Martha H. Williams (born March 8, 1829, probably in Shelbyville, Tennessee) married first to Robert "Bob" McAdams who died of illness during the Civil War; they had five children. She married second to William "Uncle Billie" Tatum, a widower with two children.
Martha H. Williams and Robert "Bob" McAdams had five children:
Martha H. Williams was already a widow when her younger sister Frances was killed in 1864. Martha and her two sons moved in with Frances' husband, to help raise Frances' children, Hardin (then six years old) and Richard (then 18 months old). In 1940, Hardin wrote this recollection of her Aunt Martha:
Aunt Martha first married Robert McAdams. There were two sons born, Emmit and George; they went to some place in Arkansas, and while there two more sons were born in Jacksonville, Arkansas — John and Frank. Uncle Bob had to go to war that broke out (Civil War). He took sick and died. Smallpox broke out in their midst; she and son George were vaccinated but she did not have the small children vaccinated. When the war closed (April 1865), she started back to Tennessee, the three small boys [Emmit, John, Frank] broke out with smallpox. They were quarantined in Memphis, the children were taken from her care. She never saw them again or knew where they were buried. Word was sent to Grandpa (Enoch) Williams; he was old, not used to going far from home, so he got my father to take his carriage and go as far as Nashville for her where she and two oldest sons [Sam and George] had gone to some of our kind (relatives).After (my mother's) burial, Aunt Martha and her two sons, Sam and George, came to live with us, to keep house and do the work. It was hard on her, I'm sure, but in a year she married a good neighbor whose wife had died and left him with a son and little daughter. During her stay with us, brother (Richard) and I grew very fond of her. Did not miss our mother so much, for she was kindness and goodness itself.
When she (Aunt Martha) married, I was at school. Pa had gone to town on business. I came in from school, there sat Mr. Tatum, Uncle Billie (we had learned to call him). "Come here, Hardin. I've come to take your Aunt Martha home with me," he said. I just feld cold chills, strange! What would we do? How could we cook? Wash and do all the work of the house? I felt she would not love us, I tried to think of something hateful to say. Then I was so embarrassed. "Yes, she is going home with me."
Then I asked, "Are you, Aunt Martha?" She smiled but no answer; tears were coming to my eyes, she saw how I felt, and he saw it was no joke so he left to go home, feed, and do night chores. I asked Aunt Martha, "Are you married?" "Yes, honey," very low. I said no more, went to the front room, fell into the old rocking chair and wept my heart out. Pa came home, found me crying and asked, "What is the matter?" I screamed out, "Aunt Martha has married Old Bill Tatum and is going to leave us." Pa said no more. Aunt Martha got supper and I couldn't eat. Pa said but little to her. I know she felt like we were selfish and that she should have told us of it. (My brother Richard) cried and cried and cried for his Aunt Martha. "I want my Aunt Masshy, I want my Aunt Masshy, I will whip Old Tatum."
POSTSCRIPT: In September 1866, Hardin's father Robert Bailey Freeman remarried to Louise Susanna Niet; Louise was "educated and a fine pianist, easy to live with," Hardin said, and Hardin eventually realized that all the changes were for the best.