Perry County AlArchives Biographies.....Johnston, George Doherty 1832 - 
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Carolyn Golowka http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002972 November 3, 2008, 5:15 pm

Author: "Alabama: Her History, Resources, War Record and Public Men From 1540 to 1872,: by Willis Brewer, published 1872, pages 495-496

George Doherty Johnston resided for many years in Perry.  He was born in 1832 
at Hillsboro, North Carolina, where his father was a merchant.  His mother, a 
Miss Bond, was a grand-daughter of Major Geo. Doherty, a colonial officer in 
1776.  In 1833 his parents settled at Greenesboro, this State, and his father 
died there the same year.  His mother brought her family to Marion soon after, 
and he was here reared, and graduated at the Howard.  Obtaining his law license 
at Lebanon, Tennessee, he opened an office in Marion in 1855.  The following 
year he was mayor, and in 1857 he represented the county in the legislature. 
Entering the army as a lieutenant in the Fourth Alabama infantry, he served 
with that command till commissioned major of the Twenty-fifth Alabama in 
January 1862.  After the fall of Col. Loomis at Shiloh, and from that day, he 
led the regiment in every encounter till promoted to brigadier general.  This 
was for gallantry at Atlanta, July 22, 1864, where he forced the enemy’s line 
with his regiment, and captured more men than he led, with two flags, and 350 
stands of arms.  He had been previously recommended for promotion by Generals 
J. E. Johnston, Hood, and Hindman, and now received it on the recommendation of 
Generals Bragg, Hood, Cheatham, and Brown.  Three hours after receiving his 
commission, July 28, his leg bone was fractured by a bullet, but he placed the 
wounded member in his bridle-rein, and continued in command of the brigade 
(Deas’) till exhausted.  During Hood’s movement into Tennessee he was on 
crutches much of the time, but took command of Quarles’ brigade after the 
battle of Franklin, and led it till the second day at Bentonville, when he 
commanded Walthall’s division till the reorganization at Goldsboro.  At the 
time of the surrender he was on the way to report to Lieut. Gen. Taylor.  He 
was then associated with Mr. John F. vary in the practice of the law at Marion 
till 1868, since when he has resided much of the time in Dallas, and is now 
commandant of cadets of the State University.

Gen. Johnston is of ordinary highth, and compactly built, with a handsome 
exterior, and cordial manner.  He is a fluent and graceful speaker, a 
considerate and kind companion, and was a daring and intrepid soldier.  He 
first married a daughter of Gen. C. A. Poelnitz of Marengo, and his second wife 
was Miss Barnett of Tennessee.


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