Josiah Henry Combs, son of Jesse Combs and Polly Bolling was born 11-25-1831 in Perry Co, Kentucky and died in 1895 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky during the French-Eversole Feud. He married 7-9-1853 in Perry Co, Kentucky to his cousin, Polly Ann Mattingley, daughter of William Mattingly and Alice 'Alciy' Bowling. Polly was born 3 May 1830 in Leslie Co, Kentucky and died on 4-7-1912 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky. They were the parents of Martha Combs Davidson, William J. Combs, Susan Combs Eversole (memorial #18659040), Sarah Combs Morgan and Mary Ellen Little.
The following is a letter written by a Combs family member on the murder of Josiah H. Combs in the French Eversole Feud.
WRITTEN BY:
Malta Ellen Davidson
1891, Fariston, KY School
Henderson Trosper-Teacher
From papers written by Grandma Malta, "The Murder of Josiah Harrison Combs" [written to her granddaughter]
After his half brother Nickolas Combs was ambushed and killed in the French and Eversole feud in Perry Co. my father, Ira J. Davidson took my sister Annie Eliza Davidson and me (Malta Ellen Davidson) and left Hazard. His wife [Martha Combs, dau. of Josiah H. Combs] had died in childbirth, her little baby daughter was buried in her arms. Before she died she asked him to take us and get away from all of the killing. He went to London Kentucky, Laurel county, where he married Naomi Phelps. Later, my mother's father Josiah Harrison Combs also left Hazard for Barboursville, Kentucky where they were trying the murderers of Uncle Nick and Uncle Joe Eversole. Grand- mother. Polly Ann [Mattingly] Combs [wife of Josiah H. Combs]moved back to Hazard from Barboursville and one of my cousins accidentally shot her in 1888. Then I went back to Hazard in 1893-1894 while I was about 10 years old. One night I was sleeping next to a window, one of the panes was broken. I was sleeping with my Aunt Mary [sister of Ira Davidson, married to Elhannon Combs]. I looked up and saw a gun, I suppose it was a Winchester all of the men had rifles. I put my hand on Aunt Mary's face, she rolled out of the bed and pulled me and the feather bed with her. We slept the rest of the night on the floor. She was a witness in a murder case and I suppose they were waiting for her to rise up so they could kill her. A few days after that my grandfather Josiah H. Combs was returning from his lodge, some man shot at him as he entered his house. They missed him but they made a sifter of the door. My father brought me back to London and a few months after that Grandpa Josiah came to see me at Farister, where we were living then. My father went back to Hazard with him on business. They were tired after their long trip on horse back through the mountains. The next morning a man came and told my Grandfather that there was something wrong with his mowing machine. There were four men in a corner of a garden across the street. He and my Grandfather walked across the street. Grandfather bent over to look at the mower, someone shot from the trees on
the hill near them and hit Grandfather Josiah under the heart. The men carried him to the house and laid him on the pallet on the floor. My father ran around the house and came in the back door. Grandfather reached and took
hold of his hand but he could not speak. He died in a few minutes. The men who shot him were blacked up like black men. But a man by the name of Smith [Bad Tom Smith] was hanged down at Jackson or Lexington later. He claimed he didn't kill Grandpa but said he had murdered Uncle Nick.
The following is a letter written by a Combs family member on the murder of Josiah H. Combs in the French Eversole Feud.
WRITTEN BY:
Malta Ellen Davidson
1891, Fariston, KY School
Henderson Trosper-Teacher
From papers written by Grandma Malta, "The Murder of Josiah Harrison Combs" [written to her granddaughter]
After his half brother Nickolas Combs was ambushed and killed in the French and Eversole feud in Perry Co. my father, Ira J. Davidson took my sister Annie Eliza Davidson and me (Malta Ellen Davidson) and left Hazard. His wife [Martha Combs, dau. of Josiah H. Combs] had died in childbirth, her little baby daughter was buried in her arms. Before she died she asked him to take us and get away from all of the killing. He went to London Kentucky, Laurel county, where he married Naomi Phelps. Later, my mother's father Josiah Harrison Combs also left Hazard for Barboursville, Kentucky where they were trying the murderers of Uncle Nick and Uncle Joe Eversole. Grand- mother. Polly Ann [Mattingly] Combs [wife of Josiah H. Combs]moved back to Hazard from Barboursville and one of my cousins accidentally shot her in 1888. Then I went back to Hazard in 1893-1894 while I was about 10 years old. One night I was sleeping next to a window, one of the panes was broken. I was sleeping with my Aunt Mary [sister of Ira Davidson, married to Elhannon Combs]. I looked up and saw a gun, I suppose it was a Winchester all of the men had rifles. I put my hand on Aunt Mary's face, she rolled out of the bed and pulled me and the feather bed with her. We slept the rest of the night on the floor. She was a witness in a murder case and I suppose they were waiting for her to rise up so they could kill her. A few days after that my grandfather Josiah H. Combs was returning from his lodge, some man shot at him as he entered his house. They missed him but they made a sifter of the door. My father brought me back to London and a few months after that Grandpa Josiah came to see me at Farister, where we were living then. My father went back to Hazard with him on business. They were tired after their long trip on horse back through the mountains. The next morning a man came and told my Grandfather that there was something wrong with his mowing machine. There were four men in a corner of a garden across the street. He and my Grandfather walked across the street. Grandfather bent over to look at the mower, someone shot from the trees on
the hill near them and hit Grandfather Josiah under the heart. The men carried him to the house and laid him on the pallet on the floor. My father ran around the house and came in the back door. Grandfather reached and took
hold of his hand but he could not speak. He died in a few minutes. The men who shot him were blacked up like black men. But a man by the name of Smith [Bad Tom Smith] was hanged down at Jackson or Lexington later. He claimed he didn't kill Grandpa but said he had murdered Uncle Nick.
Josiah Henry Combs, son of Jesse Combs and Polly Bolling was born 11-25-1831 in Perry Co, Kentucky and died in 1895 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky during the French-Eversole Feud. He married 7-9-1853 in Perry Co, Kentucky to his cousin, Polly Ann Mattingley, daughter of William Mattingly and Alice 'Alciy' Bowling. Polly was born 3 May 1830 in Leslie Co, Kentucky and died on 4-7-1912 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky. They were the parents of Martha Combs Davidson, William J. Combs, Susan Combs Eversole (memorial #18659040), Sarah Combs Morgan and Mary Ellen Little.
The following is a letter written by a Combs family member on the murder of Josiah H. Combs in the French Eversole Feud.
WRITTEN BY:
Malta Ellen Davidson
1891, Fariston, KY School
Henderson Trosper-Teacher
From papers written by Grandma Malta, "The Murder of Josiah Harrison Combs" [written to her granddaughter]
After his half brother Nickolas Combs was ambushed and killed in the French and Eversole feud in Perry Co. my father, Ira J. Davidson took my sister Annie Eliza Davidson and me (Malta Ellen Davidson) and left Hazard. His wife [Martha Combs, dau. of Josiah H. Combs] had died in childbirth, her little baby daughter was buried in her arms. Before she died she asked him to take us and get away from all of the killing. He went to London Kentucky, Laurel county, where he married Naomi Phelps. Later, my mother's father Josiah Harrison Combs also left Hazard for Barboursville, Kentucky where they were trying the murderers of Uncle Nick and Uncle Joe Eversole. Grand- mother. Polly Ann [Mattingly] Combs [wife of Josiah H. Combs]moved back to Hazard from Barboursville and one of my cousins accidentally shot her in 1888. Then I went back to Hazard in 1893-1894 while I was about 10 years old. One night I was sleeping next to a window, one of the panes was broken. I was sleeping with my Aunt Mary [sister of Ira Davidson, married to Elhannon Combs]. I looked up and saw a gun, I suppose it was a Winchester all of the men had rifles. I put my hand on Aunt Mary's face, she rolled out of the bed and pulled me and the feather bed with her. We slept the rest of the night on the floor. She was a witness in a murder case and I suppose they were waiting for her to rise up so they could kill her. A few days after that my grandfather Josiah H. Combs was returning from his lodge, some man shot at him as he entered his house. They missed him but they made a sifter of the door. My father brought me back to London and a few months after that Grandpa Josiah came to see me at Farister, where we were living then. My father went back to Hazard with him on business. They were tired after their long trip on horse back through the mountains. The next morning a man came and told my Grandfather that there was something wrong with his mowing machine. There were four men in a corner of a garden across the street. He and my Grandfather walked across the street. Grandfather bent over to look at the mower, someone shot from the trees on
the hill near them and hit Grandfather Josiah under the heart. The men carried him to the house and laid him on the pallet on the floor. My father ran around the house and came in the back door. Grandfather reached and took
hold of his hand but he could not speak. He died in a few minutes. The men who shot him were blacked up like black men. But a man by the name of Smith [Bad Tom Smith] was hanged down at Jackson or Lexington later. He claimed he didn't kill Grandpa but said he had murdered Uncle Nick.
The following is a letter written by a Combs family member on the murder of Josiah H. Combs in the French Eversole Feud.
WRITTEN BY:
Malta Ellen Davidson
1891, Fariston, KY School
Henderson Trosper-Teacher
From papers written by Grandma Malta, "The Murder of Josiah Harrison Combs" [written to her granddaughter]
After his half brother Nickolas Combs was ambushed and killed in the French and Eversole feud in Perry Co. my father, Ira J. Davidson took my sister Annie Eliza Davidson and me (Malta Ellen Davidson) and left Hazard. His wife [Martha Combs, dau. of Josiah H. Combs] had died in childbirth, her little baby daughter was buried in her arms. Before she died she asked him to take us and get away from all of the killing. He went to London Kentucky, Laurel county, where he married Naomi Phelps. Later, my mother's father Josiah Harrison Combs also left Hazard for Barboursville, Kentucky where they were trying the murderers of Uncle Nick and Uncle Joe Eversole. Grand- mother. Polly Ann [Mattingly] Combs [wife of Josiah H. Combs]moved back to Hazard from Barboursville and one of my cousins accidentally shot her in 1888. Then I went back to Hazard in 1893-1894 while I was about 10 years old. One night I was sleeping next to a window, one of the panes was broken. I was sleeping with my Aunt Mary [sister of Ira Davidson, married to Elhannon Combs]. I looked up and saw a gun, I suppose it was a Winchester all of the men had rifles. I put my hand on Aunt Mary's face, she rolled out of the bed and pulled me and the feather bed with her. We slept the rest of the night on the floor. She was a witness in a murder case and I suppose they were waiting for her to rise up so they could kill her. A few days after that my grandfather Josiah H. Combs was returning from his lodge, some man shot at him as he entered his house. They missed him but they made a sifter of the door. My father brought me back to London and a few months after that Grandpa Josiah came to see me at Farister, where we were living then. My father went back to Hazard with him on business. They were tired after their long trip on horse back through the mountains. The next morning a man came and told my Grandfather that there was something wrong with his mowing machine. There were four men in a corner of a garden across the street. He and my Grandfather walked across the street. Grandfather bent over to look at the mower, someone shot from the trees on
the hill near them and hit Grandfather Josiah under the heart. The men carried him to the house and laid him on the pallet on the floor. My father ran around the house and came in the back door. Grandfather reached and took
hold of his hand but he could not speak. He died in a few minutes. The men who shot him were blacked up like black men. But a man by the name of Smith [Bad Tom Smith] was hanged down at Jackson or Lexington later. He claimed he didn't kill Grandpa but said he had murdered Uncle Nick.
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