I haven’t written much about our heroes from World War I, so I thought this week would be a good time to share the story of two of Patrick County’s brave Doughboys. What I discovered was the heartbreaking tale of an uncle and nephew—Pvt. Charles T. Martin and Sgt. James W. Hudnall—who were both killed in action on the same day, in the same battle.
Charles Tilton Martin was the eighth of eleven children born to Thomas Jefferson Martin and Delilah Justine Grady of Nettle Ridge. He entered the world on July 24, 1893, in Patrick County. His oldest sister, Ada Lee Martin, born March 6, 1877, married William R. Hudnall on February 17, 1895, also in Patrick County. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to East Beardstown in Cass County, Illinois.
Ada Lee and William had four children in Illinois: Jesse Walter (born 1896), James William (born 1897), Grace May (born 1900 and passed away in 1901), and Eva Irene (born 1906). Tragically, the children were orphaned in 1906 when William died on April 27 and Ada Lee passed away just months later, on December 14.
After their parents’ deaths, Jesse and James returned to Patrick County to live with their maternal grandparents, Thomas and Delilah Martin. Their little sister, Eva, was taken in by members of the Hudnall family. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, the Martin family relocated from their farm in the Critz area to Leaksville, North Carolina, where Thomas and several of his children worked in the cotton mills.
On June 22, 1916, James Hudnall enlisted in Company G, 120th Infantry, 30th Division of the North Carolina Army National Guard in Reidsville. A little over a year later, on July 26, 1917, Charles Martin followed in his nephew’s footsteps and joined the same unit. The two men remained stateside until May 12, 1918, when they departed from Boston Harbor aboard the Bohemian, bound for France.
Both Sgt. Hudnall and Pvt. Martin were killed in action on September 29, 1918, during intense fighting near Bellicourt, in the Aisne department of Picardy, France. Sgt. Hudnall was just 21 years old; Pvt. Martin was 24. That day, 241 American soldiers lost their lives—128 of them from the 120th Infantry Regiment—marking the deadliest single day of the war for North Carolinians.
Sgt. James W. Hudnall was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. His citation reads:
“After being twice wounded, Sergeant Hudnall continued to lead his platoon in the attack, capturing two machine guns. In later action, he received additional wounds which caused his death.”
According to U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, Pvt. Charles T. Martin is buried at Lawson Cemetery in Leaksville, North Carolina. Sgt. James W. Hudnall rests near his Martin grandparents at Critz Baptist Church Cemetery in Critz, Virginia.
For questions, comments, or story ideas, I can be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
