Major-General Will T. Martin, one of the dashing cavalry leaders of the war, entered the Confederate service as captain of a company of cavalry. On November 14, 1861, he was commissioned as major of the Second Mississippi cavalry, attached to the Jeff Davis legion. Two days later we have a report of operations of his command in the neighborhood of Falls Church, Va. He surprised a body of the enemy at Doolan's, capturing prisoners, wagons and horses. For this he was mentioned favorably in reports of Gens. G. W. Smith and Joseph E. Johnston. Just before the Seven Days battles at Richmond, Martin, who was now lieutenant-colonel of the Jeff Davis legion, accompanied Stuart in that daring raid in which he made the entire circuit of McClellan's army, bringing in prisoners, booty, and much information of great importance to General Lee. Gen. Wm. W. Averell, of the Union army, said of this expedition: ‘It was appointed with excellent judgment and was conducted with superb address. Stuart pursued the line of least resistance, which was the unexpected. His subordinate commanders were Colonels Fitz Lee, W. H. F. Lee and W. T. Martin, all intrepid cavalrymen.’ On December 2, 1862, Colonel Martin was commissioned brigadiergen-eral in the provisional army of the Confederate States. He was then sent to Tennessee, where he was put in command of a division consisting of Roddey's and Cosby's brigades. He participated in Van Dorn's brilliant victory at Spring Hill, on March 5, 1863, and during the Tullahoma campaign did great service to the army, as did all the cavalry commands. When Longstreet went into east Tennessee, General Martin accompanied him
