Gilman Marston
Encyclopedia
Gilman Marston was a United States Representative, Senator
, and United States Army
general from New Hampshire
.
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1837 and from the law department of Harvard University
in 1840. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Exeter, New Hampshire
, in 1841 and was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
from 1845 to 1849. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention
of 1850.
Marston was elected as a Republican
to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1863). He was a strong supporter of President Abraham Lincoln
and the war effort.
during the Civil War
. He first saw combat as colonel
of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry
during the First Battle of Bull Run
in July 1861. His arm was shattered, but he refused an amputation. After he recovered, he fought in the Peninsula Campaign
, Second Battle of Bull Run
, and Battle of Fredericksburg
.
He was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. volunteers, effective November 29, 1862. Prior to the Chancellorsville campaign
, he was relieved from duty with the Army of the Potomac
and assigned to the defenses of Washington where he returned to his seat in Congress. After Gettysburg
, Marston was directed to establish a prison camp in Maryland, which later became known as Point Lookout
. The area was designated the District of Saint Mary's under the overall command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler
. In 1864, he commanded a brigade in Maj. Gen. W.F. "Baldy" Smith
's XVIII Corps during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign
. He took part in a disastrous assault on Cold Harbor
, where his brigade suffered heavy casualties. During the Union assaults on Petersburg, Gilman assumed command of the 1st Division in the XVIII Corps on the last day of battle. Thereafter he commanded the Union troops on the north side of the James River with his headquarters located at Fort Pocahontas
. Occasionally he returned to command of the 1st Division, including a brief stint during the Second Battle of Fair Oaks
. Having been re-elected to Congress he resigned 1865, whereupon he received the thanks of the state of New Hampshire.
. In 1872, 1873, and 1876 to 1878, he was again a member of the State house of representatives. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1876 to the Forty-fifth Congress and was a delegate to the State constitutional convention of 1876.
On March 4, 1889, Marston was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing on that date and served until June 18, 1889, when a successor was elected. He died in Exeter in 1890; interment was in Exeter Cemetery.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
general from New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Early life
Marston was born in Orford, New HampshireOrford, New Hampshire
Orford is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,237 at the 2010 census. The Appalachian Trail crosses in the east.-History:...
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1837 and from the law department of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1840. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
, in 1841 and was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
New Hampshire House of Representatives
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...
from 1845 to 1849. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention
New Hampshire Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New Hampshire is the fundamental law of the State of New Hampshire, with which all statute laws must comply. The constitution became effective June 2, 1784, when it replaced the state's constitution of 1776....
of 1850.
Marston was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1863). He was a strong supporter of President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and the war effort.
Civil War
Marston served in the Union ArmyUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He first saw combat as colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry
2nd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment
2nd New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment was the longest-serving volunteer regiment of the State of New Hampshire in the American Civil War. The 2nd New Hampshire was organized in early 1861 and mustered in June 4, 1861. The 2nd NH fought from First Bull Run until the occupation of Richmond...
during the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
in July 1861. His arm was shattered, but he refused an amputation. After he recovered, he fought in the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
, and Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
.
He was promoted to brigadier general of U.S. volunteers, effective November 29, 1862. Prior to the Chancellorsville campaign
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, he was relieved from duty with the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
and assigned to the defenses of Washington where he returned to his seat in Congress. After Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, Marston was directed to establish a prison camp in Maryland, which later became known as Point Lookout
Point Lookout
-Places:*Point Lookout, Maryland*Point Lookout, Missouri*Point Lookout, New York*Point Lookout, Queensland*Point Lookout State Park in Maryland*Point Lookout Cemetery in the Louisiana State Penitentiary -Other:*Point Lookout Sandstone...
. The area was designated the District of Saint Mary's under the overall command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
. In 1864, he commanded a brigade in Maj. Gen. W.F. "Baldy" Smith
William F. Smith
William F. Smith may refer to:*William Farrar Smith , Union Army General*William Francis Smith , U.S. District Court judge*William French Smith , U.S. Attorney General...
's XVIII Corps during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign
Bermuda Hundred Campaign
The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought at the town of Bermuda Hundred, outside Richmond, Virginia, during May 1864 in the American Civil War. Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, commanding the Army of the James, threatened Richmond from the east but was stopped by forces under ...
. He took part in a disastrous assault on Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
, where his brigade suffered heavy casualties. During the Union assaults on Petersburg, Gilman assumed command of the 1st Division in the XVIII Corps on the last day of battle. Thereafter he commanded the Union troops on the north side of the James River with his headquarters located at Fort Pocahontas
Fort Pocahontas
Fort Pocahontas was an earthen fort on the north bank of the James River at Wilson's Wharf, in Charles City County, Virginia which served as a Union supply depot during the American Civil War. The fort was constructed by African-American soldiers of the United States Colored Troops under the...
. Occasionally he returned to command of the 1st Division, including a brief stint during the Second Battle of Fair Oaks
Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road
The Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road was fought October 27–28, 1864, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
. Having been re-elected to Congress he resigned 1865, whereupon he received the thanks of the state of New Hampshire.
U.S. Congress
He was elected to the Thirty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1865–March 4, 1867) and in 1870 declined the Governorship of Idaho TerritoryIdaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
. In 1872, 1873, and 1876 to 1878, he was again a member of the State house of representatives. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1876 to the Forty-fifth Congress and was a delegate to the State constitutional convention of 1876.
On March 4, 1889, Marston was appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing on that date and served until June 18, 1889, when a successor was elected. He died in Exeter in 1890; interment was in Exeter Cemetery.
See also
- Grave of Gilman Marston: plaque, "stone" (both on FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
). - List of American Civil War generals