James Green Martin
Encyclopedia
James Green Martin was a brigadier general
in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, the son of Dr. William Martin and Sophia Dange Martin. He attended the United States Military Academy
at West Point and graduated in 1840, fourteenth in the class, directly behind future Confederate general Richard S. Ewell
. On July 12, 1844, Martin married Mary Ann Murray Read, great granddaughter of Declaration of Independence
signer George Read
and General William Thompson
.
and he served mainly on the northern coast, on the frontier of Maine
, in the Aroostock War, and in the coastal survey. He served in the Mexican War and took part in the battles of Monterey
, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo
, Contreras
and Churubusco
where he lost his right arm after it was shattered by grapeshot
. After the wounding, Martin left the field with his sleeve clenched between his teeth and relinquished command of the battery to Stonewall Jackson
. Due to the loss of his arm, Martin was known by the nickname "Old One Wing." Martin was brevet
ted as a major
for his performance at Churubusco and Contreras.
After the Mexican War, Martin transferred to staff and was appointed assistant quartermaster
and was stationed at Fortress Monroe, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, and Governor's Island. Martin then went to Fort Snelling in Minnesota
. While there, his wife Mary Ann died. On February 8, 1858 he married Hetty King, sister of General Rufus King. Martin next took part in the Utah War
under Albert Sidney Johnston
and at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was on staff duty at Fort Riley
, Kansas
.
. Martin was later appointed adjutant general
of North Carolina. At his suggestion, blockade running ships were first employed to bring supplies to the Confederacy from Europe
.
On September 28, 1861, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the State forces, with the rank of major general
of militia
. Martin was able to raise 12,000 more men than the state quota. After Martin had completed this work he applied for duty in the field, and in May 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general
in the provisional army. In August 1862, he was given command of the district of North Carolina, with headquarters at Kinston, North Carolina
. In the fall of 1863 he was directed to organize a brigade from the troops at his disposal and take the field. With this brigade, he went into camp near Wilmington, North Carolina
.
When Major General George E. Pickett made his demonstration against New Bern
in February 1864, Martin successfully attacked and drove the Union troops from Newport. When the Overland Campaign
opened Martin was called to Petersburg
. Martin was the first in the field under Major General William Henry Chase Whiting. Major General Daniel Harvey Hill
took command of the division on May 20, and Martin's brigade won distinction for their charge, driving the enemy from the works in their front. Afterwards his men carried him around on their shoulders, shouting: "Three cheers for Old One Wing." The brigade was then assigned to Robert Hoke
's division, and reinforced Robert E. Lee
at Turkey Hill during the Battle of Cold Harbor
, where they repulsed the Union assaults on June 3, and afterward were engaged in a sharpshooting
fight along the line. Lee, believing Ulysses S. Grant
would make another attack, informed Martin that he held the key to the Confederate position, and asked if his troops, comparatively new, could be relied upon. Martin promptly responded that his men were as good as veterans, but that he thought he should be transferred to the south of the James River
, as he believed Grant would attack Richmond
from the rear. Lee then sent Martin's brigade to Petersburg
. During the siege, Martin's health gave way under the strain and exposure, and he was transferred to the command of the district of Western North Carolina, with headquarters at Asheville. After he had left the Army of Northern Virginia
, Lee stated that "General Martin is one to whom North Carolina owes a debt she can never repay." Martin surrendered the Army of Western North Carolina in Waynesville, North Carolina
on May 6, 1865. This was the last organized Confederate force remaining in the state.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
Martin was born in Elizabeth City, North CarolinaElizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, the son of Dr. William Martin and Sophia Dange Martin. He attended the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point and graduated in 1840, fourteenth in the class, directly behind future Confederate general Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell
Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...
. On July 12, 1844, Martin married Mary Ann Murray Read, great granddaughter of Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
signer George Read
George Read (signer)
George Read was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and a member of the...
and General William Thompson
William Thompson (general)
William Thompson was a soldier from Pennsylvania and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Thompson was born in Ireland and emigrated to Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
.
Military career
Martin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the First Regiment of the United States ArtilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and he served mainly on the northern coast, on the frontier of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, in the Aroostock War, and in the coastal survey. He served in the Mexican War and took part in the battles of Monterey
Battle of Monterey
-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...
, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
, Contreras
Battle of Contreras
The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War. In the Battle of Churubusco, fighting continued the following day.-Background:...
and Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
where he lost his right arm after it was shattered by grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
. After the wounding, Martin left the field with his sleeve clenched between his teeth and relinquished command of the battery to Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
. Due to the loss of his arm, Martin was known by the nickname "Old One Wing." Martin was brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
ted as a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
for his performance at Churubusco and Contreras.
After the Mexican War, Martin transferred to staff and was appointed assistant quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
and was stationed at Fortress Monroe, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Governor's Island. Martin then went to Fort Snelling in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. While there, his wife Mary Ann died. On February 8, 1858 he married Hetty King, sister of General Rufus King. Martin next took part in the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
under Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
and at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was on staff duty at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Civil War
Resigning his commission on June 14, 1861, Martin offered his services to North Carolina, and was commissioned as a captain in the CavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. Martin was later appointed adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of North Carolina. At his suggestion, blockade running ships were first employed to bring supplies to the Confederacy from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
On September 28, 1861, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the State forces, with the rank of major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. Martin was able to raise 12,000 more men than the state quota. After Martin had completed this work he applied for duty in the field, and in May 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the provisional army. In August 1862, he was given command of the district of North Carolina, with headquarters at Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
. In the fall of 1863 he was directed to organize a brigade from the troops at his disposal and take the field. With this brigade, he went into camp near Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
.
When Major General George E. Pickett made his demonstration against New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
in February 1864, Martin successfully attacked and drove the Union troops from Newport. When the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
opened Martin was called to Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. Martin was the first in the field under Major General William Henry Chase Whiting. Major General Daniel Harvey Hill
Daniel Harvey Hill
On July 22, 1862, Hill and Union Maj. Gen. John A. Dix concluded an agreement for the general exchange of prisoners between the Union and Confederate armies. This agreement became known as the Dix-Hill Cartel....
took command of the division on May 20, and Martin's brigade won distinction for their charge, driving the enemy from the works in their front. Afterwards his men carried him around on their shoulders, shouting: "Three cheers for Old One Wing." The brigade was then assigned to Robert Hoke
Robert Hoke
Robert Frederick Hoke was an American businessman, railroad executive, and a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War. Hoke and his division played a decisive role during the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864....
's division, and reinforced Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
at Turkey Hill during the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, where they repulsed the Union assaults on June 3, and afterward were engaged in a sharpshooting
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
fight along the line. Lee, believing Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
would make another attack, informed Martin that he held the key to the Confederate position, and asked if his troops, comparatively new, could be relied upon. Martin promptly responded that his men were as good as veterans, but that he thought he should be transferred to the south of the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
, as he believed Grant would attack Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
from the rear. Lee then sent Martin's brigade to Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
. During the siege, Martin's health gave way under the strain and exposure, and he was transferred to the command of the district of Western North Carolina, with headquarters at Asheville. After he had left the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
, Lee stated that "General Martin is one to whom North Carolina owes a debt she can never repay." Martin surrendered the Army of Western North Carolina in Waynesville, North Carolina
Waynesville, North Carolina
Waynesville is a town in and the county seat of Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest town in Haywood County and the largest in Western North Carolina west of Asheville. Waynesville is located about or 50 km southwest of Asheville between the Great Smoky and Blue...
on May 6, 1865. This was the last organized Confederate force remaining in the state.
Post War life
After the War ended Martin was financially ruined, and studied law, and practiced it professionally in Asheville for the remainder of his life. Martin died on October 4, 1878 and is buried in Asheville's Riverside Cemetery.See also
- List of American Civil War generals