There’s a find-a-grave memorial for Samuel Martz (1838-1964) who died at the Wilderness Civil War battle. It says: “Samuel Martz was a twenty six year old blacksmith when he enlisted in Company C. 50th PA Volunteer Infantry on 19 February 1864 in Pottsville, PA. He was mustered into federal service at the same time. He stood 5'8", had brown hair, gray eyes and a medium complexion. Samuel was Killed in Action at Battle of Wilderness 6 May 1864.”

I certainly believe that records are sufficient to know that a Samuel Martz of the 50th Infantry Regiment died at Wilderness in 1864. But whether his body was recovered and removed there for burial, I don’t know. And I think had his remains actually been identified as him, he would have been given a tombstone.

The 50th was recruited in Schuylkill County, PA and I think the rest of the information as he is profiled on his memorial is taken from Schuylkill County draft and enlistment records by someone who’s making the assumption that there was only one Samuel Martz in Schuylkill County of about that age or in any event, in that regiment. I’m not sure there was only one.

Nonetheless, I do think we can identify which Samuel died at Wilderness and know something about him. An obituary of Annie Reichart says she was the daughter of Samuel Martz (who died in the Civil War) and Isabella and had a sister Mary and a brother Samuel. It further says that her mother now (1901) was Mrs. John Mengel.

Indeed, in 1870, we find Isabella (apparently recently married to Mr. Oswalt) living with daughter Annie and Mary.

So where was Samuel and Isabella’s son Samuel, who we know from the 1870 Census was born about 1864? I think he was living with his grandfather, age 7. And it his presence in that household that ties everyone together, in my opinion. The oldest Samuel had a son Samuel who must be the Samuel who died in the Civil War leaving a son Samuel, a son who was living apart from his mother and sisters in 1870.

In 1850, he lived with his parents.

In 1860, I am quite sure he was living with John Rupe in Schuylkill Haven, a blacksmith. Samuel’s occupation was also given as blacksmith, likely an apprentice situation I would think. His name in 1860 was Smertz but since I am unable to find any other Smertz in any Census, ever, in Schuylkill County, I think it was him.

Then he must have married in early 1860’s, had three children fairly quickly and went off to war in February 1864 and died just a few months later.

His daughter Mary E (1863-1936) said her parents were Samuel Mertz and Isabell Decoff (as transcribed by Ancestry, looks more like Deeroff to me).

The Call, a newspaper of Schuylkill Haven, dated 6 Sep 1901 gives us the salient facts to put this whole family together. It is the obituary of Annie Reichart, wife of George, who died a week previous. She was a daughter of the late Samuel and Isabella Martz of “this place”. Isabella is now Mrs. John Mengel. Mr. Martz was killed in the /civil War. Survived by her husband, a sister Mary Martz of this place and a brother Samuel Martz of Philadelphia.

Samuel L Martz (1864-1919) is known as Samuel’s son from his death certificate and he is linked to Isabella as his mother on find-a-grave. His death certificate says hew as the son of Samuel Martz and Isabella Deardoff.

Her find-a-grave memorial gives her name as Isabella Dierolf and says she was the daughter of Daniel. It also says she was the wife of Samuel Martz and second wife of John F Mengel.

Linked to her on find-a-grave are her husband John, daughter Mary E Martz (1863-1936), son Samuel L Martz (1864-1919) and Hannah Mengle.

1860. Isabella Oswalt, age 35, lives with Sallie Oswalt age 3 and Anna Mertz 8 and Mary Mertz 7. This is the widow Isabella Martz (widow of Samuel) living with her two daughters. She apparently had married Mr. Oswalt after her husband died in 1864.