A Governor Killed In Battle

Confederate Governor George Washington Johnson died April 8^th 1862 from wounds received while fighting at the Battle of Shiloh.

George Washington Johnson was born May 27^th 1811 near Georgetown, Scott, Kentucky the son of William and Betsey (Payne) Johnson.  His father died shortly after his birth and he was raised by his stepfather John Allen.  Johnson was sent to Transylvania University where he graduated in 1833 with three degrees.  He practiced law in Georgetown, before deciding he liked farming better.  He owned two plantations one near Georgetown and one in Arkansas.  In 1838 Johnson was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives.  He headed the Committee of Sixty in August 1845 that seized the printing press belonging to abolitionist Cassius M Clay.

As the Confederate States of America were forming, Johnson advocated for Kentucky to join the Confederacy, he thought the two sides would be evenly matched and that a trade agreement could be negotiated.  When the Union took control of Kentucky Johnson fled with other Southern sympathizers, traveling to Tennessee he volunteered as an aid to Confederate General Simon B Buckner.   On November 18^th 1861 at Russellville, Kentucky 116 men representing 68 Kentucky counties met to establish a Confederate government.  They unanimously chose Johnson to be the Governor of the new Confederate state.  Kentucky was admitted on December 10^th 1861.  When Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston withdrew from Bowling Green, Kentucky in February 1862, Johnson moved the government to Tennessee.

When General Johnston attacked the Union army at Shiloh, Tennessee Johnson served as an aide to General Breckinridge.  He had his horse shot out from under him, and then insisted on being sworn in as a Private in Company E of the 4^th Kentucky Infantry.  In the fight the next day Johnson was wounded in the abdomen and right thigh, he was left on the battlefield overnight.  The next day Union General Alexander M McCook recognized him and had Johnson taken aboard a Union hospital ship where despite medical care he died April 8^th 1862.

Members of the Union army had Johnson’s body shipped to Georgetown, Kentucky for burial, in the Georgetown Cemetery.

Control Of Kentucky

The Battle of Perryville, also sometimes called the Battle of Chaplin Hills was fought October 8th 1862 in Perryville, Kentucky.


Union General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio with about 55,000 troops, converged on the town of Perryville, Kentucky pursuing Confederate General Braxton Bragg and his Army of Mississippi. The fighting began at dawn October 8th 1862 along the Peters Hill. After noon a Confederate division hit the Union left flank of Major General Alexander M McCook, causing it to fall back. The Union troops formed a line and made a stand, but with more Confederate soldiers coming up the Federal force was routed. Buell was several miles behind the action, and wasn’t aware there was a fight taking place. Once he realized there was a battle taking place he sent in reserves. Two brigades prompted up the Union left flank, halting the Confederate attack.

Following this three regiments of Confederates hit a Union division along the Springfield Pike, finding themselves overwhelmed the Confederates fell back to Perryville. Union troops gave chase, and there was fighting in the streets until darkness fell. By this time there were more Union reinforcement, and Bragg who was short on supplies and man power pulled out during the night, retreating through the Cumberland Gap to Fort Tennessee. This battle left the Union in control of the border state of Kentucky.

For more information about this battle check out this web site The Battle of Perryville

No One Celebrated

The Confederates took the advantage at the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee [aka the Battle of Murfreesboro] by attacking first. At dawn on December 31st 1862 while many of the Union men where having breakfast, two of Lieutenant General William J Hardee’s and one of Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk’s divisions strongly assaulted the right wing under Union Major General Alexander M McCook. By ten that morning the Rebels had managed to push the Union troops back about three miles, almost to the Nashville Pike. Only the units fighting tenaciously under Brigadier General Philip H Sheridan and Brigadier General James S Negley keep the battle from being a total Federal rout. At noon along the Nashville Pike troops under Major General Thomas Crittenden used infantry and artillery to push back a Confederate attack. The noise of battle was so loud that soldiers had to put cotton in the ears. As night came on the fighting died off. No one celebrated the New Year that night, as the two armies stayed in position for the next day.

Worth looking at
Stones River Bloody Winter Tennessee

Personal Recollections And Experiences Concerning The Battle Of Stone River (1889)

http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/40stones/40stones.htm