| Joseph Penrose Martin | 10th Ohio Voluntary Cavalry |
| by AJ Barnes |
Joseph Penrose (J.P.) Martin was born in the town of Marysville located in Union Country just northwest of Columbus. Martin was an 1861 graduate of Otterbein College. This is rare for this time because when the war broke out, many men left school and joined the army. Martin either took time to finish school or he experienced good timing. It can be speculated that Martin joined the 10th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry between late 1862 and July 25, 1863. From there not much is known about Martin’s war experience. The 10th OVC was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and served in the Western Theater of the war. The regiment served picket during the Chickamauga Campaign and soon after became part of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. During this campaign the regiment became attached to General Kilpatrick’s command, who was a famous Union Cavalry general from the 2nd New York Cavalry. Most of the action seen by the 10th was in the form of cutting communication lines and acts of general harassment on Confederate lines. The 10th OVC saw their most significant action when they rode with Sherman on his “March to the Sea.” Along Sherman’s march, most of the fighting and skirmishes that occurred were between Union and Confederate cavalry. In combat, the 10th quickly gained the reputation of having a “fashion of using the saber oftener than the gun.” They were so successful with this tactic that they were frequently used and General Kilpatrick praised the 10th by saying, “the 10th OVC was the best charging regiment he had under his command.” The 10th OVC was mustered out of service on July 24, 1865. The final casualty report showed three officers and thirty-four enlisted men killed in action while another 158 men had been killed by disease. J.P. Martin would go on to survive the war and move back to Marysville with his wife Harriet. According to the “1910 Marysville City Directory,” the Martins resided on W 7th Avenue in Marysville. Joseph Penrose Martin lived a long life and passed away in Marysville on April 12, 1914.
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