The Chapter is named for General Joseph Martin, who was
born in Albemarle County, September 18, 1740. Later he went to Pittsylvania
County, now Henry County, where he was a Lieutenant in Captain Abram Penn's
company, which fought the Shawnee Indians in 1774. The Battle of King's
Mountain marked the turning point of the Revolutionary War, and it seems
the credit for victory hinged on the Indian agent, General Joseph Martin.
In 1793, he was made Brigadier General of the 12th Virginia
Militia. He was married to Sara Lucas in 1762, and they had seven children.
After her death in 1782, he married Susannah Graves on February 24, 1784,
and they had eleven children.
A marker was placed at the grave of General Martin, as well as those of other Revolutionary War soldiers: Major John Redd, Colonel George Hairston, Dr. Benjamin Jones, Jacob Prillaman and George Taylor. In 1926, members of the Chapter placed a marker at the house built in 1782, by George Waller, one of the earliest settlers in the area, and a Major in the Revolutionary War.
General Joseph Martin Chapter and its members have been
active participants in the community activities of Martinsville and Henry
County, Virginia. Over fifty trees, one for each member, were planted in
1931. World War I veterans were visited and remembered on special occasions
with gifts while patients in local hospitals and nursing homes. During
World War II, members bought and sold war bonds and stamps, rolled bandages
and knitted articles for the American Red Cross, and worked many hours
with volunteer programs. Certificates were presented to the parents of
the men killed in the Vietnam Conflict.
Through the years the Chapter has contributed money for the restoration of Henry County's Deed Book #1, and paid the cost of having Minute Book #1 restored. The Chapter presented a portrait of Patrick Henry, an early resident of Henry County, to the Judge of the Circuit Court in a well-attended ceremony. The portrait hung in the courthouse. It will hang in the Henry County Museum when the original Henry County Courthouse is renovated. The chapter presented a portrait of General Joseph Martin to the elementary school in 1981. When the school was closed, the portrait was moved to the circuit courtroom in Martinsville. At the Martinsville Convalescent Home and Piedmont Arts Association, chapter members have made several exhibits including antique household articles and clothing.
At the request of the city manager of Martinsville, this Chapter began a Flag Day Ceremony on the lawn at City Hall in 1983, and has shared this honor with the Patrick Henry Chapter in recent years. General Joseph Martin and Patrick Henry Chapters were in charge of the Bicentennial celebration of the Constitution of the United States of America for Henry County and Martinsville. A scroll containing the names of hundreds of people attending the eight events scheduled during the week of September 17-23, 1987, was placed in the original Henry County Courthouse and will be opened in 2037.
updated 03-09-05
This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold