#8530: Kentucky Genealogy from Dr. John J. Dickey's Diary, The Kentucky Explorer, Volume 12, No. 10, April 1998. By permission. Perry Co. John S. Combs, interview 26 Apr 1898. "I was born in Perry County, Kentucky, August 25, 1819. My father was Jeremiah Combs. He was born in North Carolina or Virginia. My grandfather was Nicholas Combs. He was born in Virginia or New River, North Carolina. He lived and died where L. D. Combs now lives, in Perry County. He came early in the settlement of Kentucky. There was a large company that came together; Mason, George, Nicholas, William, Jeremiah, Byron, and Elijah Combs. There was one other whose name I cannot recall, yes, Henry was his name. Mason was the oldest. I have seen all these uncles. Byron moved to Indiana and William moved to the Bluegrass. I don't know whether or not General Leslie Combs was kin to us but, I suppose he was a son of my uncle, William Combs, as they both lived in that section of the state. Uncle William moved to the Bluegrass before I was born. My father died in January 1853, at the age of 73; this would place his birth in 1780. He was not grown when he came here. I have often heard my father and mother and uncles say that the Combs' came from Jamestown, Virginia to North Carolina. My father had two brothers, Samuel, who lived at Booneville, the father of Wiley Combs and Nicholas, the father of Lorenze. They also had one sister, who married John Williams, who died on Troublesome. My mother was Syntha Sumner. Her father was Samuel Sumner, who was killed by the sheriff for resisting arrest, either in North Carolina or Kentucky. My mother came with the company to Kentucky. Her brother John came also. He moved to Indiana, but some of his children returned and live in Letcher and Perry Counties. My grandmother Sumner married a Hicks and went to Indiana and raised a family. Two of my Hicks uncles lived on the Ozark Mountains, in the edge of Arkansas. Nicholas Combs, my grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Several of his brothers were in the same war. I don't know which ones were in the war, they may all have been in it. Old William Cornett came with my uncles to Kentucky, Richard Smith, great-grandfather of "Bad" Tom Smith, also came with them. He settled on Troublesome. I have heard my mother tell often of the killing of Benge, the renegade. She saw the Indians and told of one fellow hiding in the loft and falling through, while the Indians were cooking below. This scared the Indians away. Mason Combs, my uncle, had children as follows:Martin, lived on Carr's Fork; Preston, lived in Breathitt on the Middle Fork, one son, Cyry Combs; Washington lived below the mouth of Carr on North Fork; Talton Combs, at the mouth of Carr; Clinton still lives at the mouth of Carr, he is very old; and Bonaparte lived at Boonesville. George Combs had children as follows: Claiborne, lived in Owsley; Byron died; and Elijah lived in Perry. He was general of the militia, had sons Jesse, Elijah, and Jackson. Josiah Combs, who was killed by Joe Adkins, was the son of Jesse. Jesse was clerk of Perry County first, and as long as he lived, and his grandson, Ira Davidson succeeded him. I have seen him (Gen. Elijah) in his regimentals commanding at the musters. He was killed by the explosion of a keg of powder in Shade Duff's store in Hazard. Someone snuffed a candle and accidentally threw the snuff in the keg of powder under the counter. Duff was a son-in-law of Combs. Both Duff and Combs were killed instantly, Combs lay a good while. Henry Harry Combs had children as follows:Henry, lived on Big Creek; Matthew lived on Troublesome in Breathitt, father of William M.Combs of Breathitt and Isaac of Wolfe; and George of Troublesome in Perry. Henry moved to Indiana. Old George married a Herald. I do not know when the Combs' came to Kentucky, but I know it was in the 1700's. My grandfather, Nicholas Combs, lived to be 101 or 103 years old. He is buried near L. D. Combs. I was grown when he died. I was just married, and had no children. I bought his dog, Irons, at a sale he had for housekeeping. The old Sizemores used to come to my father's to get liquor. They would drink and fight. " Col. Sandi Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ GORIN worldconnect website: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~sgorin SCKY resource links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html === KYBIOGRAPHIES Mailing List ==== _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus