The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-01-07
A FAMILY OF GLADIATORS.
The Descendants of Samuel Combc, of Liv-
ingstone Manor---The Greatest Fight I'm
thr Wilderness on Record.

The Descendants of Samuel Coinbe, of Liv-
ingstone Manor---The Greatest Fight I'm
thr Wilderness ON Record.
William Combe, one of the few real
veterans of the. war of 1872 surviving nm
til this year, died few days ago ut the
residence of his son, at Arlington, MINI.
He was born at Springfield, Otsego
county, New York, in the year 1896. At
the time of Williams birth, his father,
Samuel Combe, of Livingstone Manor,
who had served in the Revolution, was q
conspicuous figure on the then borders
of civilization, and for many years after
ward he and his six stalwart sons bore
prominent part i'll the many sanguinary
conflicts that marked the early history of
the Western frontier. The Combes were
of warrior stock, and traced their ances-
try through the Puritans of Massachu-
sets colony back to the reign of Eliza
beth.
Samuel Combe and his sons were men
of great physical strength and indomita-
BILE courage. The youngest boy is men
toned i'll old records of his native county
and regions further West, as giant i'll
stature and Milo in strength.
William Combe, whose death is Just
announced, was dragoon i'll Capt. Har
riss company, and was with Gen. Win
field Scott at Chippewa, Lundy's Lane,
and Fort George; and his gray coat was
more than once made a special target by
the British marksmen in the fights at
Niagara, Queenstown Heights, Sackett's
Harbor, and Sandy Creek. AT the close
of the war he settled at Jordan, Ononda-
ga county, New York, but being of Il
restless disposition, and fond of exciting
adventure, he was ever longing for an op-
portunity to take part again in scenes
such as had been his delight i'll the past.
When the rebellion broke ont. his sons
having entered the army, tho old man
shouldered musket and fought at South
Mountain and Antietam.
Only one of William Combe's brothers
is known to survive him. He is Charles
Combe, now resident of Brooklyn, l..
l., and in his 91st year.
The youngest brother, Jonas, men-
toned above as the giant, was of trr-
bulent disposition, and was constantly
involved i'll fights, out of which he al
ways marched with flying colors. His
prowess was universally acknowledged.
He rarely fought one man at a time,
scorning to engage with fewer than from
three to half dozen of good size and
weight The crowning achievement of
his life as a gladiator, and perhaps the
last-as he was never heard of after the
occurrence of the incident here related
was his victory, single handed, over Il
mob of $50 infuriated and reckless
Frenchmen of Detroit, just after the
close of the War of 1872. The present
city was then Il village, or more properly
trading post, inhabited mainly by
French Canadians of the rllder class.
Jonas had aroused the ire of some of the
men, and afraid to assail him except in
force, they arranged plan by which he
should be annihilated without the posi-
bility of failure. This was no less than
that the whole community of adult Ca
nadians should surround him in the
woods beyond the settlement, and end
his career by beating him to death. Jo-
mas was unarmed. Each of his enemies
carried q club or a stone. They formed
circle about him, and at a signal closed
in upon him. Setting his broad back
firmly against the trunk of a giant oak,
Jonas calmly awaited the onslaught of his
yelling foemen. Closer and closer they
came, their ranks growing more and more
compact at every step. At last the press
was upon him. Club strokes thick and
fast rIiued duwn upon Ills head ana
shoulders and jagged stones whirled by
strong armed marksmen cut and bruised
his stalwart body, and his days seemed
numbered. Suddenly he dashed for
ward and charged the center of the mass
in his front, and men fell about him right
and left as he moved onward, forcing a
way with his huge body, and dealing
crushing blows on all sides with his
brawny fists. 1t was a sight such as had
never been seen since the day when Sam
son slew the Philistines. The French
men were dismayed. Those who were
still unhurt parted to right and left in
open disorder, and the young Hercules,
with body streaming with blood, with
nothing left upon him but his boots,
sought safety in rapid flight toward the
deeper forest and the broad waters be-
yond. Jonas was never seen again, al
though about fifty years ago it was said
that man answering his description was
drowned in the Mississippi; and a little
later old trappers reported that one
similar in many respects was killed in
Oregon.