--in any genre.
If
you are short on time or prefer to read a
conservative synopsis or vignette, then "Old
Alleghany" is not the book for you. However, if you
enjoy in-depth studies that encompass the entire
lives of great military commanders, both on and off
the battlefield, then "The Life and Wars of General
Ed Johnson" is just the biography you've been
waiting for.
GREGG S. CLEMMER will be in Fredericksburg (April
10) at the Eastern National bookstore, (1011
Lafayette Blvd.), to sign "Old Alleghany: The Life
and Wars of General Ed Johnson." "Valor in Gray"
also will be available. For more information call
540/372-3034.
MICHAEL AUBRECHT will be in
Harrisonburg (April 8-9) at the Gathering of Eagles
event to sign "Onward Christian Soldier" and
"Christian Cavalier." Visit:
www.gatheringofeagles.leeslieutenants.com.
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