Martin Davis Hardin (June 26, 1837 – December 12, 1923) was a

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

. He was appointed a brigadier general on July 6, 1864, to rank from July 2, 1864, the date of U.S. Senate confirmation of his promotion.

Early life and education

Hardin was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, the son of John J. Hardin. He was a family friend and protégé of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. Although widely reported that it was at the Hardin family home that Lincoln first met his wife,

Mary Todd Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also cal ...

, this is most likely false. Lincoln and his future wife probably met in Springfield. Hardin graduated from West Point in the Class of 1859, and was an aide to Robert E. Lee in the hanging of John Brown soon after.

Military service

Hardin served as a colonel in the 12th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment. He lost his left arm in the

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

, but continued serving in the army. He was mustered out of the volunteer service in June 1864 but returned to active duty on July 2 with an appointment to brigadier general. General Hardin commanded a division in the XXII Corps during the

battle of Fort Stevens The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in what is now Northwest Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early and ...

After retiring in December 1870, he became a lawyer in Chicago, and had a winter home in St. Augustine, Florida. His second wife, Amelia McLaughlin (1863–1939) was the sister-in-law of

Irene Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a st ...

, the well-known dancer. Hardin spent his last years in the famous "Union Generals' House" at 20 Valencia Street in St. Augustine, Florida (saved from a proposed demolition by Flagler College in the 1980s through the concerted action of local history lovers). Hardin was one of the last surviving Civil War generals of either side at the time of his death in 1923. He is buried, with his wife, at the U.S. National Cemetery in St. Augustine.Warner, E. J. (1964). ''Generals in blue: Lives of the Union commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 151 His widow honored him by building a chapel (complete with a statue of St. Martin) on the grounds of the Mission of Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine.

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. .
Hardin biography
*David Nolan, ''The Houses of St. Augustine'', Pineapple Press, 1995. *James T. Huffstodt. ''Lincoln's Bold Lion: The Life and Times of Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin.'' Philadelphia and Oxford, England: Casemate Publisher. (2015) *Ezra J. Warner. ''Generals In Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'' (page 205-206). Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press. (1964) Union Army generals People from Jacksonville, Illinois People from St. Augustine, Florida Lawyers from Chicago United States Military Academy alumni People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War 1837 births 1923 deaths 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Illinois {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Early life and education

Military service

See also

Notes

References