Presentation to the
Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia
at the Fort Myer Officers' Club in Arlington, VA
at the Fort Myer Officers' Club in Arlington, VA
on April 10, 2018
About the Topic:
General Ed "Old Alleghany" Johnson was a unique character. A professional soldier from Kentucky (by way of Virginia), he graduated from West Point in 1838 and had a distinguished military career participating in five battles in the Mexican-American war and was awarded a ceremonial sword by the Commonwealth of Virginia for his bravery. Highly regarded by Robert E. Lee, Johnson received his nickname while commanding Confederate forces in the 1861 battle on Allegheny Mountain. Johnson was severely wounded with a bullet to the ankle, and he returned to Richmond for his convalescence and became active in the social scene.
Although Johnson was a heavy-set, rough-looking, rude character who was still a bachelor at age 47, he had the reputation as a ladies' man. Due to a wound he received in Mexico, he was afflicted with an eye that winked uncontrollably, causing many women to believe he was flirting with them. He caused enough attention that he rated several scandalous mentions in the diary of Mary Chesnut. When he returned to action (according to Douglas Southall Freeman), it was with a “roar and a limp which he eased with a long staff, wherefore the men began calling him “Old Clubby.” Promoted to Major General and Division Commander in the Army of Northern Virginia, he had a reputation as a hard fighter but was twice captured along with the Divisions he led. After his capture at Spotsylvania, he ate breakfast with Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, an old friend.
Gregg Clemmer pursued Maj. Gen. Ed Johnson's never-told, extraordinary story despite colleagues' warnings of little original source material. His diligent research over a dozen years, however, resulted in the discovery of two notable caches of Johnson letters and a treasure trove of primary records. The ensuing biography, Old Alleghany: The Life and Wars of General Ed Johnson, is the definitive history of the general, and it won the Douglas Southall Freeman History Award in 2005 as the book of highest merit in the field of Southern history.
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About Our Speaker:
Gregg Clemmer is a native of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and a graduate of Virginia Tech. He also received a master's degree in military history from Norwich University in Vermont.
A writer and historian of eclectic interests, Mr. Clemmer thrives on connecting the obscure with the notable, chronicling relatively unknown historic incidents and their relevance the fabric of modern America, reminding us of the history many have forgotten. He is an eloquent speaker and a gifted storyteller, talents that he demonstrated leading battlefield tours for the Smithsonian and appearing on MSNBC, Fox News, and CBS Radio.
Aside from writing Old Alleghany: The Life and Wars of General Ed Johnson, Mr. Clemmer is the author of, among others, the acclaimed Valor in Gray: The Recipients of the Confederate Medal of Honor and his first novel, A Turn For Home, which was recently released. Mr. Clemmer is also the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles. _________________________________________
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