John Donelson Martin (1830–1862) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Early life

John Martin was born on August 18, 1830, in Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1846 he volunteered for 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 ...

, serving as a private in the 3rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment (Company D) until war's end in 1848.

Civil War

When the

erupted in 1861 Martin joined the

and was named Captain of the ''Hickory Rifles'', a company of infantry from

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

and Shelby County. It soon became Company E of the 154th Senior Tennessee Infantry

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

; Martin himself becoming the regiment's Major in May 1861. During the summer Martin raised a regiment with 7 companies from Mississippi and 3 from Tennessee. He was promoted to Colonel and assigned to command this unit; known as 25th Mississippi Infantry (also as 1st Mississippi Valley Regiment). In January 1862 it was renamed 2nd Confederate Infantry. Fighting in the Battle of Shiloh Martin took over brigade command when his commander, Brigadier John S. Bowen, was wounded. His services were noted and he was recommended for promotion to brigadier general. Simultaneously, he was named acting brigadier general and assigned to command a brigade in the Army of the West, composed of the 36th, 37th and 38th Mississippi regiments as well as the 37th Alabama Infantry. Colonel Martin was killed in the

Second Battle of Corinth The second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, ...

on October 3, 1862, while leading his men. He was buried on Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis; leaving behind his widow and his son, who died at the age of 32 years, just like his father. His grandson was Judge

John Donelson Martin, Sr. John Donelson Martin Sr. (May 4, 1883 – April 2, 1962) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the We ...

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, John Donelson 1830 births 1862 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Confederate States Army brigadier generals People from Davidson County, Tennessee People of Tennessee in the American Civil War Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War

Early life

Civil War

See also

Notes

References

External links