The 1870 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows the following:
James A. Martin 32mw farmer leased $150/125 VA can't read nor write
Rebecca 26fw keeping house
Charles* 12mw at home
Robert* 8mw at home NC
James M. 4mw at home
"Susan J. 1fm at home "
*Charles and Robert Boaz were Rebecca's children from her first marriage to Robert Boaz.
James Ausband Martin served in the Civil War. His war records show the following information: At the time of his enlistment he had been residing in Stokes Co., NC as a farmer. He enlisted at Danbury, NC 20 Mar 1862 as Private with Company G., NC 53rd Regiment. The men in Co. G of the 53rd Regiment were known as "The Mountain Grays." His description was given as dark complexion, dark hair and eyes, and his height was 5'7". Roll of Honor gives same data showing his status of enlistment as volunteer with age of 27. National Archives in Washington, DC show his enlistment age at 22/27. This could explain why his military grave marker shows his birth date as 1835 instead of l838. His prisoner of war records show he was captured at Gettysburg on 3 Jul 1863, confined at Fort McHenry, MD for a brief time; transferred to Fort Delaware, DE 9 Jul 1863, arriving there on or about 12 Jul 1863. According to Civil War historians, Fort Delaware was one of the worst prisons for a confederate soldier to find himself in. One of every four prisoners died and all the prisoners suffered from the severe cold weather, the dampness, dysentery, fevers, lice and a host of other ailments. James must have been a very strong man to have endured his imprisonment. He was released 19 Jun 1865. His name appears as signature (his mark) to Oath of Allegiance, subscribed to at Fort Delaware, DE. After the war, James returned to Stokes Co., NC and married Mary Rebecca Moorefield Boaz on 5 Mar 1866. She was the widow of Robert Boaz, who was killed during the Civil War. The 1880 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James, his wife Rebecca and their five children living in the Peters Creek Township. This area is near the VA/NC state line. The 1900 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James as a widower, living with his son, William R. and his sister, Susie Martin Frye. Susie was a widow and she and two of her children, Agnes and Robert L. Frye lived with James at this time. They were living in the west division of the Sauratown Township of Stokes Co., NC. In his later years, James lived with his son, William R. Martin, in Tobaccoville, NC. When he died, he was carried by horse and wagon approximately thirty miles back to Walnut Cove, NC to be buried beside his beloved Rebecca.
My husband and I obtained a tintype picture of James Ausband Martin in late 1960's. We had a professional photographer make a copy for us and others. This picture shows James Ausband Martin dressed in his military clothes holding a long barreled pistol across his chest. William Jordan, author of "North Carolina Troops 1861-1865", Raleigh, NC identified this weapon as a .31 caliber pocket model 1849 Colt Revolver. Often, before his death, my husband spoke of that weapon and wondered what happened to it. In February of 2008, I was talking with my sister-in-law, Eva, about the great job that Eliza Long Martin had done in raising her children after the death of her husband. I mentioned to Eva the episode that happened when her brothers, Paul and Grady were young. They had found a 22 rifle and took it, unloaded, to the woods to "practice" shooting squirrels. Their mother, Eliza, found what her boys had done and took the rifle outside and threw it into the outside toilet or "outhouse" as it was then called. I told Eva that probably Eliza was one of the first women to practice gun control and Eva said, "oh, she started that a long time before she threw the rifle away." I asked her what she meant and heard the following story: Eva's father, William R. Martin, had a sister named Susan Isabella Martin who married William Bryant. Their son, Joseph, his wife and children, were visiting the Martin home and after the dinner meal, one of their children left the table and went into another room of the house. He came back into the dining room with the above mentioned pistol. James Ausband's son, William had placed his late father's pistol on a wall under his picture. The youngster had seen it and took it off the wall and brought it into the view of all the others. As soon as the Bryant family left, Eva says that her mother took the pistol to the outhouse and threw it in. She knew it would be safe from children there. So, after many, many years the secret of what happened to Grandpa's revolver is solved. I only wished I had known this story and could have shared it with my husband before his death.
James A. Martin 32mw farmer leased $150/125 VA can't read nor write
Rebecca 26fw keeping house
Charles* 12mw at home
Robert* 8mw at home NC
James M. 4mw at home
"Susan J. 1fm at home "
*Charles and Robert Boaz were Rebecca's children from her first marriage to Robert Boaz.
James Ausband Martin served in the Civil War. His war records show the following information: At the time of his enlistment he had been residing in Stokes Co., NC as a farmer. He enlisted at Danbury, NC 20 Mar 1862 as Private with Company G., NC 53rd Regiment. The men in Co. G of the 53rd Regiment were known as "The Mountain Grays." His description was given as dark complexion, dark hair and eyes, and his height was 5'7". Roll of Honor gives same data showing his status of enlistment as volunteer with age of 27. National Archives in Washington, DC show his enlistment age at 22/27. This could explain why his military grave marker shows his birth date as 1835 instead of l838. His prisoner of war records show he was captured at Gettysburg on 3 Jul 1863, confined at Fort McHenry, MD for a brief time; transferred to Fort Delaware, DE 9 Jul 1863, arriving there on or about 12 Jul 1863. According to Civil War historians, Fort Delaware was one of the worst prisons for a confederate soldier to find himself in. One of every four prisoners died and all the prisoners suffered from the severe cold weather, the dampness, dysentery, fevers, lice and a host of other ailments. James must have been a very strong man to have endured his imprisonment. He was released 19 Jun 1865. His name appears as signature (his mark) to Oath of Allegiance, subscribed to at Fort Delaware, DE. After the war, James returned to Stokes Co., NC and married Mary Rebecca Moorefield Boaz on 5 Mar 1866. She was the widow of Robert Boaz, who was killed during the Civil War. The 1880 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James, his wife Rebecca and their five children living in the Peters Creek Township. This area is near the VA/NC state line. The 1900 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James as a widower, living with his son, William R. and his sister, Susie Martin Frye. Susie was a widow and she and two of her children, Agnes and Robert L. Frye lived with James at this time. They were living in the west division of the Sauratown Township of Stokes Co., NC. In his later years, James lived with his son, William R. Martin, in Tobaccoville, NC. When he died, he was carried by horse and wagon approximately thirty miles back to Walnut Cove, NC to be buried beside his beloved Rebecca.
My husband and I obtained a tintype picture of James Ausband Martin in late 1960's. We had a professional photographer make a copy for us and others. This picture shows James Ausband Martin dressed in his military clothes holding a long barreled pistol across his chest. William Jordan, author of "North Carolina Troops 1861-1865", Raleigh, NC identified this weapon as a .31 caliber pocket model 1849 Colt Revolver. Often, before his death, my husband spoke of that weapon and wondered what happened to it. In February of 2008, I was talking with my sister-in-law, Eva, about the great job that Eliza Long Martin had done in raising her children after the death of her husband. I mentioned to Eva the episode that happened when her brothers, Paul and Grady were young. They had found a 22 rifle and took it, unloaded, to the woods to "practice" shooting squirrels. Their mother, Eliza, found what her boys had done and took the rifle outside and threw it into the outside toilet or "outhouse" as it was then called. I told Eva that probably Eliza was one of the first women to practice gun control and Eva said, "oh, she started that a long time before she threw the rifle away." I asked her what she meant and heard the following story: Eva's father, William R. Martin, had a sister named Susan Isabella Martin who married William Bryant. Their son, Joseph, his wife and children, were visiting the Martin home and after the dinner meal, one of their children left the table and went into another room of the house. He came back into the dining room with the above mentioned pistol. James Ausband's son, William had placed his late father's pistol on a wall under his picture. The youngster had seen it and took it off the wall and brought it into the view of all the others. As soon as the Bryant family left, Eva says that her mother took the pistol to the outhouse and threw it in. She knew it would be safe from children there. So, after many, many years the secret of what happened to Grandpa's revolver is solved. I only wished I had known this story and could have shared it with my husband before his death.
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