William Harrison Martin

He studied the law in Troy, AL, passed the bar, and moved to Texas in 1850. He was a member of the Texas State Senate 1853-57. He commanded Company K, 4th Texas Infantry when it was organized in May 1861 in Athens, Henderson County, TX.

He commanded Company K at Fox's Gap on South Mountain on 14 September 1862. On the afternoon of the 16th at Sharpsburg he led a detachment of about 100 men of the 4th Texas Infantry to a position just north of the Miller Cornfield, as ordered by General Hood in response to Federal crossings of the Antietam. He led the Company in action at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He was promoted to Major of the Regiment in April 1864, and was with them to Appomattox in April 1865.

He practiced law in Athens and was elected district attorney in 1872. He was elected to fill a vacancy to the US Congress, later elected to a full term, serving from 1887-91. He then returned to his law practice.

Basic information from Davis1. Details on his role at Sharpsburg from Carman2. Personal information from his Congressional Biography3, which includes a picture of him c.1891. Other references have his birthplace as Twiggs County, GA and the year as 1823.

09/02/1822; Barbour County, AL

02/03/1898; Hillsboro, TX; burial in Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, TX