The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-08-31
DEATH or GEN. LESLIE COMES.
New York World

New York World
The venerable General Leslie Comos'
a veteran of the war of 1912, and a man
who for more than half a century past
has taken a prominent part in the affairs
of his native State, died at Lexington,
XIV. on the 22d inst. He was born in
1898 near Boonsboro, in Clark county,
Ky., his father having been an cfhcer
in the Revolutionary war and an emil
grant from Virginia about the time
that Daniel Boone was fighting the In
dams in the Ozark and Bloody Ground"
and surveying grants Of land from the
Old Dominion with so much lack OF
skill that several families of Kentucky
have been itch ever since, while the
! founders of several other families I'M
| fortunately were never able to locate
their grants. When eighteen years OF
age General Combs entered che army as
| a private, and at once started for the
frontiers Of The Ohio to join the Ameri-
cans in their campaign against the
British and Indians. At the battle of
the River Raisin General Combs, who
was then captain, was very severely
wounded, aud with the few survivors
of that fearful fight was taken prisoner.
After the end of the war he studied law
and for many years practiced his pro-
fession with profit and distinction. He
was a warm personal aud political
friend and great atlmirer of Henry Clay
and was Speaker of the Kentucky House
of Representatives when the Wing lead
er was in the zenith of his power. In
1851 the Democrats of the Ashland Dis
trict nominated John c. Breckenridge,
who was only twenty-siX years old, as
their candidate for Congress. Young
Breckinridgn's Wing opponent was
General Combs, who every one thought
would Twin in a canter." Breckln
ridge wen., however, into Owen county
the County of Sweet Owen" it was
called-and his handsome face and
musical voice quite won the hearts OF
those honest but turbulent farmers who
always either carried pistols or snakes in
their boots The voters of Owen cOun
" had never been more than few hun.
dred and, as the Wing majority in the
District was nearly two thousand, Gen
eral Combs did not bother about the
sensation his young opponent had made
in Owen. But the citizens of Owen did
bother, and sending a delegation to
Breckenridge asked what majority was
needed from Owen to secure his cleo
ton. He laughingly rep led: "Oh,
twenty-five hundred ." The Owen
county delegation took he statement
very seriously and went home, after
promising the needed majority. And
when the election returns came in sure
enough Owen county had redeemed the
promise or her delegation, even though
Breckinrldge's majority was said to
have been more than there were men,
women and children in the county, and
Breckenridge was elected by 500 major
ity to the first Congress of which he
was a member General Combs was a
man OF great energy and honesty, and
during the Harrison campaign, in which
he was very active, was known as the
"siver-tongued orator." He was early
connected with the railroads of his
State, being President of the Kentucky
Central Railroad until the road got into
difficulties incidental to the war. He
was twice married and leaves many
descendants.