The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1907-09-06
HERO o. rnaes wAsa N
Pennsylvania uhp Lays Claim 10
Being Oldest Soldier.

Amos MaHin. veteran Of three vars,
is to-day probably the oldes; m1n IN
the world WHO bad seen - much &C
tive sexvhe. writes corresPopeeui
Of The Chicago lo0nd ie is yei
fairly Acuse and IS remarkably se'l
preserved for one ~ho Ill IN ten
more months complete n fui deeAdes
o. life he was born 10 March i4sN
At cambel'ton. scotland. and bis long
ufe has nov stzetched oct .ri9 three
centuries
Ms first service Was kgring the
war or iSl2. as mere boy and be
also served under the slArs and
stripes during the Mexican sAT and
the civil war Of 1861 TO 1854 lie
was wounded only once, shen be re
ciexed MIME bali through e4s bead
at the battle Of Bull Run He Eas
member Of company o. the One
Hundredth Pennsylvania volunteer IN
fantry.
His command saw desperate hgnt
ing at the second Bun Run. and only
six OF them emerged from that bat.
tie without needing either death %
wounds Remarkable To relate. Anos
Martins most distinct recollection Of
the battle is not o. hts wound ~ al
the deaths Of his comrades
When be talks TO you about n he
tells you OF his "kScking'- mushet He
remembers that Il was four weeks b.
fore he could raise his hight arm
from his cot. his sboIder was 80 bad
ly bruised BY the rec0il OF his mus-
ket
As a boy Of seven be was brought
10 Canada by an uncle. and 4 teS
years later he was appreutioed 70 q
Honecutfer He drifted 20 Phllsosl
phiA. Rnd when the war Of lsiZorcks
out he enlisted as a boy Of Il In IN
American army tie did aaTrison da;y
Al Washington
After the war Martin reformed Il
his trade and was contractor SheT
the var Was declared with NeIico
i He enlisted in the TWe1tyf fourth
United States volunteers .Maptfr
served under Gen. Taylor and vAlSei
nearly the entire distance Acruss N,
continent, except where transport,
carried them down the Ohio nvs.
from Pitisburg TO St Louis Frou
there they marched 70 Lawrence
Kan. and thence along the Old Saa,l
Fetrail 10 Texas. The war was prac
tically over By the time Martin an,
his regiment were fully equlpped an,
ready for lighting.
However. in the ciVfi var hs.ss,
the hottest kidd Of service. and IN
most exciting moments of hs entfr
life came When the uabon tsouVs ve-,
located on lanes island attempting
TO capture Fort Sumter. lie lay 70
DAYS in sand redo1hSs. uhsre Il -
difncult 10 secure anything 20 eaf q
drink. 50 eiose Vepe the nne q BIZ
and gray together. Uhils sharpsAoul
ers picked on Any exposed bod
Was ! ever captured No. iDdse<
] made up my mind never TO b. tARs,
alive. but would have dted hEhtfns
for II would have been better 20 b.
been shot than 10 b starved .
death. Martin says.
After the MEXICAN var b locassd b
Beaver cOuntx 20 miles south % ~
castle. where be was nrst marTSst
After his hEst vie died be cam q
lawrence county and IooAsed ~
Princeton. marrying again. Hs -.
N ond wife tsed In 1883.
4 There n no doubt about his grSs
age. Men Of IS years q are ~
have lived IN this country all %
lives remember Amos Martin - Z
Old man when they uere hoys.
Martin has rarely heen sch X
says be aISays -snokes and eujoy.
little Old Scotch He eraSs q pas
sion Of SIS q month