David and Drusilla had 4 children who were born between 1852 and 1860. They had at least 3 grandchildren who were born between 1887 and 1898 and at least 2 great-grandchildren born in 1925 and 1928. Total identified descendants equals 9.

David R. Martin was the fifth child and second son of the nine children of Jonathan Martin and Lydia Read. He was born 3 August 1830 in Warren County, New Jersey (Union Brick), probably in Hardwick Township. His father's farm was located in Hardwick Township on the census for 1830 and 1840. David was listed as a resident of Jonathan Martin's household on the 1840 census. Although he was born in 1830, he was born after the census was taken and is not listed in that census year as a resident of the Martin household. He appears on the 1840 census as a male between the ages of 5 and 9 (the census was enumerated a few months before his tenth birthday) (1830 United States Federal Census, Hardwick Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 438; 1840 United States Federal Census, Hardwick Township, Warren County, New Jersey page 380).

By 1850, David had moved out of his parents house. He was almost 20 years old when the census was taken and he was living in Belvidere, the Warren County seat. David was a boarder in the household of Thomas S. Norton. Thomas Norton was a 28 year old cabinet maker and David was probably an apprentice to Norton. Clement Norton (age 22), who was another cabinetmaker, also lived in the Norton household. He, Thomas and David all worked out of the same shop. Other members of the Norton household included Thomas's wife, Maria Norton (age 23); his children, John C.H. (age 3) and Hannah Norton (age 1); James Norton (age 25), a teacher; and a 14 year old girl named Hannah McMuster (1850 United States Federal Census, Belvidere, Warren County, New Jersey, page 487B, 19 July 1850). See Table 1 for a summary of the Norton household in 1850.

Table 1: Household of Thomas S. and Maria Norton in 1850
1850 United States Federal Census
Belvidere, Warren County, New Jersey, page 487B

David married Drusilla H. Everitt. The couple's first son, John Martin, was born 26 December 1852. By the mid 1850s, David and Drusilla Martin were living in the village of Sycamore in Wyandot County, Ohio. They had two sons in early 1855, John and Jonathan Martin. Jonathan had been born in November 1854 and it is very possible that he was born in Sycamore. By the end of March 1855, the Martin's oldest son John had died and was buried in the village cemetery (now known as Old Sycamore Cemetery) (Wyandot County, Ohio GenWeb). This is the earliest date I have that places the Martins in Ohio. David Martin had cousins living in Wyandot County, Ohio. They were the Prices, the children and grandchildren of his Great-Aunt Sarah Read Manning² (a younger sister of his grandfather Read). The Prices lived on a farm in Eden Township. The family was headed by George Banghart Price and his wife, Anna Manning Price. Anna was a first cousin of David's mother. George and Anna Price had ten children in 1855: Isaac Manning Price (age 22), Aaron Reed Price (age 20), Mary Jane Price (age 18), Sarah Price (age 16), Margaret Price (age 14), George Warren Price (age 12), Hannah Manning Price (age 10), Elizabeth Charity Price (age 7), John Manning Price (age 5) and Laura Ellen Price (age 3) (see family page for Anna Manning Price this web site). David's Great-Aunt Sarah Manning may have been alive when he and Drusilla arrived in Ohio. In 1850, she lived in Hancock County (which adjacent to Wyandot) with three of her unmarried children: Amos, Isaac R. and Polly (Mary) Manning (1850 United States Federal Census, Washington Township, Hancock County, Ohio, District 48, page 432R, 21 April 1850). The Mannings were all first cousins of David's mother Lydia Read Martin.

Between 1855 and the beginning of the Civil War, David and Drusilla's family continued to grow, although they lost their son Jonathan in January 1857 (he was buried in Old Sycamore Cemetery (Wyandot County, Ohio GenWeb). A year later, the couple's son Bion was born, followed in the spring of 1859 by David Everitt. In 1860, when the census was enumerated, the family resided in the village of Sycamore, where David was employed as a cabinet maker. They did not own any real estate which probably indicates that they were renting their home. They did have a personal estate valued at $200. There were two other individuals living in the household named John (age 20) and Nicholas (age 16). No last name is given in the census for either of these men. They were immigrants from Germany (1860 United States Federal Census, Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 421, 21 July 1860). Table two presents a summary of the Martin household in 1860.

Table 2: Household of David and Drusilla Martin in 1860
1860 United States Federal Census
Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 428

Shortly after the civil war began, David enlisted as a Private in the 15th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company G. He enlisted on 20 April 1861, eight days after Fort Sumter was fired on. The 15th was a n original 90 day regiment. David was mustered out 28 August 1861. He re-enlisted almost immediately as a Sergeant in the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company K (1890 United States Federal Census, Special Schedule Surviving Soldiers, Saliors, and Marines, and widows, etc., Enumeration District 62, Sycamore Township, Ohio, page 8 of township; NPS; Union Brick). The 49th was organized at Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, under the command of Colonel William H. Gibson. On 10 September 1861 it moved from Camp Noble, near Tifflin to Camp Dennison, Ohio. On 21 September 1861, it began its move to Louisville, Kentucky, arriving on 22 September. It was the first organized regiment to enter Kentucky. On the evening of the 22nd, the regiment boarded trains for Lebanon Junction, with orders to join General Sherman. The next morning, the regiment waded across the Rolling Fork River and marched to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Once there, it went into camp on Muldraugh's Hill and stayed there until 10 October 1861. On the tenth the regiment moved to Nolin Creek, Kentucky and into Camp Nevin (Stevens 2004).

Camp Nevin was near the Nolin River in southern Hardin County, Kentucky. The main duty of the camp was to secure the bridge and river crossings so that Union supply lines stayed open to the south. The 49th Ohio infantry was reorganized while in camp. It eventually was placed in the 6th Brigade under General Richard W. Johnson. This Brigade included the 34th Illinois Infantry, the 32nd Indiana Infantry, the 15th Ohio Infantry and the 49th Ohio Infantry. The Brigade was part of the Second Division Army of the Ohio, under the command of Brid. General Alexander M. McCook. Camp Nevin was established as a winter camp and was occupied by the brigade for two months, from 9 October to 9 December 1861 (Seymour n.d.). Conditions in the camp had begun to deteriorate in late October 1861. By the first week of December, 15 to 20 percent of 34th Illinois was unfit for service due to illness (Anon n.d.). William Strieby of the 32nd Indiana wrote to his wife about the camp's conditions. In a letter dated 2 November 1861, he told her that the weather had turned cold and rainy. During the rain the camp, which was in a valley, was slightly flooded. The troops were forced to trench around their tents or to move their tents to higher ground. On the day he wrote home the prade ground was so saturated with water that the troops were not drilled. Instead they were sent out into the woods to collect firewood. Strieby worried about the health of the troops if this continued for a long period of time. A telling line in his letter concerns the number of racoons in the area. He wrote to Mary that the raccons were thick in and around the camp and that they came right up to the men standing pickett duty (Strieby Family). While racoons are generally very clean animals, they are attracted by garbage. The high number of men in camp and the garbage they produced had attracted the raccons. The rotting garbage, the wet and cold weather, and probably open latrine trenches, all contributed to the poor health conditions in the camp. David died on 13 November 1861 while the regiment was encamped at Camp Nevin, he was 31 years old. There is an inscription for David carved on his parent's stone in Union Brick Cemetery, Blairstown Township, Warren County, New Jersey. There is also a stone for him in Old Sycamore Cemetery, Sycamore, Wyandot County, Ohio (Wyandot County, Ohio GenWeb). David is probably buried in Cave Hill National Cemetery Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. A listing for him at Interment.net transcript for Cave Hill Cemetery is as follows:

The date of Death matches that as given on 1890 Veterans Schedule of the census (1890 United States Federal Census, Special Schedule Surviving Soldiers, Saliors, and Marines, and widows, etc., Enumeration District 62, Sycamore Township, Ohio, page 8 of township) and as given on the memorial stones in Unon Brick and Sycamore Cemetery (Wyandot County, Ohio GenWeb). What is incorrect is his middle initial and the letter of his company. Cave Hill Cemetery was originally opened as a fashionable rural cemetery in 1848. During the Civil War, interments were made of soldiers who died in the camps and hospitals near Louisville, Kentucky. The first interments were made in November 1861. David died in November 1861 and was among the first group of Union soliders buried in the cemetery (plot A8). A portion of the cemetery was officially established as a national cemetery in 1863 (Department of Veterans Affairs).

Drusilla Martin remained in Ohio after David's death. On 7 November 1862, almost a year to the day after David's death, she applied for a widow's pension (applicaton 5713, certifcate number 11859). Her name on the application was given as Dusilla H. Martin, widow of David R. Martin, K 49 Ohio Inf. (National Archives). In 1870, Drusilla and her two sons—Bion and David—still lived in Sycamore, Ohio (see Table 3). She owned real property valued at $500 and personal property valued at $900. Both of her sons were in school. Dusilla, who was about 40 in 1870, gave her age as 27. No occupation, other than keeping house, is listed in the census for her (1870 United States Federal Census, Sycamore, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 834, 24 June 1870, Post Office Carey, Ohio).

Table 3: Household of Drusilla Martin in 1870
1870 United States Federal Census
Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 834

In 1880, Drusilla and her sons still lived in Sycamore Township. Both Bion and David were working as school teachers. David, who was 20, was also still in school. Drusilla was employed in as a housekeeper (probably in her own home). The Martin's dwelling was divided into two households. The Martins were dwelling 178, household 179; while Jane Swinhart was in dwelling 178, household 178. If Drusilla still owned the house, it is possible that Jane Swinart rented a portion of the house from her (1880 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 161, Sycamore, Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 437C, 21 June 1880). Table 4 presents a summary of the Martin household in 1880.

Table 4: Household of Drusilla Martin in 1880
1880 United States Federal Census
Enumeration District 161, Sycamore, Sycamore Township, Wyandot County, Ohio, page 437C

The 1890 Veterans schedule lists "Dreucila Martin" widow of D.R. Martin, as a resident of Sycamore Township, Ohio. The schedule lists both of the regiments in which David served. David and Drusilla's son, Bion Martin, married in 1882. When Drusilla Martin died in 1894, Bion and Rosa Martin had presented her with two grandchildren: Vinton and Laura Martin. When their grandmother died they were about 7 and 2 years old respectively. Bion and Rosa had one more child in June 1898. This baby was named after Bion's brother David Everitt Martin. Bion's brother died the following year. Drusilla, her four sons (John, Jonathan, Bion and David), her daughter-in-law Rosa Martin, and her granddaughter Laura Martin are all buried in Old Sycamore Cemetery, lot 46, section 3, Sycamore, Wyandot County, Ohio (Wyandot County, Ohio GenWeb).

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