Brother Don Wilt
[cryout-pullquote align=”left” textalign=”left” width=”70%”]Thanks to research by Brother Don Wilt of Gen. Wright Camp #22, a “new” Real Son has been added to the membership roles of the SUVCW. Real Sons and Daughters are first-generation descendants of Civil War veterans.
The SUVCW has a committee dedicated to researching and documenting Real Sons and Daughters, and Brother Wilt has been actively contributing to the efforts of the committee for many years.
From Brother Wilt’s announcement of his findings:
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Mr. Luke P. Martin, Jr., is the real son of Luke Perkins Martin, who was born into slavery about 1837 near Plymouth, NC and served in Company G, 35th Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops. Private Luke Martin enlisted 30 Jun 1863 at New Berne North Carolina. No Muster Out date given. According to the 1890 Veterans Schedule, Private Martin served until March 1866 for a total of 2 years and three months.
On 25 Dec 1867, Luke P. Martin, Sr., married Mary A. (Brooks) and by her had seven children. By the 1900 census only two of these children were still living. Mary A. Martin passed away sometime between 1905 and 1908. Luke married second to Abbie (maiden name unknown) and their first child was born about May 1909. In the 1910 Federal Census, Luke age 72 and he wife Abby age 31 appear with their daughter Helen age 11 months. By Abbie, Luke had four children. The “Real Son” Luke P. Martin, Jr., was born about 1917 and first appears in the 1920 Federal Census for Craven County, North Carolina and is listed as age 2 years and 7 months.
Private Martin passed away 4 May 1920. He and his wife, Abbie, are buried in the New Bern National Cemetery, New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, Plot: 4, 3424
Mr. Luke P. Martin, Jr., now age 97, will be a member of the NC Union Volunteers, Camp #5.
Research By: “Real Sons and Daughters” committee member,
Don Wilt, PCC
Gen. George Wright, Camp 22
Mr. Martin was recently honored by Craven County, North Carolina. From the New Bern Sun Journal:
Sun Journal photo of Mr. Luke P. Martin
Sept. 18, 2014, will be Luke P. Martin Jr. Day in Craven County to honor a 97-year-old local man who is the son of one of the state’s first escaped slaves to enlist in the Union Army’s 1st N.C. Colored Volunteers.
The Craven County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation to name the day to coincide with activities in Martin’s honor co-sponsored by Tryon Palace and New Bern Historical Society.
Commissioner Johnnie Sampson asked that the proclamation be read aloud, which was done by Board of Commissioners Clerk Gwen Bryan.
Born July 11, 1917, Martin is thought to be the only living son of a Union Civil War veteran — the late Luke P. Martin Sr. The younger Martin still lives in the house his father built.
Still working as a funeral service assistant for Oscar’s Mortuary, as he has since the business opened, Luke P. Martin Jr. was a master brick mason, like his father before him.
According to research by Sharon Bryant, Tryon Palace’s African-American Outreach coordinator, Martin Jr. was the lead mason in the early 1950s for the restoration of historic Tryon Palace and 50 other historic buildings. He taught vocational classes for military veterans and students in several area schools.
His father was born into slavery around 1837 near Plymouth. He escaped slavery in 1863 and reportedly swam across three rivers in winter to get to New Bern and join what became the 35th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops.
