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MONROE COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: COMER, Augustus
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
SSpradling@aol.com
September 20, 1999
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A History of Monroe County, West Virginia
Oren F. Morton, B. Lit.
Staunton, VA
The McClure Company, Inc.
1916
p. 327-328
AUGUSTUS COMER
Augustus, of German parentage, was horn on the Rapidan river and was an
artilleryman in Washington's army. One night while the Americans were in camp
on Assanpink creek, at Trenton, N.J., Comer was placed on guard duty with
orders to hail any strange person three times and then to fire unless
answered. An officer who thought he would have some fun with Comer and
stampede him got down to the brink of the creek and threw up firebrands. The
sentinel was alarmed but obeyed his orders and fired, wounding the officer.
Comer was placed under arrest, but exonerated by Washington, who complimented
him for his faithfulness. After the war he married Catharine Rush and located
at St Lawrence ford on the Greenbrier, where his son Frederick was horn in
1787. Some 10 years later he started for Tennessee, but while lodging with
Isaac Miller on Indian, this same boy was accidentally hurt and the journey
was terminated. He became very corpulent in his later years and spent much of
his time in an armchair that was made for him. D. 1822. C: Elizabeth (Daniel
Miller, 1801~-Frederick (1787-1848) (Polly Mitchell, 1814)-Jacob (Anna
Meadows(-Michael (Lucy Willis)-John (Mary 3. Mitchell, 1824)
-Catharine (Joseph Ball, 1812)-Barbara (s)-Augustus (Sarah Fore)
-Sarah (John Peters).
Frederick with no resources except his wife, their two pairs of willing
hands, and the 60 acres given them by the father-in-law, at once built a
cabin, added at length 281 acres to his possessions, reared 12 children who
grew to maturity, and died without owing a penny. He was methodical as well
as industrious, and whenever he was done with his tools he put them under
cover. He was one of the most hospitable of men, and liked to have his
neighbors serenade him before daybreak on Christmas morning, after which the
visitors shared his breakfast. All his children were taught to work. The
daughters could hoe corn and pile and burn brush as well as spin and weave.
C: Mitchell (1815-1892) (Ann Cummings, 1837)-Sarah-Catharine (?Jacob W.
Harvey, 1838)-Elizabeth (Isaac M. Harvey, 1838) -Ann-William (dy)
-Delilah-Martha (Adam Miller, 1845)-Jan~Amanda-Mary J.-Amanda-Samuel (b.
1835) (Mary Hutchinson, 1857)-Rachel-Rebecca. The example of Frederick Comer
is offered in contrast to those persons of the present time who think they
must begin where their parents leave off, and also think they cannot afford
to have families even then.
The experience of his son Samuel is also of interest He was left an orphan at
13 along with four sisters. They and their mother had a hard time to get on.
It took two good calves to pay the tax of $9 on the large farm. Early in his
married life the war came, in which he served four years and was in several
heavy battles. When he returned from the military prison at Elmira he found
his mother, wife, and two little girls all well. He went to work at once to
put the farm in order, and at length added merchandising and sawanilling to
his agricultural interests. His children are three sons and four daughters.
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