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Charles Irving Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Irving Martin
Martin as a brigadier general, circa 1920
Born(1871-01-25)January 25, 1871
Ogle County, Illinois
DiedMay 8, 1953(1953-05-08) (aged 82)
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Buried
Leavenworth National Cemetery
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1890–1935
Rank Major General
Service number0-101583
Commands1st Brigade Kansas National Guard, 35th Infantry Division, 70th Infantry Brigade,
WarsSpanish–American War
Philippine–American War
First World War
Spouse(s)
Lou Ida Ward
​
(m. 1894)​
ChildrenLillia Mae Markley
Other workAttorney

Charles Irving Martin (January 25, 1871 – May 8, 1953) was an American military officer and a lawyer.

Early life

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Charles Martin was born to William Martin and Mary Martin in Ogle County, Illinois in 1871.[1]

Military career

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c. 1898

Martin enlisted as a private in the First Kansas Infantry regiment on August 26, 1890.[2] While he was enlisted, Martin attended and graduated from the Normal School at Fort Scott in 1892.[2] In 1893, Martin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the same regiment, and promoted to captain the following year.[2] He was transferred on April 30, 1898 to the 20th U.S. Volunteers, with whom he saw action in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War.[2][3] The following year, in 1899, Martin was promoted to major and was transferred to the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, serving in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War.[2]

He returned to the United States in 1901, still part of the 20th Kansas, but working as the clerk for Bourbon County, Kansas district court, position which he held until 1905.[2] During his time as the Bourbon County clerk, Martin was admitted to the Kansas bar and practiced in Fort Scott, Topeka and Wichita.[2] From 1905 to 1909, Martin served as inspector general of the Kansas National Guard as a brigadier general.

First World War

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From 1909 to 1917, Martin served as the Adjutant General of the Kansas and commanded the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Kansas National Guard as a brigadier general.[4][3] On August 5, 1917, some time after the United States' entry into World War I, Martin was given command of the 70th Infantry Brigade, 35th Infantry Division,[3] and departed for France with the rest of the division in May 1918, arriving in Liverpool on May 8, 1918.[5] In May 1918, Martin served as an observer with the British army while the 35th Division was assigned to their reserve lines during the Spring Offensive of 1918.[2][6] From July to September 1918, Martin and the 70th Brigade manned a quiet portion of the trenches,[7] before participating in the Saint-Mihiel offensive,[2][1] although not directly as the 35th Division did not see action until September 26, 1918.[5]

Martin was relieved of command prior to the 70th Infantry Brigade's first action, as he was replaced on September 21, 1918 by Colonel Kirby Walker, 139th Infantry Regiment.[3] He was honorably discharged on December 1, 1918.[2]

Inter-War period

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Martin was recommissioned in 1921 as the commanding officer of the 69th Infantry Brigade, Kansas National Guard.[2][1] During this time, Martin continued to practice law and was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court bar in 1923.[2] In 1932, now a major general, Martin was given command of the 35th Division until his mandatory retirement at the age of 64 in 1935.[2]

Personal life and death

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Charles Irving Martin married Lou Ida Ward on November 28, 1894.[1] Together, they had one child, Lillia Mae Markley.[1]

Prior to his retirement, Martin worked as the manager of the Veterans Administration facility in Wadsworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas, from 1927.[2] He retired from this job in 1941.[1]

Martin lived out the rest of his retirement in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he died on May 8, 1953.[2] He is buried at the Leavenworth National Cemetery.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Who Was Who in American History - The Military (Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who, Inc., 1975) pp. 356
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. Generals in Khaki, (Raleigh, NC: Pentland Press, 1998), pp. 245–246 ISBN 9781571970886
  3. ^ a b c d Schrantz, Ward. A Machine-Gunner in France: The Memoirs of Ward Schrantz, 35th Division, 1917-1919 (Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press, 2019), pp. 245
  4. ^ Kenamore, Clair (1919). From Vauquois Hill to Exermont: A History of the 35th Division. St. Louis, Missouri: Guard Publishing Co. pp. 370, 372. OCLC 02384180. Retrieved August 13, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ a b Ferguson, Daren. 35th Infantry: Trails of the Santa Fe Division, (Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing, 1994), p. 8 ISBN 9781563111693
  6. ^ Kenamore, Clair (1919). From Vauquois Hill to Exermont: A History of the 35th Division. St. Louis, Missouri: Guard Publishing Co. pp. 27–37. OCLC 02384180. Retrieved August 13, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ Ferguson, Daren. 35th Infantry: Trails of the Santa Fe Division, (Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing, 1994) p. 9 ISBN 9781563111693
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