Elijah Combs

Elijah Combs was born 4-17-1770 in Montgomery Co., Virginia and died 9-12-1855 in Hazard, Ky. He was one of the founding fathers of the city of Hazard. He donated 10 square acres of his land for the city. He was the son of ohn Combs and Nancy Harding and one of the 8 Combs brothers who came to Kentucky. Elijah served in the Kentucky Militia as a major in the 2nd Batallion 80th Regiment in 1811. He was the Perry Co. jailor in 1833, the Perry sheriff in 1836, and served in the Kentucky State Senate in 1840.

Elijah married Sally Roark, daughter of Michael and Lettie Roark of Virginia in Roanoke, Va. Sallie was born cicra 1767-1775 in Montgomery Co., Va. and died in 1855 of flux in Hazard. Sallie and Elijah are buried in the Combs family cemetery on back of hill behind the Perry Co. courthouse. There is a marker for Elijah but none for Sallie.

Elijah and Sallie were parents of these children: Jesse Combs, Nancy Combs Wooton, Elijah Combs, Jr., Louisa Combs Cornett, Mary 'Polly' Combs Duff, Jackson G. Combs, Lucinda Combs Ison Duff and Susan Combs Mattingly.

• Ref: FindAGrave memorial

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MH:S14 Ancestry.com U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. @R1@

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MH:S14 Ancestry.com U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. @R1@

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MH:S14 Ancestry.com U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. @R1@

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Founder of Hazard, KY
Elijah Combs was born 4-17-1770 probably in Frederick Co., Virginia and died 9-12-1855 in Hazard, Ky. He was one of the founding fathers of the city of Hazard. He donated 10 square acres of his land for the city.

Elijah Combs was one of eight sons of John Combs who came to Perry County with his family by way of Pound Gap in the 1790's, one of the first families to settle here. He was the son of John Combs and Nancy Harding.

Elijah served in the Kentucky Militia as a major in the 2nd Batallion 80th Regiment in 1811. He was the Perry Co. jailor in 1833, the Perry sheriff in 1836, and served in the Kentucky State Senate in 1840.

Elijah married Sally Roark, daughter of Michael and Lettie Roark of Virginia in Roanoke, Va. in Montgomery Co. Sallie was born cicra 1767-1775 in Montgomery Co., Va. and died in 1855 of flux in Hazard.

Exactly when Elijah built his first house which was near the back the Court House on High Street is unknown, but his Sally Roark Combs bore him a son, Jesse, there in 1798. He built a larger house later, a two-story log house closer to the river, about where the old Goad Hardware was on Main St.

Sallie and Elijah are buried in the Combs family cemetery on the hill behind the Perry Co. courthouse.

Elijah and Sallie were parents of these children:

Jesse Combs m Polly Bolling
Nancy Combs m Fredrick Wooton
Elijah Combs, Jr. m Polly Ann Combs
Louisa Combs m Robert Bustard Cornett
Mary 'Polly' Combs m John A. Duff
Jackson G. Combs m Martha 'Patsy' Crank
Lucinda Combs m Shadrack Duff and George Isom
Susan Combs Mattingly
∼ELIJAH COMBS, My 5th Great Uncle ❤
When Elijah Combs was born in 1764 in Warren, Virginia, his father, John, was 28 and his mother, Nancy, was 23. He had six brothers and one sister. He died on September 12, 1855, in Perry, Kentucky, at the impressive age of 91.

Second Creek, Perry County, Kentucky, USA location of death.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 27 2022, 23:45:44 UTC

GEDCOM Note

Story from the book, Elijah Combs - Pioneer, Politican, Soldier, and Product of His Time. Copied from Ancestry.com and originally submitted by blackwolf1113 to Gersper and Thompson Family Tree on 29 Jan 2008... Elijah Combs built the first two houses and did much to establish the tiny community that grew to be the City of Hazard. He deeded the land (about 10 acres) on which the City of Hazard now stands to trustees in 1826. He was also insturmental in getting the County of Perry formed formed on 2 November 1820 from parts of Clay and Floyd Counties. Court was held in his log house for years. He held virtually all the County Offices at one time or another; serving as Jailer in 1832, Magistrate in 1833, and Sherriff in 1836. At the peak of his political carreer (at the age of 70!), he was a Kentucky State Legislator in 1840, and was of the now extinct "Whig Party." He arrived on the future sit of Hazard in 1790 (1792 & 1799 according to some sources) from either Tennesse or Virginia with his new wife and some slaves. He is said to have celebrated his arrival and recent marriage with a Wedding Feast. The feast included two wild turkeys and a deer shot on the future site of the City of Hazzard. He made a life long carreer of the Kentucky Militia, rising to the rank of General. This included serving as the Head (Commander) of the Kentucky Militia and as Adjutant General. There are many accounts of people seeing him appearing in "Full Regimental Dress" to muster and drill Militia Units. There is a record of him as a Major in the 2nd Battalion of the 80th Regiment as far back as 1/17/1811. He was a Veteran of the War of 1812. Although it is not known if he ever faced the British directly, he is known to have made at least one public statement (see below) about having fought against "Indians". Since he mentioned fighting Indian's it seems likely he fought either in the Creek War in the Southern States (where Indians fought without any real support) or up North on the Canadian Frontier (where the British made extensive use of Indian Allies). It is known that Kentucky Militia was present at and contributed greatly to victories in several famous battles, including the famous "Kentucky Sharpshooters" at the Battle of New Orleans. In the run up to the 1840 Presidential Election, General Elijah Combs, then serving in the Kentucky House of Representatives, appeared in Sullivan County, Tennessee to speak for the Whigs in a debate. Two men spoke for the Democrats. One was a man named David Shaver. The other was not named, but may have been of mixed race. The Democrats in allowing this man to speak for them, left General Combs and newspaper reporter named Parson William G. Brownlow aghast and angry. The following is a transcript of the article by Brownlow - that appeared in the Jonesborough Whig, under the title "Negro Speaking", on 7 October 1840. I copied this from an article "Brownlow's Whig" on www.interracialvoice.com that discussed "Pre-Civil War Attitudes about race and slavery. Brownlow wrote: We have just learned, upon undoubted authority that Gen. Combs, in his attempt to address the citizens of Sullivan County, on yesterday, was insulted, contradicted repeatedly, limited to one hour and a half, and most shamefully treated, and with all an effort was made to get an imprudent Malungeon from Washington City, a scoundrel who is half Negro and half Indian, and who was actually speaking in Sullivan, in reply to Combs! General Combs, however, declined the honor of contending with negroes and Indians_said he had fought against the later, but never met them in debate! This is the party, reader, who are opposed to the gag-law, and to aboliton. Bigotry and Democracy in Sullivan County, well knowing their days on Earth are numbered, are rolling together in their clouds of blackness and darkness, in the person of the free negro, with the forlorn hope of obscuring the light that is beaming in glory, and a gladness, upon this county through the able and eloquent speeches of Whig orators. David Shaver replied to Gen. Combs, we are informed. This is the same Davy, Mr. Netherland gave an account some time since, and who, Col. James gave us the history of, in an address, at our last convention. When Davy had finished, the Big Democratic Negro came forward, and entertained the brethren. These last two speakers were an entertaining pair. It is interesting and very sad to note, that the author of this Pre-Civil War Article, William G. Brownlow would eventually be elected as the first Govenor of Tennessee after the Civil War and Reconstruction were over. All the above comes from the Combs-Combs and Company Research Group on USGenNets, billjames.org, members.iglou.com, and interracialvoice.com. Additional information about this story Description General notes about Elijah Combs, his role in founding the City of Hazard and the County of Perry; his politics; his military service; and his "very pre-Civil War" attitude on race. Date 1770 to 1855 Location Attached to elijah Combs (1770 - 1855) ___________________________________________________________________________