MARTIN DORRISS

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 767-768)
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 04 October 2005

MARTIN DORRISS, an honest farmer of Cedar township, and a faithful soldier of the Union in the late war, who has never drawn any pay for his services either current or bounty, but who is now a cripple from disease contracted in the army, and has been granted no pension, was born in Cole county, Missouri, in 1840, and was the fifth of a family of eight children of McDaniel Dorriss and wife, formerly Miss Polly Buckner, his father a native of Tennessee, but his mother of Kentucky. The other children of the family were: Henry, Joseph, George, Daniel and four others, who died at tender ages. On his father’s side, Mr. Dorriss is related to the old wealthy family of St. Louis by that name, and on his mother’s, to the distinguished Buckner family of Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri.

In August, 1862, Mr. Dorriss enlisted in the Union army, Co. E, 10th Mo. Cavalry under Captain William Lusk, and served for six months, but as stated above has never received any pay either current, back, forward or bounty, which is singularly unjust, seeing that the Union with all its countless blessings has been preserved by the heroism and sacrifices of the brave men who fought to uphold its star-gemmed flag. He contracted permanent disability in the army which has made him a cripple for life, but not withstanding this, no pension has been set apart for him. Surely when so much money is annually appropriated for the disabled soldiers of the Union, he ought to have some of the benefit of it. It has ever been the boast of Americans that our Republic is not ungrateful, but here seems to be a case which does not bear out the boast.

Notwithstanding his misfortune, however, Mr. Dorriss has by industry and good management accumulated some property, so that he has a neat little home, and a means of getting along comfortably in the world. His place contains forty acres of good land, and he has it fairly and substantially improved, including a good peach orchard. In 1870 he was married to Miss Fannie E. Foley, a native of Illinois, and they have five children: Sarah F., William, Thomas, Mary Susan and George.

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