Martin's death date comes from his death certificate, and his birth date from the 1900 census, which is more consistent with his reported age on other censuses. He was probably born in Franklin County, Tennessee, where he was living in 1850 with his widowed mother Martha. It's not known who his father was but Martin reported on the census that he was also born in Tennessee.

Martin's mother remarried on 7 Aug 1855, to Amos Ladd, and Martin was living with them in 1860 (incorrectly identified as Martin Ladd).

Martin enlisted in Co. C, 1 Tennessee Infantry (Turney's) on 29 Apr 1861 in Winchester. According to his pension application, he sustained a gunshot wound to his wrist at Chancellorville, Virginia in May 1863 and thereafter worked in hospital service.

Martin married Mrs. Jackie R. Pierce in Randolph County, Georgia on 29 Dec 1864. They were living next door to his mother and step-father in Franklin County, Tennessee in 1870 but moved to Texas a couple of years later.

In 1900, Martin was living with his daughter and son-in-law, Annie and Joseph McDowell, in Washington County, Texas. He was shown as divorced. In that same census, Jackie reported that she had borne 14 children, 8 of whom were still surviving. Known children include: John M., m. Martha Elizabeth Bradham; Emma Jane, m. Eli Monroe Pennington; Thomas E., died in childhood; Rufus Rubertus, m. Annie Danford; Walter Dean; Rhoda, m. J.W. McDowell; Katie Dell, m. Willie V. Rosser; Maggie Annie, m. Joseph H. McDowell, Jobe Adam Crisp; Wesley L., m. Kate Berry; Mary Effie, m. E.D. Danford.

Martin's pension record includes letters to the pensions office inquiring about his service from Martin's daughter Mrs. E.D. Danford of Hubbard, Texas; and great-grandson Robert Taylor of New York City.

Effie Danford applied for a military headstone for her father's grave in Dec 1938.
mother was likely born
a Harlow and his dad was likely Thomas D. Statham