My Genealogy Hound

MARTIN, SAMUEL, farmer and stock raiser, Sec. 26, P.O. White Hall. Mr. Martin was born in Logan County, Kentucky, October 20, 1826; third child of John and Polly Martin, who emigrated to Greene County in 1828. Young Samuel in his eighth year, through the limited means of his parents, learned to plow and do other hard work from this age until he attained his majority; while yet a youth he would make frequent trips to a horse mill, and there patiently wait for the corn he brought to be ground; the little schooling he obtained was by frequent trips to a log cabin, where a log taken from one side was filled in with window glass to admit the day light, the benches, made of slabs, were awkwardly constructed; here the few studies were perused while the memory of many were sometimes refreshed by the use of long rods or withes in the hands of the expert teacher; in 1862 Mr. Martin enlisted in Co. I, 91st Ill. Vol., for three years’ service or during the war; entering the ranks as a private, through meritorious conduct, he arose to the position of a first lieutenant; principal battles participated in were Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort; captured at Elizabeth by Morgan’s men he was shortly after paroled; when the war closed he returned to Greene County. October 19, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lyden, by whom he had one child. Harry G. Mrs. Martin died August 9, 1873. Samuel Martin is the owner of 180 acres, acquired by his own industry; he was lately elected to fill the office of justice of the peace of White Hall precinct.