Ironton Register 26 Jan. 1888 – Capt. L. D. Markin was standing behind the counter of his new grocery, on ______ street, when the Register scribe tackled him for a “Narrow Escape.”
“I’ll think you up one, ” said he, grasping a customer’s jug to fill it up with New Orleans molasses. It was a cold day and the molasses ran thick and heavy, so we gave him till he filled the jug to think of a “Narrow Escape.”
Then, when he arose and handed the customer the jug, and rolled the chunk in the money drawer, he turned and said, “I never had any ‘Narrow Escape,’ except in regular battle, and I was there every time my company was, and whether they were narrow or not, I am quite sure I was never in a battle that I was so scared I never wanted to see another one.
Once I was struck by a ball in the leg, and carry the visible marks of it now, but that wasn’t as narrow an escape as I enjoyed once up near Lewisburg, when there wasn’t a man scratched.”
“Then, captain, tell us something about that,” said the Register man.
“I can’t describe it just as it impressed me,” said he, “it was a plain little affair, but makes up the many memories of the scenes you are describing in the Register. My Company was C of the 5th West Virginia.
Capt. W. T. McQuigg with Company A of the same regiment, we were lying at Meadow Bluff, guarding a wagon train, when we received orders to hurry on up to Lewisburg, as the cavalry there had been attacked or were just expecting an attack. This was December 1863.
Well, we were quietly marching along, Company C in front, Company A, next, and the wagon train following, when about 10 o’clock in the morning and about halfway to Lewisburg we ran against circumstance. A high bluff or precipice overhangs the road there and just as the two companies got under it, old bushwhacker Thoroman’s men, about 60 of them, arose and let us have a volley.
“They were not more than a hundred feet away and the volley roared like a clap of thunder. It came so suddenly, too that it knocked the wits out of us for the moment. When I caught my senses again, I looked about expecting to find the whole battalion killed or wounded and myself among them. How could it be otherwise – 60 men or more – a hundred feet off taking dead aim right at a company of soldiers!
“But when we scrambled around into order again and the fellows were so terribly shocked that they keeled over, had arisen again and we had time to take an account of stock, not a single man of us was hit.
Henry Spears was wounded in the coffee boiler, and some others got their knapsacks and clothes perforated with bullets, but no one was hurt. It was really a marvel that several were not killed, but the bushwhackers were in such an elevated position, that as usual in such cases, they shoot too high and the balls whizzed over us. We made a dash for the bushwhackers but they stepped out in a lively manner and so we didn’t get a shot at them.
“I shall never forget a little joke that occurred with our dear old Chaplain Little, in this scrimmage. He was riding leisurely along with the column and at the blast of musketry, his horse turned and shot away like a streak of lightning. When the fuss was over and the danger passed, the chaplain rode back again, with many a funny story and anecdote as was his custom. Riding up to where Capt. McQuigg stood, and the captain asked, ‘Were you scared, chaplain?’ ‘Scared!’ replied the chaplain, ‘no sir, not a bit of it, but I was very much astonished.”
Obituary of Capt. L.D. Markin
Ironton Register, Thursday, January 16, 1896
Last Monday night, at 8 o’clock, Capt. Lorenzo Dow Markin died from an attack of pneumonia. He was taken ill on New Year’s, and soon was quite sick, but was improving until the last of the week, when he got worse, and gradually sank to the fatal moment.
The deceased was a little over 57 years old. He was born near Willow Wood, Lawrence county, on December 23, 1838. He always lived in this county. He was a soldier in the civil war, enlisting as a private and coming out as a captain. He belonged to the 5th West Virginia. He was a brave, faithful soldier.
When the war closed, he opened a store at Marion, farmed some, and filled the office of Justice of the Peace. In 1877, he was elected sheriff of the county, and since then has resided in Ironton, being engaged in the grocery or shoe business.
At the time of his death, he was the administrator of the estate of W. D. Kelly. In 1865 Capt. Markin married Miss Sorilda Dilley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abner Dilley, of Oak Ridge, who with two daughters and a son, survives him.
In all the relations of life, Capt. Markin was a worthy, honorable, high-minded man. His influence was always on the side of the right, and he was outspoken about what he deemed was just and upright. And while he was exact in his ideas of right, his nature was generous and sympathetic.
Just at this point, in this sketch, an old and prominent citizen of this place came into the office and said, “I want to give you an instance of Capt. Markin’s generous heart. I had some property that was forced to sell. It cost me $5,000, and Capt. Markin bought it for $538.
He soon came to me and said he had bought that property ridiculously low, and that I might redeem it at what he paid any time, and he held the proposition open for three years when I told him I was unable to redeem it at what he paid any time, and then he sold it for twice what he paid for it. I merely tell you this to illustrate what a generous noble character Dow Markin was.”
This incident serves better than mere assertion to describe the virtues and views of this lamented citizen. He was esteemed by all. As a sheriff, a merchant, and a citizen, integrity shone from every word and deed. He was a Christian gentleman and did what he could to have love and duty prevail.
The funeral will take place from the residence on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Rev. Geo. H. Geyer will officiate, and at the grave, the G.A.R. will conduct the ceremony.
Markin Homestead Destroyed by Fire Perry Township House was One
of Oldest in District
Ironton Tribune, 17 April 1932, Sunday, Page 6 – The Markin homestead, just off the highway at Deering, was burned to the ground Saturday afternoon, with a complete loss of all household furniture by the family of Walter Markin. No one was at home at the time, Mrs. Markin and the children were in Ironton and Mr. Markin was engaged on his farm. He noticed smoke pouring from the house but when he reached the building it was enveloped by flames and nothing could be saved. The two-story house burned to the ground.
The home was over 100 years old and four generations of the Markin family had been reared there. It was one of the oldest houses in Perry Township.
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