Robert Daniel Johnston (March 19, 1837 – February 1, 1919) was a brigadier general for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

On April 16, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment and on May 5 saw his first action at the Battle of Williamsburg, in the Peninsula Campaign.

At Chancellorsville, Johnston was given command of the 12th North Carolina Infantry, after that unit had lost all of its field officers.

During his time at Petersburg, Johnston briefly commanded the division and served on detached duty attempting to catch deserters.

Following the war, Johnston resumed his law practice in North Carolina and eventually became a banker in Alabama.