▁Sh erman ▁issued ▁ten ▁days ' ▁r ations ▁to ▁the ▁hun gry ▁Confeder ate ▁soldiers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁horses ▁and ▁m ules ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁" ins ure ▁a ▁c rop ." ▁He ▁also ▁ordered ▁distribution ▁of ▁corn ▁me al ▁and ▁fl our ▁to ▁civ ili ans ▁throughout ▁the ▁South . ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁gener os ity ▁that ▁John ston ▁would ▁never ▁forget ; ▁he ▁wrote ▁to ▁Sh erman ▁that ▁his ▁attitude ▁" re con c iles ▁me ▁to ▁what ▁I ▁have ▁previously ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁mis fort une ▁of ▁my ▁life , ▁that ▁of ▁having ▁you ▁to ▁encounter ▁in ▁the ▁field ." ▁ ▁Post war ▁years ▁John ston ▁strugg led ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living ▁for ▁himself ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁who ▁was ▁a iling . ▁He ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁rail road , ▁the ▁Alabama ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁Rail ▁Road ▁Company , ▁which ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure ▁of ▁May ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁to ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Sel ma , ▁Rome ▁and ▁Dal ton ▁Rail road . ▁John ston ▁was ▁b ored ▁with ▁the ▁position ▁and ▁the ▁company ▁failed ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁capital . ▁He ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁an ▁ins urance ▁company ▁in ▁Sav ann ah , ▁Georgia , ▁acting ▁as ▁an ▁agent ▁for ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁and ▁London ▁and ▁Glo be ▁In sur ance ▁Company , ▁and ▁within ▁four ▁years ▁had ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 ▁agents ▁across ▁the ▁deep ▁South .