mikeejay2
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Brig Gen John Henry Martindale (b 1815 - d 1881) was born in Sandy Hill, New York. In 1831 he graduated from West Point, third in the class in 1835. He was promoted 2nd Lieutenant of the First Dragoons, but not desiring to stay in the Army, resigned in March, 1836. For a time he was assistant engineer of the Saratoga and Washington Railroad, but took up the study of law, and in 1838 began to practice in Batavia, N.Y. When the Civil War, he was commissioned Brigadier-General , and was assigned to the command of the First Brigade of Porters Division in the defenses of Washington. In the Peninsula campaign, his brigade played a very active part in the actions at Yorktown, Hanover Courthouse, Gaines's Mill, Mechanicsville, and Malvern. At the battle of Hanover Court-house, contrary to the orders of his superior officer, he assumed the responsibility of placing his troops in a perilous position. While in actual fight Gen. Porter ordered him to retire. It was later found out that Porter was mistaken in the situation of the rebels, and that obedience would have exposed the whole left flank and rear of the Union force to assault. With his body of 1,000 men, Martindale held the enemy at bay until Porter's command joined him and they drove the rebels off. Major-Gen. Griffin said afterwards that if the advice of Martindale at Yorktown, Hanover, and Gaines's Mill had been heeded by his commanding officers the result of these battles would have been different. On the retreat from Malvern Hill, the union troops were aroused at midnight with an order to retreat. In obeying the order the wounded and dying were to be left on the field. For two hours Martindale halted at the head of his command, attempting to preserve order. Upset that “superior” officers were deserting the wounded, he declared to some of his officers: "Let us stay with the men and surrender rather than abandon them." When the retreat was over, Martindale became ill with typhoid fever. He was taken to Washington and hovered between life and death until late in August. While in coma and helpless, Porter preferred the charge against him that on the retreat, Martindale had proposed to surrender his brigade to the enemy. Whether founded or not, these charges absolutely perverted the expression which Martindale had uttered in his humane desire to shield his sick and wounded comrades from the rebels. As soon as he had sufficiently recovered, Martindale demanded a court of inquiry. This court found him not guilty. It was a mark of confidence that the Administration immediately made him Military Governor of Washington, a position of critical responsibility, requiring both civic and military ability, and it was further in the line of approval that he was promoted to Major General for gallant services at Malvern Hill. He was Military Governor from November, 1862, until May, 1864, when he was ordered to join the Army of the James at Fort Monroe, under command of Gen. Butler. Martindale commanded a division in the movement toward Richmond and took part in the battle of Drury's Bluff. Joining the Army of the Potomac in June, 1864, he led his division at Cold Harbor. In the assault, he was in the thickest of the fight, and one- third of his command were killed or wounded in an hour. He was present at the assault on Petersburg (June, 1864) , when the outer defenses was carried by the Eighteenth Corps. When W. F. Smith retired, he took command of the Eighteenth Army Corps, and retained it until sickness compelled him to resign his commission (Aug 1864). He served as Attorney General (1865-68) under Pres Johnston and then served as a lawyer in Batavia until his death. He is buried in Batavia Cemetery, Batavia, New York.
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Brig Gen John Henry Martindale - 
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