Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1102

1032 sons was George Martin, whose son, James Green Martin, of Norfolk county, was a soldier in the war of 1812, a prominent citizen and extensive planter, and for many years chief of the justice court. He married Maacah, daughter of Alexander Foreman, who was one of the first settlers of Norfolk county; served, it is believed, in the Revolutionary war and became wealthy and influential. The Foreman family is of pure English descent and is one of the oldest in Virginia. Capt. Nehemiah Foreman, brother of Mrs. Martin, served as a captain of cavalry in the war of 1812 and afterward was distinguished for wealth and influence. George Alexander, son of James Green and Maacah Martin, was educated at the university of Virginia, where he was one of the foremost of his class, and after finishing his course, he turned his attention to preparation for the profession of law. He began the practice in Norfolk county in 1857, but was hardly well launched in this career when the crisis of 1860-61 arrived, and he responded to the call of his mother State with his best efforts for her preservation from armed invasion. He took an active part in the organization of a company for the artillery service in St. Bride's parish, of which he was elected captain. This company, called the St. Bride's light artillery, was mustered into the Confederate service, June 26, 1861, but, on account of lack of ordnance, did not find the desired service, and was assigned to heavy artillery duty at Lambert's Point until early in 1862, when it was in charge of a battery on the Nansemond river, at Suffolk, until May 10th. Captain Martin and his men were then transferred to Richmond, where the heavy guns were also taken, and there being no field battery for them, they were armed with some old muskets and temporarily attached to the Fourteenth Virginia regiment of Armistead's brigade, with which they took part, poorly equipped as they were, in the battle of Seven Pines. In June they participated in the Seven Days' battles, including Malvern Hill. The company was then detached from the infantry and assigned to the Twentieth battalion, heavy artillery, under Major DeLagniel, for duty in the defense of Richmond. Captain Martin during this service had command in defense of Brook's Pike, where he had some severe skirmishes with Dahlgren's raiders in February, 1864. April 25, 1864, the company was relieved from artillery duty and attached as Company I to the Thirty-eighth Virginia regiment, Stuart's brigade, Pickett's division. In this command Captain Martin led his company in the two important battles of May 10th and 16th, near Drewry's bluff, and, in the battle of Chester's Station, on June l6th, between Pickett's division and the Federal forces, when the latter were foiled in their advance toward the Richmond & Petersburg railroad and driven back to their entrenchments. In the latter fight, the colonel of the Thirty-eighth was killed, and, on March 28, 1865, Captain Martin was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, a well-deserved promotion, to date from December 2, 1864. In these ranks he participated in all the battles of his command. When the army was surrendered at Appomattox he was in the hospital at Lynchburg, and, notwithstanding his feeble condition, he was placed in command of regular infantry by General Colston. After the surrender he made his way South, and, being prevented from reaching Danville by the Federal advance, rode through to Charlotte, N. C., where he joined the forces accompanying President Davis. At