James Stewart Martin (August 19, 1826 – November 20, 1907) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

Biography

Martin was born in Estillville (now Gate City),

Scott County, Virginia Scott County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. Its county seat is Gate City. Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, ...

, the son of John S. Martin and Melinda Morison. His father's second wife was Nancy Brownlow, making him a step-nephew of radical Tennessee governor William "Parson" Brownlow.Zella Armstrong,
Notable Southern Families
', Volume 1, (Chattanooga, Tenn.: The Lookout Publishing Co., 1918), p. 44. OCLC 1079125. Retrieved: 29 October 2012. He attended the common schools and Emory and Henry College in

Emory, Virginia Emory is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a com ...

. He moved to

Salem, Illinois Salem is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,485 at the 2010 census. Geography Salem is located at (38.6282, -88.9482). According to the 2010 census, Salem has a total area of , of w ...

, in 1846. He served during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

in Company C of the 1st Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. Afterwards he studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1861 and commenced practice in

; becoming a clerk of the Marion County Court. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Martin served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

and was commissioned

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the 111th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September 18, 1862. He was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on February 26, 1865 and then honorably mustered out on June 7. After the war Martin served as judge of Marion County Court. He was appointed as United States pension agent by President Grant on April 13, 1869. Martin was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Forty-third Congress (March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875), defeating Silas L. Bryan, the father of

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...

, by a vote of 12,266 to 12,016. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election and then became commissioner of the Southern Illinois Penitentiary at Menard in 1879. Martin died in

on November 20, 1907. He was interred in East Lawn Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, James Stewart 1826 births 1907 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Emory and Henry College alumni Illinois lawyers People from Scott County, Virginia People of Illinois in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois