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By JUDY FOWLER KILGORE I received a wonderful letter from Roger Smith of Douglasville who included a story on his Martin family. The Martins migrated from Zweibrucken, Germany, a little town not far from the French border, to the Moreland and Luthersville areas of west Georgia. Roger's story is chock full of great historical information and he tells the story so beautifully, I'll leave it in his words. Roger writes: "My son who subscribes to the Citizen Review always saves your column and gives it to me because of my interest in genealogy. I always enjoy reading the family stories. "America was settled by immigrants who came here for many reasons. Here's how one German family got to Coweta/Meriwether County. "Johan Nicholas Martin was born in Zweibrucken, Pfalz Province, Germany in 1724. He became a school teacher and married Anna Catharine Schmidt in Oldenburg, Herrstein Province, Germany. What prompted him to immigrate to America, I don't know, but he was a religious man and may have been persecuted for his beliefs. But come to Philadelphia he did, in 1754, with his wife and five children. Four more children were born in America. "Johan Nicholas studied Martin Luther's theology and became a 'self taught' Lutheran preacher sometime before his arrival in America. When he immigrated, he brought several of his congregation with him. As many of the immigrants from that time found, when they got to Philadelphia, most of the good lands had been taken. So they set out down that Great Wagon Road and wound up in Anson County, N.C. near the South Carolina line. "Their crops failed for two years so they moved to the district between the Saluda and Broad Rivers in South Carolina, known as the Dutch Fork because of the many Germans settled there. The family prospered there and Johan Nicholas established two Lutheran churches in the area, Zion and St. Michael. "He became known in the Charleston area and was called in 1776 to fill the pastorate in the German Lutheran Church in Charleston, later called St. John's Church. He moved his family a final time to Charleston, bought a farm near the Ashley River which (in the present) is in the city. It is said that Johan Nicholas preached in the German language and neither he nor his wife ever bothered to learn English. But he was a patriot. "When the Revolution began he encouraged his congregation at St. John's to organize a company of Soldiers to fight the British. They were called the German Fusiliers, and fought at Savannah and Charleston. When the British were about to attack Charleston in 1779, the military authorities came out from Charleston and burned his home and buildings because they feared it would afford some defense for the British. After the home and buildings were burned, the British failed to attack. The citizens gladly built the home back. "Later, the British posed another attack and the home and buildings were burned again. Documents are on file in South Carolina where the Governor paid him for the final loss. "Johan Nicholas was so fond of the Gospel of John that he gave each of his sons the first name of John. John Christian Martin (I) born 1753 in Germany, and the fifth child of Johan Nicholas and Anna Catharina, married Elizabeth Miller in Charleston, S.C., December 16, 1780. John Christian was a tanner by trade and was active in St. John's Church. He was an officer in the German Fusiliers, as was his brother-in-law Daniel Storbel. John Christian Martin died in 1799 and is buried in the churchyard of St. John's. "John Christian Martin (II) was the third child of John C. (I) and Elizabeth. He was born in Charleston and married Ann Catherine Nauman in Charleston in 1808. When the lands of West Georgia were opened for settlement, there was no doubt much conversation in the Martin family about leaving the City of Charleston and venturing out to an undeveloped country. But the decision was made, and John Christian (II), with his wife and ten children and his widowed mother, Elizabeth, arrived on their new land in 1833 in Coweta County, there between present day Moreland and Luthersville. "The task of clearing lands and establishing a farm life was no small job, but they prospered in this new land and the children grew to adulthood. "As many as six generations have been born to this Martin family in the 169 years since coming to West Georgia. Some of the descendants names, in addition to Martin, are Trammell (including the Mayor of Luthersville), Wright, Summers, Dial, Swygert, Keith, Wortham, McDaniel, Almon, Boyd, Nix, McGunkin, Vines, Roberts, Burton, Young, Cox, and Smith. "It would take a book to list all the descendants, and yet I think only a half page to list those who know of their German ancestry. "The old Martin graveyard is on a hill looking down on the original home place near Moreland. There rest John Christian Martin(II), died 1835; his wife Ann Catharine, died 1869; his mother Elizabeth, died 1840; and his son Henry, died 1887. "Henry's wife Susan Holman and 10 of their 15 children are also buried here. All 10 died in infancy." Many thanks to Roger for submitting that most interesting story. He is the 3rd great-grandson of John C. Martin (II). Those interested in or connected to this family may write to Roger at: 7343 Dogwood Hills Drive, Douglasville, Georgia 30134. Phone: 770-942-4162. E-mail: rogsmithsr@aol.com. I would love to include your family's story in a future column. Send it to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com. Until next week, happy hunting! (Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others.)
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