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John Stanton · (This post was last modified: 03-23-2013 07:48 PM by John Stanton.)

Laurie, you had a wish to see Martin's family tree and therein find his relatives in MD. I have some old research on him, but it may not help you at all. He was born in New York in 1818. At about 1835 he married "Mary A." who was born in PA. in 1815. Their first child, also Mary A. was born in 1839 in MD. By 1845 they were living in Pittsburg, PA. and along came Margaret J. in 1845. followed by Patrick H. born 1848, Ellen Reagan in 1850. He was then a "Liquor Merchant". In 1860 they were back in Baltimore, and listed as "wealthy" Merchant and Francie D. (male) came along. In addition to these understandable births, there was also Elizabeth Dayle b 1850 and Margaret Dayle, in 1852, both born in GA. These two girls may be nieces, that he is raising. I never found ANY Dayles, anywhere, so the name may be Doyle. .Since Patrick died in 1864, the family dispesed. I read somewhere that Mary A. (Sr.) was found in a City Directory, living as a Widow. From this litte bit I don't see much chance of finding relatives in MD. I cant even find Martins. Do you want me to start up again? (after all he was a Spy and I'd like to know more.)

P. S. I forgot to add. I've never heard that Martin's body was found after the ship wreck, but Booth's Trunk, with all of his personal stuff was recovered and was auctioned off. Another item I have is - In Maryland marriage records , I found Patrick Martin married Mary A. on 23 Dec. 1838, in Baltimore County. I can't confirm that these are Our guys.

Madonna. This gives you a little info on Martin. Write to MD and get a Marriage Certif, and we will know Mary"s maiden name. It might be Martin. (Laurie note this). JFS

Jim Garrett · 03-24-2013, 05:39 AM

John, great work. It used to be that as time marches on, records became more obscure. It certainly seems now in the information age, that as time marches on, more date becomes available. For researchers and wonks (like those on the symposium), the digital process is one of the greatest things to come down the road. I only had a moment to say "Hi" last Friday night, but would enjoy getting together this spring on the Northern Neck.

JMadonna · 03-24-2013, 07:19 AM

(03-23-2013 07:31 PM)John Stanton Wrote: Do you want me to start up again? (after all he was a Spy and I'd like to know more.)

I can't speak for Laurie on this matter but I for one would encourage you to 'go do that voodoo that you do so well'.

Jerry

L Verge · 03-24-2013, 08:29 AM

Go for it, John. The tie in with our family, I think, is that Huntts married Wards who married Martins; but this is all down in southern Prince George's and Charles Counties, Maryland - fifty miles or so from Baltimore.

John Stanton · 03-24-2013, 10:42 PM

I'm working on the Martins in Md. Just pokeing my nose everywhere and I got a big suprize. Charles Hamilton Cawood's sister - Elizabeth Catherine Cawood married Thomas Smith MARTIN. If I don't find anything else, I'm happy with that.
PS.There are pictures of them both. (Nothing on C. H. C.) There is a picture of Elizabeth Catherine Martin, their daughter.
Thanks for getting me started.

L Verge · 03-25-2013, 06:55 AM

I told Mr. Hall and Gen Tidwell years ago that the Cawoods married into our family also. One of my cousins married S. Cawood Swann. However, he was killed during WWII, and she never really knew anything about his family. They are both buried in our Huntt family cemetery - along with the three sons she had to raise on her own. So many cousins married cousins in the earlier centuries that there has to be a common link somewhere.

There are Wards and Martins buried in our cemetery also. In fact, the cemetery was started in 1858, when my great-great-grandparents' eldest daughter died in childbirth. She was married to a Ward. An elderly cousin that I knew as a child was named T. Ward Martin. There is a great book called Stones and Bones, which lists all known graves in Prince George's County cemeteries. The Huntt family graveyard is right across the line in Charles County, so they included it in the book. I'll dig out my copy of the book and see what others I can find. Since I'm the "guardian" of the cemetery, you'd think I'd remember who is buried there...

P.S. The Wards also married into the Wyvill family - as in Dr. Edward Wyvill, who lived near the Surratts and was obviously a part of the Doctor's Line, judging by letters and a diary kept by the family's governess.

John Stanton · (This post was last modified: 03-25-2013 03:29 PM by John Stanton.)

Laurie. You are describing one of the traits of the "Doctor Line" - "Secret Line" -Mail Line"(your choice) Everyone knew each other. There was no need for "High-signs", "Hand shakes", Badges, etc. They were related in some way. This description is not contrary to another description I have favored, That "any agent knew only who sent the traverler to him and to whom he was to sene that traveler.

Here's a bit more on Martin. Most of this is not news to you, but it helps with the chronological roder of events. We left Martin and his family in Baltimore in 1860. In 1861 he became involved with running the blockade. With his background as a "liquor dealer", I have to believe he became a "rum-runner". At some point be incurred the wrath of the Federal Government for what was said to be PIRACY on the Chesapeake Bay. I wish I could be more factual, and less vague, I have no choice. I have factual reports, but no confirmation. We may find the truth. Martin moved to Canada, along with his wife and Family. This may explain why we are unable to find records of his activity in the archives of the US. This entry into Canada is long befoe the arrival of Thompson, Clay, Cleary etc. I doubt that Martin was there as an assignment - he was merely hiding out.
In 1864, he began to make his move as a representative of the Rebs. In early summera group of irritated Maryland Planters to discuss a way to oppose the Federal Troops, in MAryland, that were stealing their freed Slaves. I need Laurie to jump in here to explain this situation. Maryland had freed thier slaves before the emancipation proclamation, but expected to be compensated for the loss. Then the Feds began to recruit the slaves - forceably. Patrick C. Martin was at this meeting. Why was he there ?????? I have to guess and say - he was known to these people, and he could represent Confederates.
In July, Booth was in Boston and met with 3 Confederates from Canada and ONE FROM BALTIMORE. The thinking is, that the one from Baltimore was Martin. I cannot accept that fully. The odd man could have been George P. Kane - the former Provost Marshal of Baltimore. I think that Martin had been in Canada for so long that he would be considered to be from Canada. But Kane was not known as "From Canada". (I don't know when Kane Moved to Canada, so he could have come from either place). It's an easy stretch to say Martin and or Kane. I base this on the fact that Kane lived with the Martin family when he was in Canada. Together, they developed some "diry tricks" , such as those that made the agents in Canada very famous. (Not infamous - FAMOUS). One Kane/Martin party was the release of the prisoners on Johnson Island. Part of that plan involved Mrs. Patrick C. Martin. She went to Johnson Island to alert the prisoners of the impending attempt.
By Oct. Martin was back in Canada -lucky for Booth that he was ther. Booth needed some one up there that he could trust. Thr one person that he knew was Martin- from his pre-war days in Baltimore. (quote Ed Steers, Jr.) I don't nee to tell you about the Oct 27 trip to the Bank of Onterio and the money manipulation they managed, nor about the letters of introductio that Martin provided to Booth.
Here's a bit of gossip - - - While Booth was in Montreal, he lived part time with the Martin family and took a likeing to Martin's 19 year old daughter, Margaret Martin.
More as I find it------

L Verge · (This post was last modified: 03-25-2013 05:55 PM by L Verge.)

To clarify the slave situation in Maryland as asked by John above: One of the little carrots held out to the Marylanders by the Lincoln administration - in order to prevent secession by this critical state that surrounded the nation's capital on three sides - was the promise of compensated emancipation. This was promised to other border states also, but I believe that only Delaware received any compensation and not for long.

Another carrot was the promise that Marylanders would not be forced to fight against the South. And then came little things like the First and Second Confiscation Acts, the draft, the recruitment of slaves into the Union army, and lack of compensation. Needless to say, this irritated Maryland planters, and by mid-1862, they were plotting their own measures.

Just one more note: Remember that Maryland and the three other border states were considered so crucial to the Union effort that they were not affected by the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Maryland retained her slaves until a new state constitution went into effect in November of 1864. Please note that November of 1864 is precisely when JWB makes his first of several appearances in Southern Maryland. Coincidence? I think not...

John Stanton · 03-25-2013, 09:19 PM

Here are some details of Kane's travels. He went to Canada upon his release fom Jail in 1862. He remained there planning "dirty tricks" until Feb 1864, when he ran the blockade to Richmomd. There he remained active on Lee's staff, but not available for field duty due to illness he contracted in prison. By 1877 he was back in Baltimore as MAYOR. Thus, if he was at the meeting in Boston, he came from Richmond. Based on that, and his failing health, I' d say he was not in Boston. If Martin met with Maryland Planter in mid-summer and went to Boston by July, for the meeting - I'd say he came from Baltimore.

Rsmyth · 03-26-2013, 07:02 AM

Just a quick question; if you were a passenger on a blockade runner and were caught, what were the consequences?

Gene C · 03-26-2013, 07:06 AM

Oh, was I on a blockade runner. I didn't know.
I guess it would depend on who you were. Most likely you would be facing prison. At least a stiff fine or bribe.

JMadonna · 03-26-2013, 02:05 PM

Guess, it depends if they brought you to an area where habeas corpus was suspended.

John Stanton · 03-27-2013, 10:18 PM

I made a quick run-through of the material I have on Patrick Martin, and found I didn't have much. This is ubderstandable when we realize his "military careear"was over in two years. Up to 1860 he was a normal citizen. In 1861 he was a blockade runner - for personal profit. In mid 1861 two other Marylanders - George Hollis and Richard Thomas, (That was not "John Boy" Walton) worked up a plan to capture The "Nicholas". That was a steamer that ran between Baltimore and Washington, and then to use it to capture the USS Pawnee. That was a powerful Union gunboat that prowled the Cheaspeake. Hollis was a Captain in the Confederate Navy. Thomas dropped out of West Point in 1850 and becme a Mercinary, and roamed the world. For what ever reason -Thomas called himself Thomas Zarvona.
On June 28, 1861, Zarvona boarded the "Nicholas", along with about 20 men recruited in Ballamer (That's how they say the name of their home town). That motley crew did take over the "Nicholas". It's Pirates, they be!. Our boy Patrick was in Ballamer then and was suspected of being part of this scheme. (IMO, he most likely was guilty). At any rate, he didn't wait to see if he would get a fair trial, so by 1862 he was in Canada. In 1863 he was working on dirty-tricks, with George P. Kane - formed Ballamer Police Chief, who was in Canada for the same reason Martin was there. One of their plans was to release the prisoners on Johnson Island. They recruited John Yates Beale to head that escapade and you know what happened to him. In 1864 Martin died in a shipwreck, that also got John W. Booth's theater clothes all wet. In several of the books that I reviewed, that covered the activities in Canada, in the era, for example "Headley's" book, Martin is not mentioned once. Headley knew how to spell his name, because he does mention Col. Robert martin. I conclude that Patrick didn't do much that helped the South. He was a first class AGITATOR. Just maybe, he convinced the South that dirty-tricks was a good idea. So, they sent Jacob Thompson up there to expand on the idea. Martin was a lot like Kensey Johns Stuart- he was everywhere, he did everything, but he flunked out completely. (Except, Kensey Johns was the Pastor at St. Paul's, in King George around 1860, so he can't be all bad.)

J. Beckert · (This post was last modified: 03-28-2013 06:29 AM by J. Beckert.)

One of the few accounts by his contemporaries (fellow actors) that mentions Booth spewing his political leanings mentions his strong feelings about Stanton's order to arrest George Kane. Booth stated Kane was a friend and he found his arrest reprehensible. It seems there's nothing definite to tie Booth to the CSA, but these small connections are very interesting.

Laurie Verge · 03-28-2013, 09:09 AM

John - You forgot to mention that Richard Thomas Zarvona (his alias taken from his sojourns in Italy before the war) disguised himself as a female - "The French Lady" - in order to take over the St. Nicholas. Complete with hoop skirts and speaking French, he became Madame LaForte under the protection of a strongman "brother." He flirted with passengers and crew and even slapped one officer who started to steal a kiss.

Yet another passionate Southern Marylander working to help the Confederacy. His escapades are part of the current exhibit at Surratt House. I'll offer again to send a free exhibit booklet to members of this forum if you will supply me with your regular mailing address. laurie.verge@pgparks.com.