JOHN
A. MARTIN was born March 10, 1839, at Brownsville, Pa. He received a
common-school and printing-office education. In October, 1857, he came
to Kansas, locating at Atchison. In February, 1858, he purchased the
Squatter Sovereign, and changed its name to Freedom's Champion. In 1858
he was nominated for the territorial legislature, but declined because
he was not of legal age. He was a delegate to the Osawatomie convention
in 1859, which organized the Republican party in Kansas. July 5, 1859,
he was elected secretary of the Wyandotte constitutional convention;
he was secretary of the railroad convention which met at Topeka in October,
1860; and was elected to the state senate of 1861. October, 1861, he
was mustered in as lieutenant colonel of the Eighth Kansas regiment,
and a year later was promoted colonel, and was mustered out November,
1864, with the brevet of brigadier general. He was provost marshal of
Leavenworth in March, 1862, and of Nashville, Tenn., from December,
1862, to June, 1863; colonel Third brigade, First division, Twentieth
army corps, September and October, 1863; colonel First brigade, Third
division, Fourth corps, September-November, 1864. He was one of the
incorporators of the State Historical Society, and its president in
1878. June 1, 1871, he married Miss Ida Challis. Colonel Martin served
as mayor of Atchison in 1865, and from 1878 to 1880 was a member of
the board of managers of the National Soldiers' Home. In 1884 and again
in 1886 he was elected governor of Kansas. He died October 2, 1889.
JOHN
A. MARTIN was born March 10, 1839, at Brownsville, Pa. He received a
common-school and printing-office education. In October, 1857, he came
to Kansas, locating at Atchison. In February, 1858, he purchased the
Squatter Sovereign, and changed its name to Freedom's Champion. In 1858
he was nominated for the territorial legislature, but declined because
he was not of legal age. He was a delegate to the Osawatomie convention
in 1859, which organized the Republican party in Kansas. July 5, 1859,
he was elected secretary of the Wyandotte constitutional convention;
he was secretary of the railroad convention which met at Topeka in October,
1860; and was elected to the state senate of 1861. October, 1861, he
was mustered in as lieutenant colonel of the Eighth Kansas regiment,
and a year later was promoted colonel, and was mustered out November,
1864, with the brevet of brigadier general. He was provost marshal of
Leavenworth in March, 1862, and of Nashville, Tenn., from December,
1862, to June, 1863; colonel Third brigade, First division, Twentieth
army corps, September and October, 1863; colonel First brigade, Third
division, Fourth corps, September-November, 1864. He was one of the
incorporators of the State Historical Society, and its president in
1878. June 1, 1871, he married Miss Ida Challis. Colonel Martin served
as mayor of Atchison in 1865, and from 1878 to 1880 was a member of
the board of managers of the National Soldiers' Home. In 1884 and again
in 1886 he was elected governor of Kansas. He died October 2, 1889.
