The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-05-24

tiary Tor housebreaKing and burglary.
William Carr Allen. the other son
OF the second William Allen. was the
father OF jeremiah, Robert and John.
Jeremiah also was loyal soldier In
the army OF the south. He married
the daughter of one OF the most ia
nous OF the old trappers of the Blue
Ridge mountains. Uncle Billy" Combs
The Confederate veteran and the
daughter Of the old trapper raised a
large family of boys. Their sons were
Anderson. who died few years ago
after having served as member Of
the Virginia Reserves during the last
ten months OF the war; Washington,
who was killed by the fall Of a tree;
Victor, who is the highly respectable
and respected keeper Of country
store a few miles from Hillsville: Gar
land. who Is preacher among the
Primitive Baptists; Floyd, whose re-
fusal to accept sentence OF imprison-
ment caused the Hillsville massacre:
Jasper generally called Jack" whose
son Freel Is the youngest OF the clans
men now imprisoned on charges Of
conspiracy and murder. and finally
Sidna Allen, who Is regarded not only
as the most wealthy. but also as the
master mind OF the clan.
A sister OF the seven sons OF Jere-
miah Allen is Mrs. Edwards (now Mrs.
Mundy), whose SONS by her first hus-
band were Sdna and Wesley Ed.
wards. the first OF whom surrendered
himself 10 his uncle Jack" while
Wesley preferred to share the hard
ships of the mountains with his uncle
Sidna. The other members OF the
younger generation who are directly
involved in the Millsvillc affair are
Claude and Victor. who are the sons
OF Floyd Allen. and Freel Allen. who is
the son of Jack"
"A study OF the genealogical tree OF
the Aliens" said one who knows them
well. shows that, while many of the
clan have been fighting men. 1t is only
those of the present generation who
have been what is commonly known
as gun fighters. Old jeremiah was
hard fighter even after the war was
over. but he fought with his fists.
An OF the seven sons OF Jerry Al
len were men OF strong personality
and of fierce. imperious temper, but
Anderson. Washington, Victor and
Garland learned the important les
sons OF restraint and self control,
while Floyd. Jack and Sidna have
never brooked restraint nor tolerated
opposition.
ITO students OF heredlty II might be
interesting TO speculate to what ex-
tent the soldier strain OF the Allen
family was tinctured by less noble.
more primitive influences engrafted
into Il from the maternal side. The
mother OF the seven Aliens who are
the middle aged men OF the present
generation was the daughter OF Uncle
Billy Combs. the toughest old
woodsman and trapper known TO the
history or traditions of the Carolina
mountain border. Uncle Billy died
AT the age'of l04. When he was 80.
n Is said. he had never been Ill day
In his life. and his eye was SO sure
and hand so steady that he could shoot
n squirrel out OF the top OF tree with
his rife.
he tramped the mountain fastness-
M babitually In his bare beet, the
heels and soles Of which had become
40 calloused and hooflike that he
thought nothing Of killing diamond
hack rattlers by tramping upon them.
Like other mountaineers OF his
aav Uncle Billy not only trapped on
shot the wild bsasts Of the mountain.
i------ -uassNg ,....--