... chasing down one-fourth of
Helen's lineage ...
In 1857, Helen's great-great-great grandfather Martin left Germany for the United States.
We observed the 150th anniversary of his arrival in this country in 2007.
An 18-year-old tailor, Martin arrived in New York City on June 30, 1857 from Darmstadt, a city in Hesse, Germany.
On the Oldenburg Bark Olympia, a Spanish ship, he was one of 274 passengers. Of the 126 "mans" aboard, 31 of them were named Heinrich -- phew, I'm glad I'm a Martin!
For the full page of this manifest, click on the image above.
(Note: while it clearly states Martin was 18 years old, at least one later source misinterprets the "18" as "13," confusing his birth year by five years.)
This is possibly the ship. We can rule out another ship, the S.S. Olympia, launched in 1871, and a third Olympia (1902-1926).
While Martin would fight in the Civil War, the "Olympia," meanwhile, had an odd connection to the Confederacy, as from it was obtained the 6-pound gun that was fired ceremoniously on December 20, 1860, signaling to Charleston that the South Carolina legislature had become the first state to pass an Ordinance of Secession.
Immediately after Pres. Lincoln's call to arms in 1861, Martin volunteered to serve in the Civil War with the 2nd Regiment, New Jersey infantry.
President
Lincoln's proclamation of April 15th, 1861, officially announcing the
existence of armed rebellion against the authority and government of
the United States, and calling for seventy-five thousand men to enforce
the laws and protect the property of the United States, was immediately
followed by the requisition from the War Department for the quota
allotted to New Jersey. The requisition was received in
Trenton
on April 17th, 1861. On the same day Governor Olden
issued
his proclamation calling for four regiments of militia. The
response to the Governor's call was prompt and in excess of the quota...
---- "History Of Kearny's First New Jersey Brigade", Camille Baquet, The State of New Jersey, 1910.
---- "History Of Kearny's First New Jersey Brigade", Camille Baquet, The State of New Jersey, 1910.
The 2nd Regiment was enrolled only 11 days after Lincoln's speech. Along with three other regiments, they formed a brigade that was the first in the nation to arrive at the defense of the threatened U.S. capitol.
"Jersey Blue" (mp3), a fife and drum tune he no doubt heard on the long marches. More songs.
The regiment spent seven weeks constructing Fort Runyon, at 12 acres the largest fort defending Washington, and which commanded the road to Alexandria. Here is a sketch from Harper's Weekly:
What the 42,573 volunteers of the 2nd Regiment
Infantry accomplished in 3 years:
Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, N.J., May 27, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., June 28, 1861. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Runyon's Reserve Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia, to August, 1861. Kearney's Brigade, Division of the Potomac, to October, 1861. Kearney's Brigade, Franklin's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to May, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.--Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21 (Reserve). Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 8-15. Advance from Alexandria to Bristoe Station April 741. Embarked for the Virginia Peninsula April 17. Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 19-May 4 (on transports). West Point May 7-8. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battles of Gaines Mill June 27. Garnett's Farm June 27. Golding's Farm June 28. Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16, Movement to Fortress Monroe and Manassas, Va., June 16-26. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 26-September 2. Action at Bull Run Bridge, Manassas, August 27. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Cover Pope's retreat to Centreville August 30-31. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of Crampton's Pass. South Mountain, Md., September 14. Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., until October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Duty at Falmouth until April 27, 1863. "Mud March" January 20-24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Battle of Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks Ford May 4. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 2-4. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va. Fairfield, Pa., July 5. At and near Funkstown, Md., July 10-13. Near Warrenton, Va., until September 15, and at Culpeper until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Brandy Station until May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spotsylvania May 8-12; Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Non-Veterans relieved for muster out. Veterans and Recruits temporarily attached to 15th New Jersey Infantry under orders of May 29, 1864, until December 17, 1864, when reorganized as a Battalion. Non-Veterans mustered out at Newark, N.J., June 21, 1864. Battles about Cold Harbor June 1-12, 1864. Before Petersburg June 17-19. Siege of Petersburg until July 9. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-11. Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern Defenses of Washington July 11-12. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap, Va., July 14-23. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Strasburg August 14-15. Cedar Creek August 15. Winchester August 17. Charlestown August 21-22. Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty in the Shenandoah Valley until December. Moved to Washington, D.C., thence to Petersburg, Va. Siege of Petersburg December, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville April 23-27 and duty there until May 18. March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C., May 18-June 3. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out at Hall's Hill, Va., July 11, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 89 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 67 Enlisted men by disease. Total 165. Source.
Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, N.J., May 27, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., June 28, 1861. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Runyon's Reserve Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia, to August, 1861. Kearney's Brigade, Division of the Potomac, to October, 1861. Kearney's Brigade, Franklin's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock, to May, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, to July, 1865.
SERVICE.--Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21, 1861. Battle of Bull Run, Va., July 21 (Reserve). Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C., until March, 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 8-15. Advance from Alexandria to Bristoe Station April 741. Embarked for the Virginia Peninsula April 17. Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 19-May 4 (on transports). West Point May 7-8. Seven days before Richmond June 25-July 1. Battles of Gaines Mill June 27. Garnett's Farm June 27. Golding's Farm June 28. Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale June 30. Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16, Movement to Fortress Monroe and Manassas, Va., June 16-26. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 26-September 2. Action at Bull Run Bridge, Manassas, August 27. Battle of Bull Run August 30. Cover Pope's retreat to Centreville August 30-31. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of Crampton's Pass. South Mountain, Md., September 14. Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Duty at Sharpsburg, Md., until October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Duty at Falmouth until April 27, 1863. "Mud March" January 20-24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Battle of Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks Ford May 4. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 2-4. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va. Fairfield, Pa., July 5. At and near Funkstown, Md., July 10-13. Near Warrenton, Va., until September 15, and at Culpeper until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Brandy Station until May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spotsylvania May 8-12; Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Non-Veterans relieved for muster out. Veterans and Recruits temporarily attached to 15th New Jersey Infantry under orders of May 29, 1864, until December 17, 1864, when reorganized as a Battalion. Non-Veterans mustered out at Newark, N.J., June 21, 1864. Battles about Cold Harbor June 1-12, 1864. Before Petersburg June 17-19. Siege of Petersburg until July 9. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Moved to Washington, D.C., July 9-11. Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern Defenses of Washington July 11-12. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap, Va., July 14-23. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Strasburg August 14-15. Cedar Creek August 15. Winchester August 17. Charlestown August 21-22. Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19. Duty in the Shenandoah Valley until December. Moved to Washington, D.C., thence to Petersburg, Va. Siege of Petersburg December, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville April 23-27 and duty there until May 18. March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D.C., May 18-June 3. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out at Hall's Hill, Va., July 11, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 7 Officers and 89 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 67 Enlisted men by disease. Total 165. Source.
I might not be here had General T. Runyon not ordered two New Jersey regiments to remain in reserve at nearby Fairfax Station on the eve of the First Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. This was the first major land battle of the war. Union casualties amounted to 2,896 (460 killed, 1,124 wounded, 1,312 captured/missing).
I do not have a photo of Martin from the war. Here is the Asst. Surgeon, Eugene Schuomo, from his same regiment. More photos of officers are here.
The remarkable send-off speech the 2nd regiment (3-year volunteers) received in Trenton before their departure to Virginia:
"You
are going, men of New Jersey, upon no mere holiday adventure -- no mere
knightly tournament for the guerdon [prize] of a lady's smile. You go
to rescue from annihilation the noblest government God's sun ever shone
upon." -- Mr. John Y. Foster, June 26, 1861.
Years later, his pension record:
and his death certificate:
