Perry County, Kentucky:     Sarah Combs Davidson Civil War Deposition


Submitted to the KyGenWeb by:  Cynthia Davidson Lakis
                               12 May 2001
                               
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My age is 57 years, occupation housekeeper, as above.
I am the widow of Benjamin D. Davidson, who served as Corp'l in Co. "M"
14th KY Vol. Cav. Enlisted about May 1863 and was discharged in Mar. 1864
and never was in any other service Naval or Military.  I am drawing a 
widow's pension for the above soldier of $12.00 a month paid at the
Louisville, KY Agency.
My husband died March 31st 1879 at home, 2 miles East of Hazard, KY, of
Consumption caused by cold and exposure incident to his military service.
So said Dr. John Mc Daniel (now dead), who treated him in service and after
discharge.  I was married to this soldier, as my record shows, Apr. 1, 1849
by David K. Butler, J.P., at Hazard, KY. My maiden name was Sarah Combs.
Neither of us had been previously married.  I had known my husband about 3
years before our marriage. He came from Scott Co., VA on a farm between
Spear's Ferry and Estillville. He told me he was 17 years old when he came
to this country. His brother Joseph Davidson came with him and died about
the year 1852. He had a severe spell of fever, and his mouth was drawn to
one side and never recovered entirely.  When he better he was throwing at a
squirrel and his lungs began bleeding and he lingered along spitting up
blood every now and then, coughed but not like consumption, and died 4 or 5
years afterward. He said he thought he broke some blood vessel while
throwing at the squirrel. Some said he died of the results of the fever - so
said my husband- and some by bleeding of the lungs.  I don't think any
doctor treated him, he died at his place.  I saw another brother of theirs
who lives somewhere in Tenn. don't know where. This is all of the family I
ever saw.  I never knew nor heard of any consumption in my husbands family.
My father died of something like consumption. He had Phthisis (?) and
a cough for about 15 or 20 years before he died.  My husband was sound and
healthy, free from any disease or disability of any kind prior to his
enlistment. He never had any cough or any symptoms of lung disease or
consumption prior to the war. He was as stout a man as I ever saw for his
size. He was a carpenter by trade, kept a farm and worked some on it
himself, but generally hired hands. He often run foot races, and wrestled
with the largest men.  All the sickness I ever knew of his having was a case
of flux he had about the year 1853. We never had any family physician here
before the war.
In 1855, we moved to Kansas don't know what part and lived there a little
over 2 years. He had no doctor here, but I had some sickness and had a
>doctor to treat me.  His nearest neighbors and fellow workmen were the
following:- (Before Enlistment)
Henry Fields, P.O. Hazard, Perry Co., KY
Dr. John D. Combs, " " " "
Elias Combs " " " "
Wesley C. Fields " " " "
John Cornett " " " "
Mrs. Nancy Stacy " " " "
The witnesses know that my husband was sound and healthy prior to
enlistment.  When my husband returned after discharge in 1864, I saw him
coming and met him and seeing that he was looking bad I asked him what was
the matter and he said it appeared like there was a load in one side of his
breast and that he had caught so much cold at Camp Nelson KY in service that
it was killing him. He looked pale and had a cold and was coughing. I made
him a bed down before the fire where he could bake his feet and he told the
servant woman to make him some pepper tea. Next morning, he got up, the
cold seemed to be broke and after walking about a little he spit up some
blood and corruption about 1/2 teacup full, he continued to spit up bloody
corruption for several days. He was reduced in flesh at this time. He said
there appeared to be a lump in his right breast as big as his fist under
the nipple. The first physician that treated him attest."

                                     Sarah marked her name with an "x."

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