The George W. Martin papers consist of 16 letters from Martin to his parents, dated between March 1864 and May 1865. Many of the letters are postmarked from Virginia and include items sent from the Harper's Ferry area, with a number of the 1865 letters posted from New Creek, West Virginia. The letters primarily concern daily camp life, such as a fire in the camp (March 31, 1864) and the theft of two pounds of Martin’s coffee (January 11, 1865). Martin also frequently recounted hardships (“We are almost starving these three or four days.” February 11, 1865), and continually discussed and requested care packages from his parents. On April 16, 1865, Martin wrote to his parents concerning the death of Lincoln, “We got very bad news here yesterday that President Lincoln was shot. And also secretary Steward was stabbed and his son. Dear Mother I am affraid that is a going to put the war back it will encourage the rebbles and they will fight the harder now since he is killed.” The letters document the experiences of a young adolescent faced for the first time with the hardships of army life.
George W. Martin was born in 1849 or 1850 to George M. Martin, a carpenter, and his wife Mary. In 1860, he was living with his parents and three siblings, Joseph, Mary, and Samuel, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. In February 1864, when he was just 14 or 15, he joined the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, possibly against the wishes of his parents, as indicated by a letter home in which he wrote, “Dear father I have seen the day that I have regretted to be in the army if I ever live to get out of the army I shall listen to you all at home. But you must forgive for this time I am sure it will learn me a lesson.” (February 11, 1865) Martin survived the war and returned to Shippensburg, where he married a woman named Nancy and took up carpentry. George and Nancy had at least five children.