The following meeting summary was provided by Charlie Sweeny. General Johnston was considered the Number Two general at the time of his death in 1862. (Note by Hal Jespersen: Johnston was in fact the second ranking full general in the Confederacy, following the adjutant general, Samuel Cooper. Robert E. Lee was number three, Joseph E. Johnston four, P.G.T. Beauregard five, and Braxton Bragg six. Until his death at Shiloh, Albert Sidney Johnston was considered by Jefferson Davis to be the best general in the Confederate States Army.)

Johnson had a distinguished and successful military history that included serving in the U.S. Army, the Army of the Republic of Texas, as well as the Confederacy. He met Jefferson Davis when both attended college in Kentucky before they both went to West Point. He was eighth in his graduating class. He served in the Blackhawk war, then went to Texas in 1834. He became aide-de-camp to Sam Houston and later was Secretary of War for Texas. He fought Santa Anna successfully. In the 1846 US versus Mexico war he fought under Zachary Taylor at Monterey and Buena Vista.

He went to the Department of the Pacific in 1860. He was in command at San Francisco. He had a laborious struggle to get to Richmond when the Civil War began. Both forts Donelson and Henry were put under his command.

Johnson was wounded in the leg during the first day of the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862. The wound was not treated so the general bled to death.