James Ausban Martin

Residence [Stokes County](http://null/hdsquery.dll?TownDesc?NC&Stokes County&) NC; a 23 year-old Farmer.
Enlisted on 3/20/1862 at Stokes County, NC as a Private.
On 4/30/1862 he mustered into "G" Co. NC 53rd Infantry
(date and method of discharge not given)
He was listed as:
POW 7/5/1863 Gettysburg, PA
Confined 7/12/1863 (place not stated)
Oath of Allegiance 6/19/1865 Fort Delaware, DE

James Ausband Martin served in the Civil War. His war records show the following information: At the time of his enlistment he had been residing in Stokes Co., NC as a farmer. He enlisted at Danbury, NC 20 Mar 1862 as Private with Company G., NC 53rd Regiment. The men in Co. G of the 53rd Regiment were known as "The Mountain Grays." His description was given as dark complexion, dark hair and eyes, and his height was 5'7". Roll of Honor gives same data showing his status of enlistment as volunteer with age of 27. National Archives in Washington, DC show his enlistment age at 22/27. This could explain why his military grave marker shows his birth date as 1835 instead of l838. His prisoner of war records show he was captured at Gettysburg on 3 Jul 1863, confined at Fort McHenry, MD for a brief time; transferred to Fort Delaware, DE 9 Jul 1863, arriving there on or about 12 Jul 1863. According to Civil War historians, Fort Delaware was one of the worst prisons for a confederate soldier to find himself in. One of every four prisoners died and all the prisoners suffered from the severe cold weather, the dampness, dysentery, fevers, lice and a host of other ailments. James must have been a very strong man to have endured his imprisonment. He was released 19 Jun 1865. His name appears as signature (his mark) to Oath of Allegiance, subscribed to at Fort Delaware, DE.

After the war, James returned to Stokes Co., NC and married Mary Rebecca Moorefield Boaz on 5 Mar 1866. She was the widow of Robert Boaz, who was killed during the Civil War. The 1880 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James, his wife Rebecca and their five children living in the Peters Creek Township. This area is near the VA/NC state line. The 1900 Federal Census of Stokes Co., NC shows James as a widower, living with his son, William R. and his sister, Susie Martin Frye. Susie was a widow and she and two of her children, Agnes and Robert L. Frye lived with James at this time. They were living in the west division of the Sauratown Township of Stokes Co., NC. In his later years, James lived with his son, William R. Martin, in Tobaccoville, NC. When he died, he was carried by horse and wagon approximately thirty miles back to Walnut Cove, NC to be buried beside his beloved Rebecca.

A Confederate Soldier

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