Father of the "Waving Girl of Savannah". He was the son of Ludwig and MariaAnna Schuhmacher (spelled Marthus), both born in 1789 in Kirrlach, Baden, Germany. (His name was originally spelled Johann Wilhelm Martus.) He, his parents, and siblings Lorenz and wife Maria, brother August and sister Louisa and Theresia travelled to the US from Le Havre, France on theship "Consitution: arriving in New York City on Jun 22, 1842. Sgt. Martus enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was only 14. He met and married Rosanna Ceceilia Decker, (born October 31, 1831), of Philadelphia around 1848. At the close of the American Civil War (1866), he was a disabled decorated war veteran who was appointed Ordnance Sergeant at Fort Pulaski, Georgia which played a prominent role in the capture of Savannah during the Civil War when the Union forces of the North bombarded it with their naval forces. After the war, the fort was badly in need of repair, so Sgt. Martus was sent to supervise weapons and the men assigned to rebuild the fort. He brought with him his pregnant wife and four children. Annie, born in 1846 in Deleware; Catherine born in Rhode Island in 1851 and died between 1861 and 1866; Charles F. born April 27, 1853 in Rhode Island--died Sep 23, 1876 at the age of 23; Rosanna, born in 1858 in Minnesota; George born May 31, 1861 in Washington D.C.--Mary Alfreta was born at Elba Island in 1866 and Florence, "The Waving Girl" was also born on Elba Island on August 7, 1868. They were assigned to live in the cottage that faced the Savannah river. After the repairs were completed at Fort Pulaski, Sgt. Martus was assigned keeper of the lights at Elba and Cockspur Islands. He and his family resided there until August, 1881 when a category 3 hurricane destroyed their cottage. The family moved to Savannah and John passed away leaving his son George and daughter Florence to tend the lights.
Father of the "Waving Girl of Savannah". He was the son of Ludwig and MariaAnna Schuhmacher (spelled Marthus), both born in 1789 in Kirrlach, Baden, Germany. (His name was originally spelled Johann Wilhelm Martus.) He, his parents, and siblings Lorenz and wife Maria, brother August and sister Louisa and Theresia travelled to the US from Le Havre, France on theship "Consitution: arriving in New York City on Jun 22, 1842. Sgt. Martus enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was only 14. He met and married Rosanna Ceceilia Decker, (born October 31, 1831), of Philadelphia around 1848. At the close of the American Civil War (1866), he was a disabled decorated war veteran who was appointed Ordnance Sergeant at Fort Pulaski, Georgia which played a prominent role in the capture of Savannah during the Civil War when the Union forces of the North bombarded it with their naval forces. After the war, the fort was badly in need of repair, so Sgt. Martus was sent to supervise weapons and the men assigned to rebuild the fort. He brought with him his pregnant wife and four children. Annie, born in 1846 in Deleware; Catherine born in Rhode Island in 1851 and died between 1861 and 1866; Charles F. born April 27, 1853 in Rhode Island--died Sep 23, 1876 at the age of 23; Rosanna, born in 1858 in Minnesota; George born May 31, 1861 in Washington D.C.--Mary Alfreta was born at Elba Island in 1866 and Florence, "The Waving Girl" was also born on Elba Island on August 7, 1868. They were assigned to live in the cottage that faced the Savannah river. After the repairs were completed at Fort Pulaski, Sgt. Martus was assigned keeper of the lights at Elba and Cockspur Islands. He and his family resided there until August, 1881 when a category 3 hurricane destroyed their cottage. The family moved to Savannah and John passed away leaving his son George and daughter Florence to tend the lights.
Family Members
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
