Martin Andrew Purnell

Martin was orphaned at his father's death in 1849 when he was 6, and in 1860 he was a 17 year old living with his older brother Micajah Thomas Purnell (1833-1862) and 56 slaves on their large cotton plantation at Gerenton in Carroll County, MS. He enlisted in Carrollton, MS on 29 April 1861 and mustered in Lynchburg, VA on 13 May as a Private in Company K, 11th Mississippi Infantry. He was first in action with them on 31 May 1862 at Seven Pines near Richmond, VA and afterwards through the 2nd Battle of Manassas in August.

He was again in action at Fox's Gap on South Mountain on 14 September and was wounded in the chest at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital #6 in Richmond, VA on 27 September and returned to duty on 24 October. He employed a substitute named H. Richmond in February 1863 and was discharged in March. Private Richmond almost immediately deserted, however, and never served with the regiment.

His service from his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860. His gravesite is on Findagrave. Thanks to his great-great-grandson William E. Purnell, Jr. for Martin's photograph and for the pointer to his war service.

He married Louisa C. Coleman (1846-1892) and they had 2 sons; the second, Martin, Jr., was born about 6 months after his father's death.

12/01/1842 in MS

09/23/1866; Carroll County, MS; burial in Coleman Cemetery, Carroll County, MS