William Johnston Jr.
William Hartshorne Johnston Jr. (October 19, 1861 - February 19, 1933) was an American military officer who served with distinction in the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and World War I. He attained the rank of major general, and was most notable for his World War I command of the 91st Division.
William Hartshorne Johnston Jr. | |
---|---|
![]() From 1919's The War of the Nations: Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings | |
Born | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | October 19, 1861
Died | February 19, 1933 71) Nice, France, U.S. | (aged
Buried | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1883-1925 |
Rank | Major General |
Unit | U.S. Army Infantry Branch |
Commands held | 1st Battalion of Philippine Scouts 180th Infantry Brigade, 90th Division 91st Division 1st Brigade, American Forces in Germany Fourth Coast Artillery District 3rd Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War World War I |
Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star |
Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis |
Early life
William Hartshorne Johnston Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, a son of Mary (Neele) Johnston and Colonel William Hartshorne Johnston, a U.S. Army paymaster.[1] He was raised and educated at various Army posts and in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Washington University in St. Louis from 1876 to 1879.[1][2] While living in St. Louis, Johnston also worked as a salesman for the Scudders-Gale Grocery Company.[3]
Military career
Militia service
Johnston enlisted in the Missouri Militia in 1878, and rose to sergeant in the Lafayette Guard of St. Louis before moving to Prescott, Arizona in 1881.[1] While in Arizona, he obtained a commission as a first lieutenant in the territorial militia's Prescott Rifles company, and he served until 1883.[4] From November 1881 to October 1883, he was an Army paymaster's clerk.[5]
In February 1883, Johnston was a resident of New York City when he competed for a Congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy.[6] He was selected by a panel that made a recommendation to Representative Roswell P. Flower, but was subsequently declared ineligible because he did not meet the one-year state residency requirement.[7] In July 1883, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the United States Army directly from civil life, subject to completion of an examination by a board of officers.[8] When Johnston took the competitive examination, he placed first of 96 candidates.[9] His commission in the 16th Infantry Regiment was confirmed in October.[10]
Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War
In 1887, Johnston graduated with honors from the Infantry and Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.[1] While assigned to the faculty of first Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois[11] and later Saint Louis University,[12] Johnston attended law school at Washington University in St. Louis.[13] He was a student beginning in 1894, graduated in 1897, and received his LL.B. degree.[13] Johnston was awarded the honor of Prize Essayist of his senior class.[13]
During the Spanish–American War, Johnston served with the 46th U.S. Volunteer Infantry as a major.[10] Following the conflict, Johnston was mustered out of the volunteer service and was appointed military governor of Isabela Province in the Philippine island of Luzon, a post which he held from 1901 to 1902.
During the Philippine–American War, Johnston commanded the 1st Battalion of Philippine Scouts from 1904-1906 during the campaign against the Pulajanes, for which he was awarded the Silver Star.[14] He returned to the U.S. in 1907 to attend the Army War College until 1908.[10]
World War I

William Johnston was a member of the General Staff at the United States Army War College from 1914 to 1917. Following the American entry into World War I in April 1917, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to command the 180th Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 90th Division. He organized and trained the brigade, which he led to France.[10] After arriving on the Western Front in August 1918, Johnston's brigade was stationed in the Toul Sector as part of I Corps,[14]

Johnston was soon assigned to command the 91st Division, taking over from Brigadier General Frederick Steinman Foltz, who had been in temporary command. Johnston was promoted to majo general, and under his command, the 91st Division took part in the St. Mihiel offensive and the Meuse–Argonne offensive, for which he was awarded both the Distinguished Service Cross[15] and Army Distinguished Service Medal,[15] and the Ypres-Lys campaign. For his leadership in the war, Johnston was awarded the French Legion of Honor (Commander) and Croix de Guerre with Palm, the Belgian Order of Leopold I (Commander) and the Victory Medal.[14]
Inter-war years
Following the end of the First World War, Johnston and the 91st Division were demobilized. Johnston returned briefly to the Army War College's General Staff before deploying once more to Germany in 1920 as part of the American forces occupying Germany. Over the next three years, Johnston played key roles in the occupying force, as Chief of Staff of American Forces in Germany until 1921, commanding officer of the 1st Brigade until 1922 and as general liaison officer to the French Army of the Rhine until 1923.[14]
Johnston returned to the U.S. in 1923 to command the Fourth Coast Artillery District at Fort McPherson, Georgia. The following year, he assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Division, which he led until his retirement in 1925.[10]
Family
In June 1888, Johnston married Lucille Barat Wilkinson (1869-1917), a great-granddaughter of Major General James Wilkinson.[2][16][lower-alpha 1] In 1923, Johnston married Isabelle Gros in Paris, France.[10]
With his first wife, Johnston was the father of a daughter, Genevieve.[2] Genevieve Johnston lived in St. Louis, and became a nun at Villa Duchesne Convent of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis.[2]
Retirement and death
In retirement, Johnston resided in Nice, France.[10] He died in Nice on February 19, 1933, after he suffered a heart attack while attending a Red Cross ball.[17] A memorial service was held in the chapel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.[18] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and the honorary pallbearers included generals Stephen O. Fuqua, Harry L. Gilchrist, Samuel Hof, Lytle Brown, John W. Gulick, Oscar Westover.[18]
Notes
- Lucille Wilkinson's ancestry was James Wilkinson (1757-1825) (great-grandfather), Walter Wilkinson (1791-1837) (grandfather), Joseph Pratte Wilkinson (1822-1891) (father).
References
- Marquis, Albert Nelson, ed. (1921). Who's Who in America. Vol. XI. Chicago, IL: A. M. Marquis & Co. p. 1524 – via Google Books.
- "Gen. W. J. Johnston, Retired, Dies At 71". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, MO. February 20, 1933. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- "St. Louis General is Decorated for Bravery Action". St. Louis Star. St. Louis, MO. January 25, 1919. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Local Intelligence: Prescott Rifles". The Miner. Prescott, AZ. May 12, 1882. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- U.S. Congress (1940). 76th U.S. Congress, Miscellaneous Documents: Increase of Pensions to Sundry Widows. Vol. 1. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 80 – via Google Books.
- "A Congressman's Cadet". New York Herald. New York, NY. February 25, 1883. p. 8 – via GenealogyBank.com.
- "Congressman Flower's Cadet". New York Herald. New York, NY. March 1, 1883. p. 5 – via GenealogyBank.com.
- "Army Lieutenants From Civil Life". Freeborn County Standard. Albert Lea, MN. July 5, 1883. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Maj.-Gen. Johnston Receives D.S.C." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, MO. January 25, 1919. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-5719-7088-6 – via Google Books.
- "The Interstate Drill". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, MO. June 23, 1895. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- "First-Lieut. William H. Johnston Jr". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. August 31, 1895. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- Washington University: A Catalogue of the Officers and Students in the Law School. St. Louis, MO: C. R. Barns. 1897. pp. 13 (1895), 10 (1896), 8 (1897) – via Internet Archive.
- Who Was Who in American History - The Military (Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who, Inc., 1975) pp. 293
- "William Johnston - Recipient - Military Times Hall Of Valor". valor.militarytimes.com.
- "Descendants of Madame Chouteau". Genealogy in St. Louis. St. Louis, MO: Dave Lossos. December 30, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- "Gen. W. H. Johnston Dies In Nice At 71". St. Louis Star and Times. St. Louis, MO. February 20, 1933. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Gen. Johnston Buried". The Sunday Star. Washington, DC. March 26, 1933. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William H. Johnston. |