[p. 935] was admitted to the bar of this county at the September term of 1867, and ever since has been a resident of New Castle. He was born in Lawrence, then Mercer County, near Elliott's Mills, October 7, 1843; his father being William Martin, his grandfather, James Martin, and his great grandfather, Charles Martin, all lifelong residents of that section. In 1794 his great grandfather came from the eastern part of the State, and was one of the first settlers on Slippery Rock Creek, having settled and purchased from the State several hundred acres of land in that vicinity. His grandfather, James Martin, married Jane McNees, a daughter of William McNees, late of Butler County, who also was among the first settlers; his grandmother being but thirteen years of age at the time of her father's settlement.
At the beginning of the Civil War Mr. Martin was but seventeen, but in October, 1861, enlisted, and in November following was mustered into the United States service in Company E, Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, at Harrisburg, in which organization he served continuously until December 13, 1862, participating with the regiment in all its engagements to that date, viz: The siege of Yorktown, battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Charles City, Cross Roads, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Chantilly and Fredericksburg. In the last named he was taken prisoner, and after a brief confinement in Libby prison, Richmond, was paroled, but was not exchanged until the following spring. After his exchange he was detailed on special duty in the military department of Washington, at the headquarters of Col. Samuel McKelvey, late of Pittsburg, Pa., near Alexandria, Va., and so continued until the expiration of his term of service, November, 1864, when he was mustered out.
On his return from the army Mr. Martin resumed his studies at Witherspoon Insti- tute, Butler, and State Normal School, at Edinboro, Pa., and later entered the Ohio State and Union Law College at Cleveland, Ohio, from which he graduated in the summer of 1867, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He at once entered on the practice of his profession, and is an admitted practitioner in all the courts of the United States, being admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States in 1885.
Politically, Mr. Martin is a Republican. Religiously, a Presbyterian, having been connected with the Central Presbyterian Church of New Castle ever since its organization as a New School Presbyterian Church.
On November 20, 1867, Mr. Martin was married to Almira P. Reeder, of Edinboro, Erie County, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Union Veteran Legion, being one of the charter members of Encampment No. 9 of that organization; also of the beneficiary organization, the Protected Home Circle.
Mr. Martin, in association with Capt. E. C. Strouss, and others, compiled and edited the History of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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