Nicholas Combs (Perry Co. KY)
Revolutionary War Pension Declaration R.2186
State of Kentucky Perry County
Be it remembered that on the 14th day of November 1845 before the undersigned David K. Butter a Justice of the Peace for the county afsd. came Nicholas Combs a resident citizen of the County afsd. aged eighty five or six years of age, who being first duly sworn as required by law upon his oath made and subscribed to the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress approved the 15th of May 1828 entitled "An Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the Army of the Revolution," and the several Acts of Congress passed granting pensions to persons who served in the land and Naval service of the United States for and during the Revolutionary War. That he is enlisted in the County of Surry North Carolina in the Company commanded by Capt. Wm. S. Lewis in the line of the State of North Carolina or on Continental establishment in the Regiment commanded by Col. Martin Armstrong. He does not recollect the date of his enlistment but it was a little upwards of ten months or eleven months before the close of the War. Before his time he was discharged while in service under his enlistment. He heard of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at York in Va. and shortly after he was discharged in North Carolina (the County he has forgotten) during the War by his Capt. Wm. Sirville Lewis afsd and Col. Armstrong afsd. The discharge he had untill about 11 or 12 years past and is now lost or mislaid so that he can not get it. He states that the reason why he has not applied sooner is that he had from the first Pension Act in 1818 or 19 until lately determined not to ask the bounty of the government, but he is now grown old and helpless, unable to attend to his business, that he feels it a duty he owes to himself and aged wife to avail himself of the bounty of the Government. He states that he has not recd. any pension or annuity for his services as a Revolutionary soldier from any state or the U. States. His memory has greatly failed him and he can not name the various officers whom he saw in Camp, but he recollects part of the time he was in service he was marched in different parts of N. Carolina and South. He knows of no person in this state by whom he can prove his service in Camp, but referring to the affidavits hereto annexed to prove his service. He refers to his neighbors as to his character (to wit): Genl. Elijah Combs, Gen. C. Austin Goosey, Jesse Combs Clerk of the Perry Circuit Court, and to the Hon. C. John P. Martin member of Congress from this District. He is so old and infirm that he is unable to attend Court without great pain.
his
Nicholas [X] Combs
mark
Sworn & subscribed to before me this day & year before written
D. K. Butter J.P.
Be it known on the 14 of Nov 1845 before the undersigned
David K Butter a Justice of the Peace for Perry County
Ky Jeremiah Combs a resident citizen of said County
who being duly sworn as req by law on his Oath made the
following declaration, That from his ____ ____ recollection he
often heard his father Nicholas Combs talk of his army
time in the State of N Carolina for and during the
Revolutionary War. He ____ of forty years past often saw the
discharge of his father when he showed it to old soldiers or old
men. It was signed by Wm S. Lewis. Capt and Martin
Armstron (as he now believes) Col. About 8 or 10 years past
he examined it. it was a very old document in appearance and no
doubt was genunine; it was so much al torn from long use.
Jer C Combs
Sworn & Subscribed to befor eme this day & year above
D K Butter JP
2nd Declaration
State of Kentucky Perry Co. Sct
On this 17th day of December 1855 personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace Nicholas Combs Senior who being first Sworn according to law, States upon his oath: That he is now a resident of said county and has been ever since the County was formed, and that several years ago he made application for the benifit of the act of Congress of the 15th May 1828 that his claim was rejected as he understood from the fact that there was a statement of inconsisency embraced in his first declaration, He states he now desires to correct that error wither his claim is allowed or not. He is infermed that his first declaration states, that he enlisted in the N.C. line for the war, and was discharged at the end of the war, and was discharged at the end of the war, and was discharged at the end of the war having served 10 or 12 months, during which he heard of the capture of Conrwallis. He states that he enlisted for and during the war, and served 10 or 11 months, and during that time he heard of the capture of Cornwallis, and at the end of this time he was discharged. That when Cornwallis was captured at Yorktown there was no ____ for men, and he being in very bad health and entirely unfit for service he was discharged as it was most likely that the war would not assume so ___asful and aspect, and the most prosable ____ was that it was over, and that he received a written discharge, In the following words to wit, Discharged for and during the war He states that all there was wars men discharged before June 1783 for reasons a tready assigned. Long Service, ill heath & c. that the Warsmen in general was not discharged until somtime in 1783, but there was exceptions as before stated, some made ____ complaint & so much so that it almost amounted to a mu____ That his brother John Combs was a prisoner under the act 18th March 1818 from this county and so was Charles Ellis, Anthony Hall, and John Kelly, and that his brother William Combs was also a prisoner from Kentucky.
The reason he did not take proof while there was prsons living who would prove his service was simply that the letter of the Commissoners of Pensions when his case was first presented, (and afterward to) was so _utting that he felt deeply mortified and agreed he first thought it was entirely gratutious and uncalled for, which at the same time he was not informed what course to persue, if so he never received the instructions and that he thought by having his original discharge no further proof would be required that the production of it. Has no resident lawyer has__ lived in this county or Pension Agent, until within the last 2 or 3 years, and that J. P. Martin of 1846 Congressman from Floyd Co. Ky undertook to ascertain something about his case but he necer found out correctly what was done by him in the case. He asserts positively and on his last comments that if such an inconsistency occurs in his first statements he declares it was the fault of the Agent who prepared the papers that made the mistake, and not him, and that if his discharge can be found, or is on file it will show what he asserts. he further asks that his case under the provisions of the 15th May 1828 be transferd to the best of cases under the provisions of the act of 7th June 1832 if thoughs a__sible, and if so transfered, he hereby releases all interest under the provision of the act of the 15th May 1828, but relies entirely upon the act of the 7th June 1832. That he could while his brother John and William were bring ___ proved his service, and ___ by others, but he thinks they are all dead, especially his acquaintances, and associate soldiers. He relies upon the proof already on file and especially his discharge which was filed by James Lore, then Congressman. He further states, that if his discharge is not on file he can prove its contents as the existance of it at one time and that he is wholly unable to attend in open court as he is to infirmed being smarly over 90 years of age.
Nicholas X Combs Sen
In the presence of
Nicholas Combs
A C Godsey
Side margin
He asserts that all the men that was has anything to do with his claim always instructed him, that being in possession of his discharge, and the production of it, accompanied with a declaration was all that was required. all that the law required
Sources
Nicholas Combs Revolutionary War Pension Declaration R.2186, transcribed by Doris Ross Johnston