Name Martin M. | Died March 6, 1902 | |
Born September 29, 1829Urbana, Ohio ( 1829-09-29 ) Rank Brigadier General (Army) Unit 4th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Battles and wars Allegiance United States of America, Union | ||
Years of service 1861–1864 (Army) Service/branch United States Army | ||
Martin Reuben Merritt Wallace (September 29, 1829 – March 6, 1902) was an American Union brevet brigadier general during the period of the American Civil War. He was a colonel in the 4th Illinois Cavalry. He received his appointment as brevet brigadier general dated to March 13, 1865.
Biography
Martin R. M. Wallace was born in Urbana, Ohio on September 29, 1829. He was the eighth child (fourth son) born to John Wallace; his brother W. H. L. would go on to become a general. In 1834, the Wallaces moved to LaSalle County, Illinois. Wallace attended public school in the winter and worked on the farm the rest of the year. In 1839, the family moved to Ogle County, Illinois near Mount Morris, where Wallace's father was a trustee of the Rock River Seminary. Wallace attended that institution and, after graduating, decided to pursue law as a profession. He studied with elder brother W. H. L. at Dickey & Wallace in Ottawa, Illinois. Wallace was admitted to the bar in 1858 and moved to Chicago, Illinois to form a practice with Thomas Dent.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Wallace helped to organize the 4th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. He received a commission of major for the regiment, serving under former law associate Theophilus Lyle Dickey. He led a battalion at the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh. At the latter engagement, Wallace's brother W. H. L. was killed. Wallace assumed control of the 4th Cavalry following the death of Col. William McCullough in December 1862. Wallace was promoted to lieutenant colonel the next month, and to a full colonel in March 1863. Wallace was mustered out November 3, 1864 and received an honorary commission the next year as brevet brigadier general.
After the war, Wallace was named United States Assessor for the Chicago District. In 1868, he was elected to the Cook County Court, serving for eight years. Afterward, he served as an attorney on the Cook County board. He died in Chicago on March 6, 1902 and was buried in Rosehill Cemetery.