Brigadier General George D. Johnston, CSA (1885-1890)
Born in Hillsboro, North Carolina in 1832, General Johnston graduated from Howard College, Alabama. He received his law degree from Cumberland University, Tennessee, and began practice in Marion, Alabama. He served as Mayor of Marion in 1856 and was in the State Legislature from 1857-1858.
Enlisting in the Confederate States Army as a Second Lieutenant, 4th Alabama Infantry, he rose to the rank of Brigadier General. He fought in numerous battles and was present at every engagement of the Army of Tennessee from Shiloh to Bentonville.
After the Civil War, General Johnston was Commandant of the cadets at the University of Alabama. From 1885-1890, he was Superintendent of The Citadel. During President Cleveland’s second term, General Johnston held the position of U.S. Civil Service Commissioner. After returning to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he was elected to the State Senate. He died in 1910.