Jim Martin
Re: Indian Martins
Tue Jul 24 12:52:58 2001


Tom,

I have a gg-granduncle, James Francis (Frank) Martin b. 12/4/1839 Heltonville, IN; d. 6/27/1864 Kennesaw Mtn., GA.

He was "not" a documented Cherokee, even though his mother was written about as part-Indian and we suspect one of the reasons the family may have relocated to Southern Indiana was to avoid any questions about removal.

My Martins are not in the line of Gen'l. Joseph Martin, from whom so many Cherokees descend. My "Old Cherokee Families" are the Downings and the Wests.

My DIB is officially 3/16th; however, I've got all sorts of family connections who either didn't sign the rolls or lived and represented themselves as white. Didn't pay to be a "known" Indian after 1832 in Tennessee and Georgia. You know what I mean?

Jim