The "other" Martin Holloway, or, sorting out the Martins

Martin Holloway is my husband's 3rd great-grandfather. He was the son of John and Delila Holloway, and married Margaret Stamper.

You can read about my husband's ancestor here. This Martin lived in Wilkes County, NC, Washington County, VA, and later in life, in Texas.There are dozens of online trees that identify Martin as the son of Isaac and Polly Holloway. 

Researchers have, apparently, combined two men with the same name into one individual, because there were actually two Martin Holloways, born less than five years apart, and living, sometimes, in neighboring counties. Only one of them survived the Civil War.

The "other" Martin Holloway lived in Ashe County  in 1850 and Alleghany County in 1860. This does not mean the family moved, though, since Alleghany was formed from Ashe in 1859, so they could have remained in the same location.

In 1840, the household of Isaac Holloway contained an older son, born between 1826 and 1830. This son was no longer living with Isaac by the time of the 1850 census, when all household members were identified by name. But I believe that his identity is important, as you will see later. Martin Holloway would have been one of the two males under age 5 counted in this household.

By 1850, this Martin was about 14 years, living in Ashe County, NC.

Isaac Hollaway's household in 1850   (click to enlarge) 

By 1860, Martin was 23 and the family was enumerated in Alleghany County.   In both census enumerations, Martin's birthplace is identified as North Carolina.

Isaac Hollaway's household in 1860   (click to enlarge) 

Also living in Ashe in 1850 and Alleghany in 1860 was a young man, head of his own household, named John Hollaway. By 1860, his family included a son named Isaac, named, I believe, for his grandfather.


This establishes that Martin was born about 1836, and a birthdate for John sometime between 1827 and 1829, based upon their ages at each census.

On the same day, at the same place, Martin and John both enlisted in the same Confederate unit. On August 10, 1861, both men, likely brothers, enlisted in Company A, 34th NC Infantry, CSA, joining at Laurel Spring, Ashe County, NC. Martin was 24, which would mean he was born around 1837. John was 34, indicating he was born about 1827.

Martin Holaway died February 20, 1862, of disease at Raleigh, NC. 

(click to enlarge)

John Holaway was killed in battle at Frazier's Farm on June 30, 1862.

(click to enlarge)

I  believe these two men were brothers, based upon the members of Isaac Holloway's 1840 census enumeration, the fact that John named his son Isaac,and  the stated ages on Martin and John's enlistment cards, which  match their ages on the census in 1850 and 1860, and their enlistment together, the same day, into the same unit, at Laurel Spring in Ashe County in 1861. If I'm correct, then Isaac and Polly Holloway lost two son within four months.


My husband's ancestor, Martin, and his brother Thomas enlisted May 3, 1862 at Gap Civil in Alleghany County. (Also enlisting with Martin and Thomas was someone named William Holloway, but I don't know what connection William might have had with Martin and Thomas.)

Five Holloway men enlisted in Confederate units in northwestern North Carolina. But of the five Holloway soldiers, only the unidentified William and my husband's ancestor, Martin, survived the war.

UPDATE:  Yet another Martin Holloway, about the same age and living in the same area, needs to be considered when "sorting out the Martins." Read about him here.
_________________________________________________________________________

Census information was obtained at Ancestry.com. Military service records were obtained at Fold3.com. "Holloway" was spelled a variety of way. The wildcard search was utilized to locate all possible spellings of "H*l*way".