| William T. Martin | |
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William T. Martin |
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| Born | William Thompson Martin March 25, 1823 Glasgow, Kentucky |
| Died | March 16, 1910 (aged 86) Natchez, Mississippi |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | lawyer, politician |
| Known for | Confederate States Army General, American Civil War |
William Thompson Martin (March 25, 1823 — March 16, 1910) was an American lawyer and politician who became a Confederate States Army general of cavalry during the American Civil War.
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Born in Glasgow, Kentucky, Martin graduated from Centre College in 1844 and was admitted to the bar in Mississippi, serving multiple terms as district attorney before the war. While himself opposing secession, he raised the Adams County cavalry troops, when war broke out, riding with them to Richmond, Virginia, the new Confederate capitol. Martin quickly rose to colonel of the Jeff Davis Legion, and served with J.E.B. Stuart's command through Autumn 1862. Promoted to brigadier general, Martin was ordered to the Western Theater, where he commanded divisions at the Tullahoma Campaign and the Battle of Chickamauga and served as cavalry commander under James Longstreet at Knoxville. After Longstreet's return to the east, Martin was promoted to major general, led a division under Joseph Wheeler at Atlanta and rose to command of the military district of Northwest Mississippi by war's end.
After the war, Martin returned to his law practice in Mississippi, becoming a trustee of both University of Mississippi and Jefferson College in Washington, Mississippi. He served in the state senate, and was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions in 1868, 1872, 1876, and 1880. He was the president of the Natchez, Jackson, and Columbus railroad, of which he oversaw the construction in 1884. Martin died in Natchez, Mississippi, and is buried in City Cemetery.