Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hunter, Martin
HUNTER, Sir MARTIN (1757–1846), general, second son and heir of Cuthbert Hunter of Medomsley, Durham, by his wife Anne, daughter of the Rev. John Nixon of Haltwhistle, Northumberland, was born in 1757. On 30 Aug. 1771 he was appointed ensign in the 52nd foot, in which he became lieutenant 18 June 1775, captain 21 Nov. 1777, and major 30 Oct. 1790. He was with his regiment at Bunker's Hill, and in Boston when blockaded by Washington, and made the campaigns of 1776-8, including the battles of Long Island and Brandywine, the storming of Fort Washington, the surprise of Wayne's brigade, and other affairs. He accompanied his regiment to India, and was brigade-major, and led the light infantry that stormed the breach at the siege of Cannanore. As senior captain and regimental major he commanded his regiment; in the campaigns against Tippoo Sahib in 1790-2, and was shot through the arm and body in the attack on Tippoo's camp before Seringapatam in 1792. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel in the newly raised 91st foot in 1794 (disbanded in 1796), and in 1796 was transferred to the 60th royal Americans. He served with his battalion of that corps in the West Indies, and commanded a brigade under Sir Ralph Abercromby at the capture of Trinidad and the attempt on Porto Rico. Exchanging into the 48th foot he commanded that regiment in Minorca, at Leghorn, and at the reduction of Malta. In 1803 he was appointed a brigadier-general in North America, commanded the troops in Nova Scotia, and acted for a time as lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick. He was appointed colonel of the New Brunswick Fencibles in 1803, and in 1810 was made colonel of the old 104th foot, formed out of the New Brunswick Fencibles at that time and disbanded at Montreal in May 1817. He became lieutenant-general in 1812, and general in 1825. He was a knight-bachelor, G.C.M.G. and G.C.H., and governor of Stirling Castle.
Hunter married, on 13 Sept. 1797, Jean, daughter and heiress of James Dickson of St. Anton's Hill, Berwickshire; she died in 1845, leaving a large family. At his death, which took place at his seat, St. Anton's Hill, on 9 Dec. 1846, at the age of 90, he was said to be the last urvivor of the officers present at the battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June 1775.
[Burke's Landed Gentry, 1886 ed., under 'Hunter of Medomsley;' Moorsom's Hist. of the 52nd Light Infantry, where the details of the services of that famous regiment in America and India are extracted from Hunter's unpublished journals; Royal Mil. Calendar, 1820; Gent. Mag. 1847, pt. i. p. 424.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.163
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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