William Thompson Martin

(1823 - 1910)
Home State: Mississippi
Command Billet: Commanding Regiment
Branch of Service: Cavalry
Unit: Jeff Davis (MS) Legion (Cavalry)

Before the Antietam Campaign:
Lawyer and district attorney in Natchez, Mississippi before the War, he raised a company in Adams County in 1861which became part of the Jeff Davis Legion in January 1862 - Martin by then the Major. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 13 February 1862.

In the Antietam Campaign:
He may have acted as a member of General RE Lee's staff in Maryland.

The remainder of the War:
He was promoted to Brigadier General in December and transferred to the Western Theater in March 1863. He commanded a division on the Tullahoma and Chickamauga campaigns, and was appointed Major General in November 1863 - afterward serving in Tennessee and on the Atlanta campaign. From late 1864 to the end of the War he was in command of the District of Northwest Mississippi.

After the War:
He returned to Natchez, was active in the Legislature, president of the Natchez, Jackson, and Columbus Railroad, and a trustee of the University of Mississippi and Jefferson College.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Basic bio information from Warner1. The photo above from Uriguen2.

Birth Date: 03/25/1823    Place of Birth: Glasgow, KY
College: Centre College (KY)    Graduating Year: 1844
Death Date: 03/16/1910    Death Place: Natchez, MS    Burial Place: Natchez City Cemetery, Natchez, MS

Notes

1 Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Gray, Lives of the Confederate Commanders, Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1959 [AotW citation 883]

2 Uriguen, Mikel, Photo Gallery (Generals and Brevet Generals), Generals of the Civil War, Published c. 1998, first accessed 01 January 1998, <http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/> [AotW citation 885]

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