Martin Family

James D. Martin
 1834-1910

The earliest record found to date for James is his marriage recorded in the Troup County Courthouse in Lagrange, GA. The 1860 Census for Tallapoosa Co. AL, lines 11-14 of page 27 recorded 15 June 1860, lists James as a Grocer with $320.00 in real estate, 26 years old born in South Carolina, with his wife Arrinda age 2l, Mary age 3, and Charles age l.

Whether Victoria (Arrinda) and the children remained in Tallapoosa Co. while James was in the Army or were in GA with her parents is not known, but the 1870 Census for AL enumerated them in Chambers, Co. AL (just across the state line from Troup Co. GA) where James was working as a farmhand. The economic and social disruptions of the Civil War and Reconstruction caused many families to relocate. Page 226 of the 1870 Census for Chambers Co. taken Sept. 2, 1870 shows: James Martin age 36, farmhand, Victoria age 33, Mary age l4, Charley age l2, Bascom age l0, Bori age 8, and Elsita (?) age 5.
The Census taker stated that all were born in AL which was not correct but this type of error was common. While "Bori" was probably James B. Martin's middle name and "Elsita" may have been Etoila's middle name, both may have been nicknames as "Bascom" was undoubtedly John's nickname.
The l880 Census of Tallapoosa Co. AL, lines 1-7 on page 22, records James as a minister, age 46, living near the Newsite community in Tallapoosa Co. with his wife A.V. Martin age 41 and 5 of their children, Charles F. age 2l, John W. age l9, James B. age l8, Eutaula E. age l4 and Thomas M. age 6.

According to James' Confederate Veteran's Pension application claim l3493 filed 29 July l909 in Polk. CO. FL., James enlisted in Company D 34th Alabama Infantry Regiment in May 1862. His company was commanded by Colonel J. Mitchell. He was wounded 5 times during the war but served for the duration receiving an Honorable Discharge in May l865 at Montgomery, AL. According to oral family history, James was very tall, posibly the only survivor of l0 children. James' grandson, Joseph Martin, believed that James' grandfather had emigrated from Ireland and James had worked for a railroad and taught school at various times. Records of business transactions for James and Victoria have been found in Elmore Co. until l894. Evidently their sons John and James went to Polk Co. FL to work around l892 and James and Victoria moved there to be near them in l894 and took Thomas with them. John had a child born in FL as early as l893 and Victoria was living with Thomas when the l9l0 Census was taken 3 months after her husbands death. James' date of death was established by Victoria's application for a Widows Pension based on James' service in the Confederate Army.