I. N. (Isaac N.) Johnston

Isaac N. Johnston was a captain in the 6th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War and is best known for Four Months in Libby and the Campaign Against Atlanta. The book draws on his own experiences in battle, his capture after Chickamauga, his imprisonment in Richmond’s Libby Prison, and his later return to the field during the Atlanta campaign.

From the surviving record that could be confirmed, Johnston published his memoir in the 19th century for a general audience rather than as a polished literary project. In the book’s prefatory remarks, he presents himself as someone without formal college training, which helps explain the plain, unadorned style that gives the narrative much of its appeal.

Some genealogical sources identify him as having lived from 1839 to 1907, but detailed biographical information beyond his military service and memoir is limited in easily confirmed sources. No suitable verified portrait image could be confirmed from the sources reviewed, so none is included here.