Ignatius G. Martin
(1844-1897?)
Ignatius G. Martin was born in 1844 in Preston County, WV, the son of Henry and Keziah (Miner) Martin.
The information presented in this biography is speculative, and not proven with any precision, and may well not be our man. Additional research needs to be done to establish definitive proof.
The Ignatius G. Martin in question stood five feet, 9 inches tall, and weighed 170 lbs. He was married to Martha ( ? - ? ), a native Missourian, and they had four known daughters -- Linsy Martin, Fannie Christman, Ollie Newman and Russie Spires.
During the Civil War, Ignatius served with several military units from West Virginia. He joined the 2nd WV Infantry, Company B, on May 20, 1861. In the spring of 1862 his regiment was reorganized into the 5th WV Cavalry, and served for three years until his term expired. He then became a member of a veterans regiment, the 6th WV Cavalry, Company H.
While stationed at Belington, Barbour County, WV in December 1863, he was seriously injured when thrown from his horse, and fractured his right collar bone. "I was detached with a scouting party," he wrote, "my horse stumbled and fell throwing me on my right shoulder and broke it, causing what the physicians call bone clavicle which was never set and has remained fractured ever since."
After the war's end, Ignatius migrated westward to Missouri. He settled in the town of Cameron, Clinton County, MO, about 35 miles east of St. Joseph, MO. In May 1886, while in Clay County, MO, he was thrown from a buggy and injured further. Wrote Ignatius: "I was rideing in a buggie when my horse got scared and gave a sudden jump which jerked the seat off the buggie throwing me out backwards and hurt my right shoulder over again in the same place..."
When the federal census was taken in 1880, the Martins resided in Cameron, where Ignatius was a "canvasser" and Martha employed in "hair dressing." At least one, if not all three, of their daughters were born at Cameron.
As the years went on, Ignatius' shoulder gave him a growing discomfort. He petitioned the federal government for a pension as compensation. One of the fellow soldiers he would have liked to have used as a witness was J.M. Ashby, but Ashby was dead. Ignatius wrote that Ashby "was killed in a Shaft in Kingwood Tunnel B. & O. R.R. West Va." after the war. The claim was rejected.
Ignatius
passed away on Feb. 23, 1897, at his home one mile east of Cameron. He was age
53 at the time. Said the Cameron Daily Observer, "He had been sick a
long time. During his illness he was watched over by relatives, neighbors and
members of the G.A.R. The funeral service was held under the auspices of Joe
Hooker Post, G.A.R., of which deceased was a member." He was laid to rest
in the Packard Cemetery. No marker ever was erected on his final resting
place.
Daughter Linsy (1875- ? ) has disappeared from history, but her story will be told here when learned.
Daughter Fannie (1878-1934) married Dan Christman (1873-1947) on March 21, 1897, just a few weeks after her father's death. They were members of the Christian Science Church, although Dan maintained ties to the Methodist Church. Circa 1901, the Christmans resided in Hamilton, Caldwell County, MO. Fannie tried to obtain her father's pension, but her letters to the U.S. Pension Commissioner apparently went unanswered, as her father was dead. At some point, the Christmans moved to Hutchinson, Reno County, KS, where four of their adult sons lived, but returned to Cameron in February 1934, and found a farm near Lock Springs. Sadly, Fannie passed away just a few weeks after their move to Lock Springs, as she neared her 56th birthday, on March 8, 1934. She was laid to rest at the Bowman Cemetery in nearby Daviess County, MO. Dan outlived Fannie by 13 years, and moved back to Hutchinson. He died there at the age of 74 on Oct. 21, 1947, with his remains returned to Missouri for burial beside Fannie. They had six sons -- Martin Christman, Roy Christman, Lloyd Christman, Fred Christman, Floyd Christman and Lee Christman.
Daughter Ollie married (?) Newman. Circa 1934, they lived in Columbia, MO.
Daughter Russie married (?) Spires. They resided in Columbia, MO in 1934.
Nothing further is known.
Copyright © 2007 Mark A. Miner