Teresa Martin Klaiber
2019
Oral
stories are passed down in most families.
My father, John Geer Martin, told many stories of visiting the Martin’s
in Lincoln County, Kentucky, as a child.
He inherited the gun carried by Wilson Martin, his 2nd great
grandfather, who was killed, on his farm in Lincoln County, during the Civil
War.
Wilson Martin gun with
initials “W. M.” carved in handle
My grandfather became interested in the family
history and compiled what the family dubs “the little black book,” in the 1920’s. One known copy survives.[i] Henry Kautz Martin wrote: “Wilson Martin died
in Lincoln County, Kentucky, July 8, 1864 from a gunshot wound given by a party
of men who claimed to be Union Soldiers.”
My father said he died fighting over a bolt of material, at the well, on
his farm.
Walter
Perry Martin (James Thomas Martin, Wilson Martin…) born eight years after the
deadly incident, gave a more detailed account to his descendants. His oral
story expounded that men had taken a lot
of things as well as a lot of food to eat. A daughter had hidden a bolt of blue
jean cloth[ii]
which was found by one of the men. The “man” tried to take the cloth from
Wilson’s wife Mary Ann and the daughter. Wilson took a hatchet and hurt or
killed one man while the other got away and went to get help. In the time he was gone, Wilson and a son
tried to reach the Campbell farm, which was on the same road. They got as far as the spring when the men
returned and killed Wilson and wounded his son, then rode back to the Martin
farm telling Mary Ann her husband was at the spring and wanted a drink. Mary Ann found him sitting against a tree
dead….[iii]
Wilson
Martin (James H., John, John, Henry Martin, John Martin) married Mary Ann Peek
(Thos., Francis, John, John, John) in 1837 in Caldwell County, Kentucky. They migrated to Jessamine County about 1843
and moved across the county line to Lincoln County in 1861. Tax and birth records indicate that Wilson,
like his father and grandfather had slaves as late as 1862. He raised horses, cattle, hogs and children on
the farm. Wilson and Mary Ann had their
13th child, Davis, in May 1864, just two months prior to his death.
(This picture of Wilson Martin was orginally mis-labeled when this blog was first posted. Corrected on 16 Mar 2020 after a cousin pointed the error out - thanks Arlene!)
Kentucky
a border state, was known as brother against brother, however the Union was in control by
1862. Having slaves does not necessarily
mean the Martin’s favored the South, but it is this compiler’s belief that the
family was pro Confederate.
By
1864 the state was full of Union soldiers and guerillas, some not caring which
side of the fence they were on. Perrin, in Kentucky A History of the State, states
that “guerillas …depredations were confined to no particular class of
victims…Toward the close of 1864 there was scarcely a county in Kentucky wholly
free from their predatory incursions.” The
previous year, a Union officer wrote: "Gen. have just arrived here (Stanford,
Lincoln Co.) ... have killed and
wounded quite a number; taken over 100 prisoners... my horses are completely worn out. Some ...men have had nothing to eat for 3 days...WP
Sanders”[iv] Stanford was just a few
miles from the Martin farm. There was a Union Camp just north of Stanford for
most of the war. Camp Nelson Burial
Ground is in adjoining Jessamine County.
The best description of what it was like in
Lincoln County in 1864 has been written Kentucky’s Civil War by Heritage
Trail, Kentucky Department of Travel:"…After
2 yrs of warfare, an atmosphere of violence shrouded Kentucky...no major
Confederate presence in the Bluegrass State, some citizens turned to savage
forms of guerrilla warfare. Many of
these bushwhackers were inspired by looting, others by savagery. Guerrilla
bands freely roamed the state,
murdering and pillaging. Some claimed to
be Union ... others Confederate ties....hit its peak in 1864...Stephen G Brubridge became Federal
commander of the District of Kentucky
in Feb...as guerrilla attacks mounted,
Burbridge attempted to prevent outrages
by punishing relatives of the bushwhackers. ..realized...ineffective...ordered
four guerrillas shot for every Union
man killed. In many instances regular
Confederate soldiers and innocent Southern sympathizers were executed... arrested and banished
citizens with impunity...In 1864 he
arrested men who did not vote for Abraham Lincoln...” Burbridge was finally removed from his post.
In January order #59 gave the Union permission
to hold Confederate sympathizers personally responsible for all guerilla raids
within a five-mile radius of the scene where a crime was committed. [v] On July 5th, 1864, on orders from
Washington Martial Law was declared and a writ of habeas corpus[vi] suspended in Kentucky.[vii] Wilson Martin was killed, three days later,
on his farm.
As a visual of the turmoil became clearer,
descendent Charles Henry Martin (Wilson Ray, Wilson…) wrote me: “I always
thought that tales my father told when I was small were quite wild…surprised to
see…about Wilson being shot on 8 July …as
I had always written that one off as the wildest of them all.” Senator Robert Martin (Henry Franklin, James
Thomas, Wilson), past president of Eastern Kentucky University when this
compiler was a student there, wrote “I am sure you know he was killed by
guerillas near the close of the war…carried by word of mouth…I believe all of
us have heard the story many times…he lies in a unmarked grave in Campbell
Burying Ground…”
Hubby and I visited the Martin farm in the
1990’s. I felt a pull and connection as
we slowly drove up Martin’s Trail Road. It was a sunny, warm day and owners
were very gracious. Like others we found
no stone for Wilson or his wife in Campbell Cemetery. Final settlement of Wilson’s estate was
handled by son James Thomas Martin in May 1871.
I found that Wilson had been selected to be on a jury, in Stanford, the
end of July and beside his name is simply written “dead.” With no tombstone nor a will, we have relied
on the “Little Black Book” for his death date as 8 July 1864.
With new newspaper scans I found an article in
the Louisville, Courier Journal, 18 July 1864. The paper is citing the Danville Tribune
but to date I have not been able to find either a microfilm copy or scan from
this date of the original article. The
Journal gives Wilson’s death as the 7th of July vs. the 8th. The article states “federal Soldiers” not
guerilla’s as the culprits. There is no
mention of a son being shot nor of Wilson Martin having wounded a soldier.
“Mr. Wilson Martin a citizen of
Lincoln County, residing near Turnersville, was killed on the 7th inst. by a
small party of federal Soldiers, who had gone to his house under the plea of
searching for a deserter. The Tribune gives no particulars but says the
circumstances under which he met his death, as related to it, attach the blame
to the soldiers. The affair should receive a rigid investigation on the part of
military authorities. Mr. M. leaves a very large and comparatively helpless
family.”
The helpless family was Mary Ann Peek
Martin and her thirteen children. My 2nd
great grandfather Henry Foster Martin was just 14. None of the thirteen children had married at
the time of their father’s death. In
October 1866 James Thomas, the eldest male, became the guardian for George,
Benjamin, Wilson R, Mary E, Sarah, Edward, Robert and Augustus David Martin.[viii] James T. took on much of the financial
worries of his mother and siblings.
Mary Ann attended the Turnersville
Christian Church which sits near the turn up Martin’s Trail. Davis the youngest was said to have “white
swelling” and was “slow”. Some family state that he was that way from the
trauma of the day his father was killed. All the family helped care for him throughout
his life. My father remembered him as a
small child as “a very happy fellow.”
Mary Ann lived on the farm until her death in
March 1897. Her death was reported in
the Interior Journal on the 26th.
“Death - Mrs. Mary A. Martin one of the best old women …Tues morn aged
88. She had been in feeble health for some time, but a week ago suffered a
stroke of paralysis and was unconscious from that time on. Her husband preceded
her to the grave many years ago, but nine children survive her, seven sons and two
daughters, the former including Mr. Bud Martin of Turnersville...a large crowd
attended the funeral at Turnersville church … and heard Rev W. T. Brooks preach
...Campbell bury ground.”
The farm was first announced to be sold
September 1906 as a Commissioners Sale. The land described as 166 acres on Hanging
Fork remained without sale. That same year my great grandfather
John Shouse Martin (Henry F., Wilson…) wrote Walter Perry Martin: “Mother said
for you to use $10.00 of her money to get Davis what he ought to have or use it
as far as it could go. Get him warm clothes and some that will wear well for no
telling when the poor fellow will get any more…” By 1910 Davis, now 47 years
old was living in the Lincoln County Crab Orchard County Home. The farm finally sold 12 July 1909 on Court
Day at the court house doors, standard practice in Kentucky, involving
Commissioner deeds. It was purchased by J. W. Peake and B. F. Cain at $15.00 an
acre.
James Wilson Peake/Peek (John Wilson
Peek, Thos W. Peek…) married Mary Wilson Martin daughter of James Thomas
Martin. The Peake’s brought Davis Martin
to live with them, having been in the county home only a short time. James
Wilson and Mary Wilson Peake, daughter of James Thomas Martin and granddaughter
of Mary Ann Peek Martin, were first cousins once removed.
Mary Ann Peek Martin and son Augustus Davis Martin
It is hard to imagine what strength
Mary Ann Martin had to draw from after her husband was killed, a son with
disabilities, a farm to manage, and trying to protect and raise the Martin
brood. This compiler’s great
grandfather, Henry Foster Martin, attended Transylvania College, became a
distinguished Christian Minister finally settling in Farmer’s, Rowan County,
Kentucky where his picture hung in the church for many years. Ah, more stories to share with my family and
readers.
[i]
Original Little Black Book possession of Strosnider family, Greenup Co., KY2019.
[ii] Fabrics such as the cotton/wool blend linsey woolsey, cotton
jean cloth and homespun were popular during the Civil War, often because of economy
and availability. Jean cloth, which is essentially denim, was worn by both
women and men because of its price and functionality.
[iii]
Retold by Joan Martin Clark, 1981. She owns the Barlow knife carried by Wilson
Martin.
[v]
Bushwacker and Bandits, Thos. Clark
[vi] The right of habeas corpus protects
a prisoner -- it allows a prisoner to indicate that his or her constitutionally
guaranteed rights to fair treatment in a trial have been infringed upon. .
[viii]
Ky, Lincoln, Guardianship Bk, KY State Archives, page 26
