John Donelson Martin (1830–1862) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Early life

John Martin was born on August 18, 1830, in

Davidson County, Tennessee Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the 2nd most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashville, ...

. In 1846 he volunteered for the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, 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 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, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

; 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 The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

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, M ...

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.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''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 Donelson family

Early life

Civil War

See also

Notes

References

External links