Representative Augustus Newton Martin

Augustus Newton Martin (March 23, 1847 – July 11, 1901) was an American lawyer, educator, Civil War veteran, and Democratic politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1889 to 1895. His congressional service occurred during a significant period in American history, and as a member of the House of Representatives he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Indiana constituents.

Martin was born near Whitestown, in Connoquenessing Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, on March 23, 1847. He attended the local common schools and pursued further studies at the Witherspoon Institute in Butler, Pennsylvania. Seeking practical business training, he enrolled at Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York, from which he graduated in February 1867. His early education combined classical and commercial instruction, preparing him for subsequent work as both an educator and a lawyer.

During the American Civil War, Martin entered military service at a young age. On July 3, 1863, he enlisted in Company I of the Fifty-eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia. Later in the war he reenlisted on February 22, 1865, in Company E of the Seventy-eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He served in that regiment until he was discharged for disability on August 30, 1865. His wartime experience as a Union soldier formed an important part of his public identity and later informed his work in Congress, particularly on matters relating to veterans.

After the Civil War, Martin returned to civilian life and initially worked as a schoolteacher. In 1869 he moved to Bluffton, Indiana, where he began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1870 and commenced legal practice in Bluffton. His abilities soon led him into public service. In 1875 he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, marking his formal entry into state politics as a member of the Democratic Party. The following year, in 1876, he was elected reporter of the Indiana Supreme Court, a position of considerable responsibility involving the preparation and publication of the court’s decisions. He served in that office for four years, until 1880, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection that year.

Following his tenure as Supreme Court reporter, Martin spent a brief period outside Indiana. From 1881 to 1883 he resided in Austin, Texas, before returning to Bluffton in 1883 to resume the practice of law. Reestablished in his Indiana community and legal career, he remained active in Democratic politics and built the reputation that would carry him to national office.

Martin was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-first, Fifty-second, and Fifty-third Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1889, to March 3, 1895. During his three terms in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process at a time of economic and political change in the United States. He served as chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions in both the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses, a role that drew directly on his background as a Civil War veteran and involved oversight of legislation and claims relating to disabled soldiers and their dependents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Fifty-fourth Congress in 1894, concluding his service in the House at the end of his third term.

After leaving Congress, Martin returned to Bluffton and again engaged in the practice of law. He continued his professional work there until his final illness. He died at the Soldiers’ Home Hospital in Marion, Indiana, on July 11, 1901. Augustus Newton Martin was interred in Fairview Cemetery in Bluffton, Indiana, closing a life that had encompassed service as a soldier, educator, lawyer, state legislator, state court officer, and member of the United States Congress.