James McCombs

    James McCombs, farmer, residing on Section 20, Washington Township, is a native of Indiana, born in Franklin County, December 25, 1846, a son of Barnett and Anna (Parrott) McCombs. His father was born in Maryland and died in Franklin County, Indiana, of cholera, before the subject of this sketch was three years old. The mother is still living, making her home at Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana. She was born in Lebanon, Ohio, April 30, 1817. They reared a family of eight children, whose names are -John, Harrison, Nicholas, Sarah E., Matilda, Anna, James and Barnett.

    James McCombs, the subject of this sketch, was reared to manhood in his native county, remaining there until the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion. He enlisted August 12, 1862, in Company G, Sixty-eighth Indiana Infantry, going first to Kentucky, where he was captured by the enemy at Munfordville, and was discharged on account of disability, at Indianapolis, December 14, 1862. He then returned home to regain his health, and November 9, 1863, again enlisted in Company M, First Indiana Heavy Artillery. He was in the engagements at Mobile and Fort Pickens, doing garrison duty.

    January 24, 1866, he received his discharge, when he returned home, remaining with his mother until his marriage, August 2, 1868, to Miss Sarah Swift. Four children were born to this union -John M., born November 13, 1870; Barnett C., born January 24, 1873, died February 14, 1874; Nellie, born September 11, 1875, and Sarah, born January 19, 1879, died when a week old.

    Mrs. McCombs was born in Franklin County, Indiana, February 22, 1852, where she was reared, a daughter of Francis M. and Fannie (Moss) Swift. Her father was born in Maryland, and is now a retired farmer of Franklin county, Indiana. Her mother was born in Franklin County, Indiana, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Picklehammer) Moss, who were natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent, both of whom died in Franklin County, Indiana, the latter in 1872, at the advanced age of ninety-nine years.

    Mrs. McCombs died January 24, 1879, and Mr. McCombs was married a second time, May 24, 1879, to Miss Mary J. Bird, a native of Blackford County, born in Washington Township, April 14, 1856, and to them have been born two children -Henry B., born October 13, 1883, died October 2, 1884, and James A., born April 15, 1885. Mrs. McCombs is the daughter of Benjamin and Eliza (Monrue) Bird, natives of Ohio, her father dying March 5, 1879. Her mother is still living on the old homestead in Ohio. Mrs. McCombs' grandfather, Joseph Bird, died in Ohio, and her grandmother, Rebecca (Summers) Bird, died in Kansas. Her maternal grandparents, Joseph and Hannah (Shirey) Monrue, were natives of Pennsylvania, and of German ancestry. Both died in Grant County, Indiana, the former in March, 1856, and the latter in March, 1875. The McCombs family is of Scotch and Irish ancestry.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.