“Prisoner of War”

After the Battle of Shiloh, April 6th and 7th of 1862, hundreds of Union soldiers were taken prisoner by the Confederacy. The Confederate government chose Macon, Georgia to be the sight of an encampment to be known as Camp Oglethorpe. Named after Georgia’s founder, James Oglethorpe, it would come to hold a sum of 900 prisoners by the end of that same year. The majority of the inmates would hail from Iowa along with some Missourians, such as Marion T Martin.

Marion T Martin was born July 10, 1840 in Hancock, Illinois to Dr. John and Philanda Couch Martin. At the young age of 18, Marion studied medicine alongside his father. His studies were put on hold when he enlisted into the 23rd Missouri Infantry Company A.

He, like many inexperienced soldiers, saw his first conflict at the Battle of Shiloh. It was there he was taken prisoner by the Confederates and sent first to a prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama and from there to Camp Oglethorpe in the summer of 1862. Conditions in the camp were harsh. The camp was fifteen acres surrounded by 12 foot high wooden fence. Prisoners were allowed to build whatever shelters they could from scrap lumber and other materials. Food was scarce and many inmates bartered belongings with outside residents for extra rations. Prison camps were notorious for lack of hygiene, contaminated water, little food and minimal medical care. Many perished from disease.

While in Camp Oglethorpe, the doctor and three other inmates escaped into the nearby woods through an underground tunnel system. They were recaptured nine days later. As punishment, the escapees were staked to the ground for two hours at a time. By early December of 1862, Marion was part of a prisoner exchange and was then sent to Emory Hospital in Washington D.C. to be treated for his wounds and was released ten days later from service due to disability. He was able to return home on December 21, 1862 to his wife, Hannah Stout Martin and daughters, just in time for Christmas.

Doc Martin continued his studies in Sullivan County, Missouri and by 1864 he had his own practice. It wasn’t until about 1870, he and his family moved to the small settlement of Last Chance in Lucas County. There he became Postmaster and a store keeper while also operating his medical practice. 1873 saw a bad year for the doctor. He lost his mercantile business in the economic panic and decided to move to Woodburn, Iowa. From 1875 until a few months from his death, Doc Martin practiced medicine in the Woodburn area. He passed on December 29, 1925 at his home at the age of 85. He is laid to rest beside his wife, Hannah, in Woodburn Cemetery.