Henry Lewis Martin was born June 5, 1848, near Midway, Kentucky to Jesse and Margaret Thornton Martin. During the Civil War, he and his father enlisted in the Confederate Army. Jesse served with Gen. Abraham Buford, while Henry joined Co. A of the 5th Kentucky Cavalry at the age of 14. Henry served as a scout and joined in John Hunt Morgan's last raid. Both Martins were captured at Cynthiana June 11, 1864, and were sent to Rock Island, Illinois. After the war, Henry attended a private school in Midway and turned to farming. His land holdings in Woodford County eventually numbered over 900 acres. He also became a partner in Martin, Thomson, and Co., which was a successful mule and horse dealership based in Louisville and New Orleans. For several years, Martin also owned a sugar plantation in Louisiana. He was primary stockholder in and president of the Citizens Bank of Midway for 52 years and was active in banking organizations such as the Kentucky Bankers Association. Martin's political career related to both Kentucky and Louisiana. As a Democrat, he was elected Kentucky state senator, serving from 1893-1897 and was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. In 1896, the "gold" Democrats nominated Martin for U.S. Senate. In 1895, he also successfully represented Louisiana sugar planters before Congress, obtaining the restoration of a $5 million sugar bounty. After Democrats advocated free coinage of silver, rather than the gold monetary standard, Martin changed his political allegiance to the Republican party. Martin was also active in Confederate veterans' associations, the Midway Board of Education and the Presbyterian Church.
From the description of H.L. Martin papers, 1882-1949. (Kentucky Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 41434283
