Martin STRONG ^{3 4}

  Research Notes:

Jim Rolff identified Martin as a son of Samuel Strong because (i) his marriage to Margaret Scrivner of Smith County, Tennessee, indicates he was a son of one of the Smith County Strong brothers and (ii) Samuel was the only Strong brother known to have lived in Henry County, Virgina, where Martin was born. He might have added that Samuel was one of three brothers who the 1820 census for Smith County showed had a son who could have been born in 1808.

Although I have relied on Martin being the son of Samuel in my own determination that my Hiram Strong was the son of John Strong, I find it odd that Martin did not name any of his sons Samuel. (Nor did my Hiram Strong.) Indeed, Martin named his first son, James A. Strong, thus raising the possibility Martin's father was James, who also per the 1820 census had a son the right age to be Martin. Still, the fact Martin was born in Henry County, Virginia, where Samuel and Mary married, seems to tip the scale in favor of Samuel.

Since the Martin and Hiram Strong families moved to Missouri together, I have included the children of Martin in my database, contrary to my normal practice of not including second cousins. [Actually, since their respective wives were sisters, the children of these families were also first cousins.] Note that my information on Martin and his family in some respects differs from that presented by Jim Rolff.

Addendum:
In 2010, I obtained a copy of undated correspondence written by Bertha Dell (Strong) Young, granddaughter of Hiram Strong through son James, to her cousin, Ethel Dixie (Finley) Sanford, great granddaughter of Hiram Strong through son Eli. This correspondence was provided by Sharry Roundtree (otrees@zirkel.us), a granddaughter of Ethel, and provided family information to assist Ethel in obtaining a delayed birth certificate. Although Bertha did not know the name of her grandfather or where he came from, she does say that her grandfather's brother's house still exists about 6 miles from Barnett, Missouri. That would of course be Martin's home. Query whether Bertha knew of the exact relationship between her grandfather and Martin, especially since she didn't even know her grandfather's name. Still, the possibility Martin and Hiram Strong were brothers rather than first cousins should be kept in mind. ³

  Death Notes:

Both the Rolff and Collier books have Martin's year of death as 1891. Marjorie Gracy has observed his grave marker and reports the date is clearly 1898. Moreover, Marjorie has transcribed his obituary, set forth below, which confirms her reading of the grave marker.

Obituary from Versailles Leader, April 15, 1898:

"Death of Uncle Martin Strong

Martin Strong, probably the oldest citizen of this county, died at his home, 12 miles east of Versailles, last Saturday morning in the 91 year of his age.

Deceased was born in Henry Co. VA. February 17, 1808 and lived there until 12 years of age when he moved to Tennessee. Here he grew to manhood and on the 26th day of September 1827 was married to Margaret Scrivner with who he lived until her death which occurred 21st of July 1897, a period of nearly 70 years.

In 1834 he with his wife moved to Cole Co. Mo. where they lived until 1869, when they moved to this county settling in the eastern part of where he continued to reside until his death.

Five sons and one daughter survive him. as follows F M and Levi of this county, Ben F Strong of Colorado, Harvey Strong of Arkansas, James of Texas and Mrs. John Hatcher of Viniti, Indian Territory.

Thus has passed to the Great Beyond another of the Old Pioneers of Missouri. One who has witnessed wonderful changes in our Grand Old Common Wealth. He was a man of very temporate habits and was remarkably well preserved for his great age. His remains were interred in Hopewell Church Cemetery beside those of his late wife, last Sunday in the presence of a large concourse of people who had known and respected deceased in life."

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Land Patent: 1837, Cole County, Missouri. ⁶

Dated 2 Nov 1837
Martin Strong purchased the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 43-N, Range 13-W, consisting of 40 acres.

2. Military Service: 1838, Cole County, Missouri. ^{7 8}

Hiram and Martin Strong both appear as privates on Mormon War payroll records of Captain Roberson's (also transcribed as Robeson, Robertson and Robinson) 6th Division, 1st Brigade, 2nd Company, Missouri Militia, also referred to as Cole County Riflemen. Receipt of pay was acknowledged by each man's mark. The payroll record for Capt. Robeson's first trip was for 64 men. It covered a period of 10 days ending 2 Oct 1838, when the men were discharged. The payroll record for Capt. Roberson's second trip was for 57 men. It covered the period from 30 Oct 1838, when the men were mustered, to 17 Nov 1838, when they were discharged.

It is unlikely Hiram or Martin ever saw any real action in connection with the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, which was concentrated in Caldwell, Daviess and Ray Counties. The mustering of the Cole County Militia on or about September 23, 1838 appears to have been the result of Gov. Lilburn W. Bogg's 18 Sep 1838 order mobilizing 2000 troops, which was in response to reports from Militia commanders of conflicts between Mormons and vigilantes in Daviess County. But on September 24, 1838, after Gov. Boggs had ridden to Boonville to prepare to lead the troops into western Missouri, he received word from Militia commanders in Daviess County that the outbreak of disturbances had been contained. Thereupon, he directed all troops called out by his 18 September order be discharged.

Nor does Captain Roberson's second trip seem likely to have engaged his men in combat. The mobilization of 30 Oct 1838 appears to have resulted from Gov. Bogg's infamous "extermination order" of 27 Oct 1838, which was issued in response to reports of renewed Mormon depredations and the attack by Mormon troops on Militia forces at Crooked River in Ray County. In that order to General Clark, Gov. Boggs declared, "[t]he Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace -- their outrages are beyond all description." Events came quickly to a head at Far West, Caldwell County, the stronghold of Mormon settlements. By 30 Oct, Missouri Militia troops had gathered on the edge of Far West. Demands for unconditional surrender were made on 31 Oct and about this time the Mormons in Far West learned that the Missouri Militia had attacked another settlement at Haun's Hill on the eastern edge of Caldwell County and the reports were that it was a massacre. Facing superior forces and the threat of extermination, Joseph Smith on 1 Nov instructed his people to surrender. Since the surrender took place only two days after Captain Roberson's men from Cole County had been activated, it seems unlikely they were involved in the events in Caldwell County. If they ever even made it to Caldwell County, it seems likely their role would have been limited to policing the surrender.

Those interested in why the Mormons and western Missourians became embroiled in conflict and ultimately war, ending with the surrender and expulsion of the Mormons from Missouri, should read Stephen C. LeSueur's book, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. It is a scholarly, objective work, which finds plenty of shared blame for what happened. With each side believing it was the aggrieved party and with ever escalating retaliations, it had all the earmarks of the modern day strife in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and the Palestinian West Bank. There is a saying that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. I don't think knowing history makes much of a difference. Human nature being what it is, history repeats, period.

3. Deed: 1839, Cole County, Missouri. ⁹

Dated 18 Mar 1839, Filed 8 Apr 1839, Bk C:393
Elijah Herring and Mary Ann his wife to Martin Strong; $175 for the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 8, Twp. 43N, Range 13W, containing 40 acres.

4. Land Patent: 1840, Cole County, Missouri. ¹⁰

Dated 10 Jan 1840
Martin Strong purchased the SE1/4 of the NW1/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 43-N, Range 13-W, containing 40 acres.

[This and the previous deeds indicate Martin should appear in the 1840 census for Cole County, but no such entry has been found.]

5. Deed: 1849, Cole County, Missouri. ¹¹

Dated 12 Jun 1849, Filed 12 Jun 1849, Bk I:156
Martin Strong and Margaret his wife to William N. Melton; $500 for (i) the SW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 43, Range 13 (40 acres), (ii) the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 43, Range 13 (40 acres), (iii) the SE1/4 of the NW1/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 43, Range 13 (40 acres), and (iv) the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 8, Twp. 43, Range 13 (40 acres). [Margaret, but not Martin, signed by her mark.]

[Note the deed whereby Martin acquired parcel (i) has not been found. Also, parcel (iv) in the acquisition deed refers to the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 8; query whether I made a transcribing error or one of the deeds is in error.]

[This sale of all their land holdings appears to presage their move to Collin County, Texas. Hiram and Rebecca Strong sold their land at about the same time.]

6. Census: 1850, Collin County, Texas. ¹²

Dwelling 311, Family 310
Martin Strong, age 42, male, farmer, real estate $275, born in Virginia
M. Strong, age 38, female, born in Tennessee, cannot read or write
Jno. Strong, age 15, male, born in Missouri
F. Strong, age 13, male, born in Missouri
H. Strong, age 11, male, born in MIssouri
Benj. Strong, age 9, male, born in Missouri
Levi Strong, age 7, male, born in Missouri
Nancy Strong, age 5, female, born in Missouri
Mary Strong, age 2, female, born in Missouri

[James Strong, son, is enumerated at Dwelling 50, Family 50.]

7. Deed: 1852, Cole County, Missouri. ¹³

Dated 4 Nov 1852, Filed 11 Dec 1852, Bk J:336
John Berry and Nancy his wife of Cole County to Martin Strong; $400 for the W1/2 of the NE1/4 and the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 5, Twp. 43, Range 13, containing 111.955 acres.

8. Land Patent: 1854, Cole County, Missouri. ¹⁴

Dated 1 May 1854
Martin Strong purchased the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Sec. 5, Twp. 43-N, Range 13-W, consisting of 40 acres.

9. Census: 1860, Cole County, Missouri. ¹⁵

Dwelling 371, Family 374, Moreau Twp.
Martin Strong, age 52, male, farmer, born in Virginia
Margaret, age 49, female, born in Tennessee, cannot read or write
Benj., age 18, male, born in Missouri
Levi, age 16, male, born in Missouri
Nancy, age 14, female, born in Missouri
Mary, age 11, female, born in Missouri
Rebecca, age 7, female, born in Missouri

10. Deed: 1865, Cole County, Missouri. ¹⁶

Dated 24 Aug 1865, Filed 29 Aug 1865, Bk Q:618
Martin Strong and Margarett his wife of Cole County to Andrew Weaver of Cole County; $1,475 for the W1/2 of the NE1/4 and the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 and the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Sec. 5, Twp. 43, Range 13, 160 acres.

[It would appear that after this sale Martin and Margaret moved to Morgan County. Note Margaret's sister, Rebecca Strong, had lived on abutting land until she sold in 1864, which was probably when she moved to Moniteau County.]

11. Census: 1870, Morgan County, Missouri. ¹⁷

Dwelling 213, Family 213, Moreau Twp.
Strong, Martin, age 62, male, white, farmer, $3,000 real property, $820 personal property, born in Virginia.
Strong, Margaret, age 57, female, white, keeping [house], born in Tennessee, cannot read or write.
Strong, Mary, age 21, female, white, born in Missouri.

12. Census: 1880, Morgan County, Missouri. ¹⁸

Martin Strong, self, married, male, white, age 72, born in Virginia, farmer, father born in North Carolina, mother born in Virginia.
Margret Strong, wife, married, female, white, age 68, born in Tennessee, keeping house, father and mother born in North Carolina.

Martin married Margaret SCRIVNER, daughter of Moses SCRIVNER and Nancy HENLEY, on 26 Sep 1827 in Smith County, Tennessee.^{3 4} (Margaret SCRIVNER was born on 15 Dec 1811 in Smith County, Tennessee,^{3 4} died on 21 Jul 1897 in Morgan County, Missouri ^{3 4 19} and was buried in Hopewell Cemetery, Morgan County, Missouri ^{3 4}.)