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Post by markland on Oct 27, 2007 5:11:26 GMT -6
Gordie, Elisabeth, where were we on Bernard? Should we start his own thread or do you both consider the mystery solved? Gordie, what is your source for his detached service during the LBH fights?
Scotty, to avoid completely hijacking this thread, I will go through the returns through the Nez Perce War and see what I can find about Martyn/Martin. It may be a couple of days as I plan on working on my project from hell today and tomorrow performing "Honey-if you know is good for you, you will get this done-do's."
Billy
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Post by elisabeth on Oct 27, 2007 5:51:44 GMT -6
Billy, I don't think we've solved him yet. What does the Hammer edition of MWC say about him, I wonder? It's the Nichols one that has him "on detached service at Yellowstone depot".
Vern Smalley was looking at muster rolls a few months ago and picked up on various anomalies, but McGurn wasn't one of them -- so presumably whatever Hammer says is in line with what the MRs say? He doesn't seem to be on anybody's radar very much; I don't recall his name coming up in any anecdotes or anything ...
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Post by Scout on Oct 27, 2007 8:10:42 GMT -6
Whoever he was we know he wasn't the last person to see Custer alive. Interestingly he would be the second 'fake Martin' which might be some sort of record. A guy named John A. Martin claimed he was the last messenger (LBHA newsletter March 2004) but was in the 5th Cav. some 200 miles away the day of the battle. His tombstone in Indiana reads "Custer's last messenger." Now we have a Henry Martyn claiming the same title. I have heard the name kicked around before though although I had never heard the messenger claim. Now I'll have to spend the day researching this guy.
Three of the tallest tales I've found are from actual veterans of the Seventh who either were not present at the battle or enlisted after the battle. So close but so far....
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Post by Diane Merkel on Oct 27, 2007 8:10:47 GMT -6
The original MWC (1972) doesn't say where McGurn was during the battle. It lists four privates from Company B absent, so presumably McGurn was one of those. The 1995 edition has him detached at the Yellowstone Depot. There's another edition between those two that I'm trying to find. It's here somewhere . . . .
P.S. to Scout -- I'm glad you found this thread. I was about to e-mail you about it!
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Post by elisabeth on Oct 27, 2007 8:24:19 GMT -6
Looks as if he's going to prove an elusive fellow. He's such a new recruit that I suppose if you were going to detach anyone, he'd be a good candidate, so it does make sense ...
Scout, do you award extra marks for tallest tale told by veterans who were there? If so, I suppose Pigford would win. Bit of a contest, though: Goldin ... maybe Thompson ... some would say Korn ... even DeRudio ... A crowded field!
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Post by Scout on Oct 27, 2007 8:45:31 GMT -6
scottyhook...do you have the year Martyn died? Can you get it from a relative? And where did he die...city/state?
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Post by Scout on Oct 27, 2007 8:55:27 GMT -6
Elizabeth...yes and the award goes to Thomas Stowers, B Company, whose tombstone reads "sole survivor of the Custer Massacre." He survived the last stand by hiding under a wagon on last stand hill! Must have been the beer wagon. Apparently his family swallowed the tale hook, line and sinker because it ended up on his tombstone. He told other tales as well and in the long run the others couldn't hold a candle to him when it came to lying.
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Post by elisabeth on Oct 27, 2007 9:11:25 GMT -6
Love it!
Whatever skills the 7th Cavalry may have lacked in horsemanship, shooting, etc., when it comes to inventiveness no-one holds a candle to them.
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Post by Scout on Oct 27, 2007 11:26:11 GMT -6
This is one interesting little tale. The guy could have been in the Seventh? It was his uncle Charles Martyn who was the last messenger? So he serves with his uncle in the Seventh? I love it! This is one gem of story and totally bewildering. This is one for my book I'm writing.
Diane...I was thinking the other day about how many people have come on this sight with questions about old 'Uncle Buck' who scouted for Custer and survived the battle. They wondered why his records couldn't be found.
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Post by harpskiddie on Oct 27, 2007 13:52:06 GMT -6
Billy:
I don't know where I got the information on McGurn, except that it must have been from official records somewhere. When I first started making notes, not only were they partly illegible but I never made source notations, since the info was just for my edification. I note that Carroll does not have McGurn detached, but Overfield does.
Gordie,
see the thrilling offer on another thread re ghastly horrors, blood and guts - just in time for Hallowe'en.......................................
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Post by Diane Merkel on Oct 28, 2007 16:46:56 GMT -6
Diane...I was thinking the other day about how many people have come on this sight with questions about old 'Uncle Buck' who scouted for Custer and survived the battle. They wondered why his records couldn't be found. We get a few good ones every year, so we'll keep you writing for years.  |
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Post by scottyhook on Nov 6, 2007 12:47:37 GMT -6
Hi Scout -
I have a lot of info on Henry H. Martyn/Martin. His date of death: Feb. 10, 1938 in Lowell, MA. Father's name - William Martyn, birthplace Vermont. Mother's name - Delia Dix, birthplace Billerica, MA. Place of burial - Edson Cemetery, Lowell, MA.
Please let me know if you'd like more info. I am trying to figure out all this paperwork I have come across. And yes, the tomahawk is still in the family.
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Post by Scout on Nov 6, 2007 13:31:59 GMT -6
scotthook...thanks so much. If you have more of the story I would like to hear it. Email me at mlnunnally@gmail.com
Scout
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