J. Johnston Sherman J. E. Johnston died of pneumonia because of his respect at W. T. Sherman's funeral.

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William Tecumseh Sherman died of pneumonia in New York City on February 14, 1891. Sherman and Joseph E. Johnston (Sherman’s old Confederate adversary) had reconciled in the years since the Civil War. Johnston served as an honorary pall bearer at Sherman’s funeral on a rainy and cold day. During the funeral, Johnston removed his hat in the cold rain as other mourners did the same. He was urged to put the hat back on so he would avoid the wet and cold. Johnston said, "If I were in his place and he standing here in mine he would not put on his hat." Former Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston developed pneumonia from the rain and cold at Sherman’s funeral. Johnston died only a few weeks later. http://www.nellaware.com/blog/sherman.html

Above source link has Sherman quotes
and they are fearful and dreadful.​
 
You don't get pneumonia from standing in the rain without a hat, although becoming chilled can certainly lower your resistance to the bacteria and virii which cause illnesses that can, in turn, lead to pneumonia.

Still a great gesture on Johnston's part.
 
This thread reminds me of how much better the peers of that war were at seeking reconciliation than we are today.

Mosby becoming good friends with Grant
Johnston attending Sherman's funeral
Longfellow becoming a Republican
Forrest being defended by Sherman re: Ft. Pillow
 
This thread reminds me of how much better the peers of that war were at seeking reconciliation than we are today.

Mosby becoming good friends with Grant
Johnston attending Sherman's funeral
Longfellow becoming a Republican
Forrest being defended by Sherman re: Ft. Pillow
Then again, both Mosby and Longstreet (fellow? :smile: ) took a lot of guff for doing just that. In fact I seem to recall somebody tried to assassinate Mosby. So reconciliation was an ongoing process...
 
At the end of the war both Lee and Grant made comments to the affect that we are all one now. Many of the Generals tried to live up to that and reconciled with their counterparts. Johnston and Sherman were just one of those great stories.
 
Then again, both Mosby and Longstreet (fellow? :smile: ) took a lot of guff for doing just that. In fact I seem to recall somebody tried to assassinate Mosby. So reconciliation was an ongoing process...

Maybe the generals were better at it than the common soldiers or the politicians.

Longfellow! Ha, ... what a curious slip.
 
JPeter,

You wrote:
Maybe the generals were better at it than the common soldiers or the politicians.

Longfellow! Ha, ... what a curious slip.

Actually, there is documentation of a Longfellow in the A.C.W.

O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXIII/1 [S# 34]
JULY 2-26, 1863.--Morgan's raid in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.
No. 2.--Reports of Brig. Gen. James M. Shackelford, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps, &c.
HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., SECOND DIV., TWENTY-THIRD A. C.,
Russellville, Ky., August 1, 1863.
COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the pursuit and capture of General John H. Morgan and his command:
In pursuance of orders from Major-General Hartsuff, on the 27th of June, 1863, I moved my brigade, with the exception of the Sixty-fifth Indiana and two battalions of the Third Kentucky Cavalry, from Russellville to Glasgow, Ky.
[excerpt]
It is difficult for me to speak of individual officers or men without doing injustice to others. I unhesitatingly bear testimony to the uniformly good conduct and gallant bearing of the whole command, yet I cannot forbear mentioning the names of some of the officers. The noble, true, and gallant Wolford, who was in the entire pursuit, is one of the coolest, bravest, and most efficient officers in the army, and has fairly won, by his untiring energy and gallantry on the field, promotion at the hands of his Government. Colonel Kautz, who commanded the Seventh and Second Ohio; Colonel Jacob, of the Ninth Kentucky; Colonel Crittenden and Major Delfosse, of the Twelfth Kentucky [Cavalry]; Colonel Bristow, Lieutenant-Colonel Holloway, and Major Starling, of the Eighth Kentucky; Major Wolfiey, of the Third Kentucky; Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, of the First Kentucky; Lieutenant-Colonel Melton, of the Second East Tennessee [Infantry]; Major Carpenter, Second East Tennessee [Infantry]; Colonel Capton, of the Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry; Lieutenant-Colonel Ross, of the Forty-fifth Ohio Mounted Infantry; Captain Powers and Lieutenant Longfellow, of the Fifth Indiana Cavalry; Captain [Albert B.] Dod, Fifteenth Regiment Infantry, commanding company Third Ohio Cavalry; Captain Kinney, of the Third Ohio; Captain Ward, of the Third Kentucky, and Adjutant Carpenter, of the First Kentucky Cavalry, deserve the gratitude of the whole country for their energy and gallantry.
[end of excerpt]
------------------------
O.R.--SERIES III--VOLUME V [S# 126]
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE UNION AUTHORITIES FROM MAY 1, 1865, TO THE END.(*)--#27
MASSACHUSETTS.
District. Name of principal. Name of recruit. Date of enlistment.
[excerpt]
Fifth H. W. Longfellow Alexander Thackston Jan. 12, 1865
[end of excerpt]
------------------------------------
However, I am of the same belief that the intended name to be connected with a general is Longstreet.

Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf
 
Jpeter,

Being so low on the totem pole rank wise, perhaps only their relatives (references to the Longfellows provided) would know if they were poets or poets in the making.

:wink:

Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf
 
It's a wonder Joe Johnston lived to such a ripe old age and died of pneumonia - he was a bullet magnet. He was shot 9 times in his career! The one that took him out so Lee could replace him struck his lung. I really wouldn't doubt that helped the pneumonia kill him - his lungs were never good after that injury. It's peculiar that Sherman died of pneumonia as well but some think it was actually his asthma. He always swore it would kill him 'dead as a herring' and apparently he was right. Johnston was a first class gentleman to the end, though.

Jpeter makes a great observation. That was a very, very unique thing about our Civil War. Leaders like Lee and Longstreet who had fought with all they had and lost all they had joined handed with the leaders like Grant and Sherman who had fought with all they had, too, to help heal the country. I really can't think of a civil war anywhere else that ended in that manner.
 
One hundred years ago, pneumonia was more fatal than a lot of other things you could get. And Miss Hale is, I believe, quite correct in that you get colds and pneumonia and stuff like that when your resistance is low. Wash your hands, don't rub your eyes and stay out of brothels. The same advice doesn't work for cholera, yellow fever, and the Montezuma quick step.

Ole
 
In all the photos and accounts of reunions or celebrations of the war at which veterans were gathered from about 1900-1920, I've seen no accounts of fights or other negative activity. These were just old ***** lucky and grateful to be alive. They set a positive example for the world which has apparently gone mostly un-noticed.

[I love the little censor. He accentuates all the good words. Even I could figure most of them out, most of which I'd never notice without the censor. I guess we all have our priorities.]
 
Jpeter,

Being so low on the totem pole rank wise, perhaps only their relatives (references to the Longfellows provided) would know if they were poets or poets in the making.

:wink:


Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf

True enough.

I love it that you actually had that reference.
 
Really! These guys who would have cheerfully bashed in each others' heads not that many years ago, did actually sit down together a said you were a sum***** Johnny/Billy. And they were the ones who counted.
 
One hundred years ago, pneumonia was more fatal than a lot of other things you could get. And Miss Hale is, I believe, quite correct in that you get colds and pneumonia and stuff like that when your resistance is low. Wash your hands, don't rub your eyes and stay out of brothels. The same advice doesn't work for cholera, yellow fever, and the Montezuma quick step.

Ole
And if all else fails, have someone wave an egg over your body.
 
Some day, I will have forgotten what that has to do with anything, and I will hope you're nice enough not to remind me.

Seriously, the actual waving isn't creepy, but the idea of it as related to treatment is.
 
Any more, if someone says pneumonia, I think egg. Crack, plop.

When old folks get pneumonia, it's really serious. If Johnston had any kind of cold or anything, he really should not have done anything to become wet or chilled. Sherman wouldn't have wanted him to die by going to his funeral.
 
He might have been fine, gotten wet and chilled, gotten a cold, then gotten pneumonia.

...that's not any better is it?
 
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