CSA Bios: W.T. Martin, J.G. Martin, Marshall, Marmaduke

[Battleline]

Maj. Gen. William T. Martin (b. 1823, d. 1910) Despite being a Unionist Whig, William Thompson Martin enjoyed a career in Confederate service in multiple theaters. He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, March 25, 1823. He was educated at Centre College, graduating in 1840. In 1842, Martin moved to Natchez, Mississippi, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1844. He served several terms as district attorney. Despite his political leanings, he helped to recruit a cavalry company, which he took to Richmond after the fall of Fort Sumter. He was promoted to major and lieutenant colonel of the Jeff Davis Legion. During Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s “ride around McClellan,” Martin commanded the rear third of the column, resulting in his promotion to colonel. He fought at the Seven Days Campaign. At Sharpsburg, he was an aide to Gen. R. E. Lee. Martin was commissioned brigadier general Dec. 2, 1862. The promotion came with a transfer west. He commanded a division in the Tullahoma Campaign and at Chickamauga. He went with Longstreet to Knoxville. He received a promotion to major general to rank from Nov. 10, 1863. Martin led a division under Gen. Joseph Wheeler’s corps. He led screening units through the Atlanta Campaign and Hood’s Tennessee Invasion. He clashed with Wheeler and after a failed raid on Dalton, Georgia, an argument with his superior ended Martin’s active command. He was assigned command of the District of Northwest Mississippi. After the war, Martin was active in politics, education and railroad building. He served as a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 1868 and 1880. He was a Mississippi state senator for 12 years. He served as a trustee for Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi, and for the state university. In 1884, he was president of the Natchez, Jackson & Columbus Railroad as it completed construction. Martin died near Natchez, Mississippi, March 16, 1910.

Brig. Gen. James G. Martin (b. 1819, d. 1878) “Old One Wing,” James Green Martin briefly served in a field capacity in 1864, but was better known for his organizational abilities. Martin was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Feb. 14, 1819. He attend the U.S. Military Academy, graduating from West Point in 1840. During the Mexican War, Martin was in the middle of the combat. A wound received at Churubusco required the amputation of his right arm and resulted in his future nickname. He received a brevet to major for gallantry. Still with the U.S. Army at the start of the Civil War, Martin resigned his commission and was appointed adjutant general for the 10 regiments of North Carolina state troops then being raised. In September 1861, Martin was made major general of militia, in charge of defense for the entire state. He received praise for his work in this capacity and it was said North Carolina fielded more troops and sent the best equipped troops to Confederate service. He requested field service and was appointed as a brigadier general May 15, 1862. For reasons not known, he resigned July 25, 1862, but was re-appointed Aug. 11, with rank to date from the first appointment. The Senate confirmed it Sept. 30, 1862. Placed in command of the District of North Carolina, Martin got the chance to go into combat, routing a Federal garrison at Newport Barracks Feb. 2, 1865 during Gen. Pickett’s campaign against New Berne, North Carolina. During the summer of 1864, Martin and his men were called to Virginia. They fought at Second Drewry’s Bluff, Bermuda Hundred and in the Petersburg defenses. He was known for his bravery and at one time his troops carried him on their shoulders. Martin’s health broke down during the siege and he finished the war commanding the District of Western North Carolina. Gen. Robert E. Lee stated Martin was “one to whom North Carolina owes a debt she can never repay.” After the war, Martin took up law and practiced in Asheville, North Carolina, until his death Oct. 4, 1878.

Brig. Gen. Humphery Marshall (b. 1812, d. 1872) Humphery Marshall is better known for what he did before the Civil War than what he did during the conflict. By the time the war broke out, Marshall had been a U.S. Army officer, a member of Congress and U.S. minister to China. The nephew of anti-slavery leader James G. Birney, Humphery Mashall was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, Jan. 13, 1812. He attended the U.S. Military Academy, graduating from West Point in 1832. He resigned his commission to become a lawyer, but returned to service for the Mexican War, serving as colonel of the First Kentucky Cavalry. Braxton Bragg, a later commander, recalled that Mashall and his men did some “fine running and no fighting,” during the Mexican War. Marshall was elected to Congress as a Whig from 1848-59, with a one-year term as U.S. Minister to China for one year (1854) in the middle. Marshall first backed Kentucky’s neutrality, but did not like Federal coercion and left while under suspicion of treason. A large man, weighing 300 pounds, he accepted a commission as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army Oct. 30, 1861. Marshall’s biggest success was at the minor skirmish at Princeton, Virginia. Marshall resigned June 16, 1862, but was reappointed four days later with rank from his first date of commission. This was done in preparation for Gen. Bragg’s Kentucky Invasion. Marshall’s command was slow arriving and he clashed with Bragg. Marshall was said to have conferred with Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith against Bragg. At the end of Bragg’s Invasion, Marshall was given permission to take his own command back to western Virginia. He had no major after that. Marshall resigned his commission for a second time, June 17, 1863, and returned to politics. He was a member of the Second Confederate Congress, representing Kentucky, through the end of the war. Marshall fled to Texas after the war, but returned to Louisville to practice law in 1866. He died March 28, 1872, and is buried in the State Cemetery at Frankfort, Kentucky.

Note: The photo of Marshall in Federal uniform in “Generals in Gray” makes him look like John Belushi. I wonder if he should have been called General Bluto (in reference to his Animal House character)!

Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke (b. 1833, d. 1887) The last appointed Confederate major general, Missouri’s John Sappington Marmaduke fought his entire career in the Western theaters. Marmaduke also held the distinction of killing another general, Lucius M. Walker, in a duel. Marmaduke was born in Arrow Rock, Missouri, March 14, 1833. He was educated in the finest schools, studying at Yale and Harvard before going to the U.S. Military Academy. Marmaduke graduated with the West Point Class of 1857 (30th of 38). He was promoted to second lieutenant with the Seventh Infantry for action in the Mormon Campaign of 1859-60. He resigned in 1861. When the war started, Marmaduke first became a colonel of Missouri militia and fought at Boonville. He later was lieutenant colonel of the First Arkansas Battalion and colonel of the Third Confederate Infantry. Marmaduke fought at Shiloh and was wounded. His conduct at Shiloh and at Corinth resulted in his promotion to brigadier general to rank from Nov. 15, 1862. His first action as a general was at Prairie Grove, where he received more praise. Marmaduke commanded a cavalry division in the Trans-Mississippi Department under Gen. Thomas C. Hindman. He also frequently served with fellow Missourian Gen. Sterling Price. Marmaduke commanded Price’s cavalry during raids into Missouri. While defending Little Rock in September of 1863, Marmaduke ended up dueling and killing Gen. Walker. He was briefly under arrest, but not charged. Marmaduke stood out in the fight at Poison Spring, Arkansas, and during the Red River Campaign. He led the cavalry during Price’s 1864 raid back into Missouri. As the force retreated back toward Arkansas, Marmaduke commanded the rearguard. He was captured at Mine Creek, Kansas, near the Marias des Cygnes battle Oct. 25, 1864. While being held in Fort Warren in Boston, Marmaduke was confirmed as a major general March 18, 1865 (to rank from March 17). After his release in July 1865, he returned to Missouri and settled in St. Louis, where he entered the insurance business. He later became editor of an agricultural journal in St. Louis. He ran for governor in 1880, but was defeated. Instead, he served a four-year term on the Missouri Railway Commission. Marmaduke was elected governor in 1884. He died while still in office in Jefferson City, Missouri, Dec. 28, 1887.

[Gil R.]

Thanks.

[Gil R.]

Here's Marshall, who will now be starting off the November scenario in command of a small division in eastern Kentucky or Tennessee:


Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall (b. 1812, d. 1872). Marshall is better known for what he did before the Civil War than what he did during the conflict. By the time the war broke out, Marshall had been a U.S. Army officer, a member of Congress and U.S. Minister to China. The nephew of anti-slavery leader James G. Birney, Mashall was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, on January 13, 1812. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1832. He resigned his commission to become a lawyer, but returned to service for the Mexican War, serving as Colonel of the 1st Kentucky Cavalry. Braxton Bragg, later his commander, recalled that Marshall and his men did some “fine running and no fighting” while in Mexico. Returning from the war, Marshall was elected to Congress as a Whig in 1848 and held his seat until 1859, except for a one-year term as U.S. Minister to China in 1854. When the Civil War began, Marshall at first backed Kentucky’s neutrality, but did not like Federal coercion and left while under suspicion of treason. A large man who weighed 300 pounds, Marshall accepted a commission as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army on October 30, 1861, and was given command of the Army of Southwestern Virginia (later renamed the Army of East Tennessee). This small force fought to gain control of eastern Kentucky for the Confederacy. Marshall’s biggest success was at the minor skirmish at Princeton, Virginia, though a defeat to James Garfield at Pound Gap is perhaps more notable simply because of his opponent’s later fame. Having been refused an independent command, Marshall resigned his commission on June 16, 1862, but was persuaded to withdraw his resignation and he was reappointed four days later with rank from his first date of commission. That fall, Marshall served in Bragg’s Kentucky Invasion, though Marshall’s command was slow arriving and he clashed with Bragg. Marshall was also said to have conferred with Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith against Bragg. At the end of the campaign that October, Marshall was given permission to take his own command back to western Virginia. He saw no major actions after that. Marshall resigned his commission for a second time on June 17, 1863, and returned to politics, serving as a member of the Second Confederate Congress representing Kentucky through the end of the war. Marshall fled to Texas after the Civil War ended, but returned to Louisville to practice law in 1866. He died March 28, 1872, and is buried in the State Cemetery at Frankfort, Kentucky. (Bio by Bill Battle)

Leadership: 2
Tactics: 2
Initiative: 1
Command: 1
Cavalry:

Start date: 19
“Death” date: 59