Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-10
EX-GOVERNOR MARTIN DEAD.

Death OF the Late Governor of Kansas ut
His Home in Ascsi.on-sketch of His
Life.
ArcHIsox, Kan. Oct S.-Ex-Governor
Martin died at $50 O'Clock yesterday
morning. Mayor Wagner has called .
meeting of the people for this evening to
make arrangements for the funeral on
Friday.
Ex-Governor Martins death followed
an illness Of more than two months. His
disease was a mysterious one, and at no
time were the physicians able to intelli-
gently diagnose it. His death had been
expected for some DAYS. '1t,f
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Ex-Governor John Martin was born March
10 1889. At Brownsville. Fayette County. Pa
When a mere lad he learned the art of printing
In the ONCE of the Brownsville Clipper. He
emigrated to Kansas in 1857 and located at
Atchison- In 1858 he purchased what was then
known as the SQuatter Sovereign and changed
its name to the Freedoms Champion Later
the name of the paper was changed to the Atch-
ison On mpion. With the exception of the Troy
Chief it is the oldest paper in Kansas. Cover
nor Martin was early and late a staunch
Free State man, and was first and last an ar
dent Republican. He entered early into pub
lie life, and he was elected to the State Senate
from the district composed of Atchson and
Brown Counties before he was twenty-one years
old. He was secretary OF the Wyandotte Con-
srtutional convention. and served as q dele
gate to the Territorial convention at Lawrence
in 1861. He was also a delegate to the Ma
tional convention at Chicago which nomi-
mated Lincoln for his first term He was
seer tary of the Sta-e Railroad convention,
which met a. Topeka in 1850 to devise a rail-
way system for the State. During the summer
OF lS6l he assisted in organizing the Eighth
Kansas infantry, of which he was appointed
Northumberland The regiment served on
the Missouri border during the fall and winter
OF 1861. Early in 1862 he was appointed Pro-
Tost-Marshal of Leavenworth, and in March of
the same year his regiment was ordered to
Cor1nth, Miss, with Lieutenant-Colonel Martin
In command few weeks after arriving at
Corinth the regiment, with the division TO
which II was attached, was ordered to join
General Buell. in Tennessee. and thereafter.
during the whole war, it served in the army of
the Cumberland Lleutenant-Colonel Martin
was promoted to Colonel on November I,
1852 and was provost marshal of Nashville,
Tenn. from December. 1862, to June, 1863.
The regiment which he commanded took
part in the battles at Perryyille and Ian
caster, in Kentucky; in the campaign
aga INST Tullshoma and Chattanooga; the
storming OF Mission Ridge; the campaign from
Chattanooga to Atlanta and the subsequent
pursuit of Hood northward- Colonel Martin
commanded the Third brigade First division
of the Twentieth army corps. the second
day OF the battle of Chickamauga and during
the siege f Chattanooga AT the close of the
war he returned to AtchiSon and resumed con-
troll OF the Champion The first number OF the
Daily Champion was issued March -. 1865.
He represented Kansas as delegate
to the National Republican conventions
of 1850, 1863 1872, and 1880. He
was a member for many years of the Republican
National Committee. was elected Commander
in Chief of the State encampment, G. A. R.;
was q member of the United States Centennial
Commission: was one of the incorporates of
the Kansas Magazine and of the State Historic
al Society. He was elected mayor of Atchison
in 1865, and was elected by the two houses of
Congress one OF the board Of managers of the Ma.
tional Soldiers Home in 1878. In 1854 he was
elected Governor Of the State Of Kansas and
reelected in 1885,. His wife. who survives him
was the daughter Of DIR. William L. Challis, o.
Atchison- and the result Of this union was four
children. Elk Governor Martin leaves a hand
some estate. the value of which is estimated at
from So, 900 to S1On,OO0.