Tom Martin Chapter 1

 Before the War

   During the period starting towards the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the Civil War, the Martin “clan” was expanding westward through Kentucky into Illinois, and an advance guard was moving into Texas. Descendants of James Scott Martin and Jenny Feagley were established in south-eastern Illinois and were and still are a vociferous lot. A grandson of Joel Feagley Martin, Ivory John Martin (1859-1943) wrote a family story which was later amended by his son Robert Walter Martin (1895-1970), and then grandson Robert Eden Martin compiled and published the “Fragments of Martin Family History” in 1990. Meanwhile Louise Y. Neely compiled and published a book “Neely and Martin Descendants” in 1982, which included the Neely family which was intertwined with the Martins in every generation beginning in the 18th century. There is a wealth of information about many of these families during the 19th century.

   Joel Feagley Martin (1806-1866) was the second son of James Scott Martin and Jenny Feagley. At about the age of 10 Joel suffered from “white swelling” of the knee, which could have been due to a number of causes. In any case he had a permanent stiffness in the knee and walked with a limp and crutches or a cane for the rest of his life. Nevertheless he was otherwise strong and healthy. He had very little formal education but he read voraciously what books he could find, and in his library (the Bible was ubiquitous) were Bible commentaries, the works of Seneca, a history of Greece, etc. He was a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, and the idea of teaching oneself to read by candlelight seems to have been popular.

   As a young man of about 20 he became a Baptist preacher, without ordination. He like other lay preachers went on preaching tours throughout eastern Illinois and western Indiana. On one of these tours he met Elizabeth Clemens, and they were married in about 1827.  They settled in Coles County, Illinois and raised 13 children; the oldest born about 1828 and the youngest in 1854 when Elizabeth was past 40. Joel never became wealthy, but in addition to preaching he provided for his large family by teaching school, and serving as school treasurer and justice of the peace. With his crippled leg he would not have been able to run a large farm, but he evidently kept livestock. An inventory listed 1 milk cow, 2 calves, 12 sheep and several pigs. Chickens were not mentioned but they certainly must have raised chickens as well.

  In all respects Joel was considered a pillar of the community, and his children were well cared for. Thomas Jefferson Martin was the youngest son (he had four younger sisters), and he was listed on the 1860 census as 15. It is almost certain that he was born no earlier than 1844 and no later than 1846; his actual date of birth has never been determined exactly and that has been the source of many problems later in his life. There are three of his siblings who are most important in his life: Samuel b. 1830; Levi b. 1843; and Polly b. 1847.

   By 1860 the nation was on the brink of civil war. Sam was in Texas having gone with several Martin cousins looking for land. Some of the cousins (probably including Sam) were settling or planning to settle in the area south of Dallas, while others had settled in Cooke County, which is north of Dallas and borders on the Indian Nation, which is now Oklahoma.

   In 1862 the war came to the Martin family.