John H. Martin

John H. Martin was born in 1846.

John stood 5’6” with dark eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion and was a clerk possibly living in Pittsfield, Washtenaw County or Polkton, Ottawa County, Michigan, when he joined the Third Michigan.

Available Regimental records list two “John Martins,” both age 18. One enlisted in Unassigned at Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, on January 11, 1864, and mustered on January 12, but there is no further record. He was probably the same John Martin who enlisted on January 10, 1864, in Company H at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, and was mustered on January 11.

In any case, the Company H John Martin joined the Regiment on February 17 at Camp Bullock, Virginia and was probably wounded during the Wilderness and Spotsylvania campaigns. He was reported absent wounded when he was transferred to Company A, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, and remained absent until he was discharged May 22, 1865, at Columbian College hospital in Washington, DC, on account of disability.

In early July Samuel Murray, formerly of Company H, Third Michigan, wrote to George Lemon, another former member of the company telling him that “John Martin has been home on furlough; he had a bad wound but is getting along finely. He was paid up to April 30th in Washington and also got the back bounty that we thought lost.”

John eventually returned to Michigan and was living in Grand Rapids in 1923-24.

He was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association. In 1865 he applied for and received a pension (no. 59394).

According to the SUVCW graves registration John is buried in Washtenaw County.