Saturday, October 15, 2016

Joseph E. Johnston Visits Santa Rosa, California, July 16, 1887

[Sonoma Democrat, July 19, 1887, page 1]:


A Distinguished Visitor.

General Joseph E. Johnston, distinguished for his valor in the Confederate army, and later complimented by the government of his country by an appointment as United States Railroad Commissioner, under the present administration, spent Saturday [July 16, 1887] in Santa Rosa, the guest of his niece, Mrs. Binckley, the librarian, and Judge Porter, who served under his command during the war. The General was in command of the Army of Northern Virginia until the battle of Seven Pines, where he was wounded. He subsequently commanded the army of the West and again the army of Virginia at the time of Lee's surrender. He was met at the Public Library rooms between the hours of twelve and one o'clock by a number of our prominent citizens, whose pleasure it was to own a previous acquaintance with the honored old soldier. Mrs. Binckley was ably seconded in her efforts to entertain her distinguished relative by Judge Porter and family and friends. He was accompanied by Major R. P. Hammond, and went from here to Glen Ellen this afternoon. 

[Joseph Eggleston Johnston (1807-1891)
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930)
Judge Porter = William Wood Porter (1826-1907), who had served on Johnston's staff
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, had a population nearing 5,000 at the time; in 2016, it is closer to 175,000]

Many thanks to Katherine J. Rinehart, M.A., Manager, History & Genealogy, Sonoma County Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 for her help in finding and emailing a scanned copy of the original article, and also to William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their assistance.  

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