John L. Martyn was born in Washington County, Indiana, in 1843. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 as a private in the Thirty-Eighth Indiana Infantry. Martyn rose in the ranks from a corporal to sergeant major to captain of his regiment. The Thirty-Eighth Indiana Infantry fought throughout Kentucky and Tennessee and joined General Sherman on his March to the Sea. After the war he was mustered out of the Army in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1865. He married his wife Sarah (McBride?) in 1868 and they moved to Iowa City, Iowa. While in Iowa Martyn received a teaching license. He was also called upon by the government to help determine who should or should not receive pension checks. His exact date of death is unknown, but Martyn seems to have passed away in 1883.
From the description of Papers, 1862-1883. (Indiana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 54810686
