| Charles Irving Martin | |
| Birth Date: | 25 January 1871 |
| Birth Place: | Ogle County, Illinois |
| Death Place: | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Placeofburial: | Leavenworth National Cemetery |
| Branch: | United States Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1890–1935 |
| Rank: | Major General |
| Servicenumber: | 0-101583 |
| Commands: | 1st Brigade Kansas National Guard, 35th Infantry Division, 70th Infantry Brigade, |
| Battles: | Spanish–American War Philippine–American War First World War |
| Battles Label: | Wars |
| Children: | Lillia Mae Markley |
| Laterwork: | Attorney |
Charles Irving Martin (January 25, 1871 – May 8, 1953) was an American military officer and a lawyer.
Charles Martin was born to William Martin and Mary Martin in Ogle County, Illinois in 1871.[1]
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.
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]
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 (National Guard) Division until his retirement in 1935.[2]
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.