I wish I could claim Joseph Plum Martin as an ancestor. My original Martin ancestor for my surname was a Jesse Martin who married a Silphenia ("Penie") Gibbs. According to family lore, Jesse was the orphaned infant son of a low-level English nobleman. The story goes that his parents died of disease and my ancestor's uncle was made his guardian. The uncle realize if the infant was out of the way, he got the title and the property, so the child was sent with a German family named "Arwine" to the colonies. Of course, who knows if any of these stories are true, but his wife was of German descent and I do have Arwines in my genealogy. Silphenia Gibbs was the daughter of a Nicholas Gibbs, whose homestead is one of the oldest "yeoman" farm houses in Tennessee and is administered as an archaeological site by the Univ. of Tennessee.

In the late 1830's my Martins relocated as a large family group to Heltonville, Lawrence County, Indiana. Of course, half of the Martins, McPikes, Heltons, Sextons and Gibbs' that made up this family stayed in Tennessee. Most were Confederates, but my Southern Indiana Martins were all Hoosier soldiers.

I've been traveling over your way quite a bit recently, but I can't seem to get time to see you. I'll send you an email with my current phone number and let's try to link up.

Jim