Robert Daniel Johnston the Petersburg trenches to rejoin Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. During his time at Petersburg, Johnston briefly commanded the division and served on detached duty attempting to catch deserters. Following the war Johnston resumed his law practice in North Carolina and eventually became a banker in Alabama. Johnston married Elizabeth Johnston "Johnsie" Evans, who founded the Alabama Boys' Industrial School. They had nine children. He was the father of Medal of Honor recipient Gordon Johnston. Robert Daniel Johnston Robert Daniel Johnston (March 19, 1837 – February 1, 1919) was a brigadier general for the Confederate States of
Joseph E. Johnston Manassas. The winter of 1861–62 was relatively quiet for Johnston in his Centreville headquarters, concerned primarily with organization and equipment issues, as the principal Northern army, also named Army of the Potomac, was being organized by George B. McClellan. McClellan perceived Johnston's army as overwhelmingly strong in its fortifications, which prompted the Union general to plan an amphibious movement around Johnston's flank. In early March, learning of Union offensive preparations, Johnston withdrew his army to Culpeper Court House. This movement had repercussions on both sides. President Davis was surprised and disappointed by the unannounced move, which he considered a "precipitate