Ventner Cobb Disclaimer Excerpts/Paraphrasing from photocopied pages (origination unknown) entitled: "Unit 222.Biography Section - Chapter 3" "Vintner C. Cobbs" |
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was born about 1748/1749, and in 1766/1767, lived with his family in Halifax Co, VA. Halifax County is located in the southern Piedmont section of VA, which includes the counties of Halifax, Pennsylvania, Henry, Patrick, Franklin, Bedford, and Campbell. It is situated in South Central VA, touching the NC border. The elevation is high, the soil is well drained and rich. It is unknown where Vintner was born. Our source indicated that he may have lived in NC at an early age. The 1788/1789 Federal Census of Rockingham Co, NC, records the following: VINTNER C. COBBS 7 White Souls 1 Other Building It would appear that there were five children living in the household with their parents. The time of this enumeration is between 1787/1788. We learn the names of four of Vintner's children on Page 142, of Order Book 12, of Halifax Co, VA, dated March, 1784, which reads: "Ordered that overseers of the children for the County to number William Cobbs, John Cobbs, Ambrose Cobbs, Mary Polly Cobbs." The one big historical event two decades earlier, was the Revolutionary War. We have no definite proof yet that Vintner Cobbs was directly involved, but he was old enough to have fought in the War. His children were born between 1770 and 1798/99. During the War and the decade following: In 1774, Vintner Cobbs's wife was killed by Indians. Vintner Cobbs left two sons with his father, Ambrose Cobbs, and went off to killing Indians, and trapping. He was a spy, hunting Indians, and killed them for John McKey. Their whole duty, this tour of three months, consisted in guarding the fort, spying through the country, and guarding the people while they were at work in their little fields. In 1776, he went back home to Halifax Co, VA, and to the home of his father, Ambrose Cobbs. His father was fixing to move to NC, but Vintner remained in Halifax Co, VA. His father settled in Lincoln Co, NC. Vintner's next tour was at the South in Carolina. He volunteered, under Captain James Jackson, and served three months as an Orderly of First Sergeant; and, was at the Battle of Guilford, under Colonel Williams, attached to a regiment of Infantry. His last tour was one week only, to guard the arsenal at Campbell County, and as a Private, ordered out as one of the guards by the Lieutenant Colonel of the County. The most that the guard did was to guard old John Hood, a tory. In 1788, Vintner Cobbs lived in SC. Previously, he was in Rockingham Co, NC. A short time after his return from SC, there is some evidence that, between 1790 and 1800, Vintner may have been exploring in KY. His sons would have been old enough to accompany their father. It seems reasonable that they might have participated in exploring expeditions before actually moving the family. In the 1700s, many, many Cobbs families lived in VA and NC. Vintner was in Halifax Co, VA, following the Revolutionary War. He was among some of the first families on the KY frontier, settling first in Jessamine Co, KY, and then in Hickman Creek and Nicholasville. He may have been in Jessamine County by 1799 or 1800. Our Cobbs ancestors helped to open up the big Hickman Creek. It is reasonably certain that the early Jessamine County residents had to deal with Indians to some extent. Historians tell us that there is nothing to indicate that Jessamine County was ever inhabited by Indians as a permanent place to live; however, nearby territory, which lies between the Kentucky River and Cumberland River, was used by Indians for hunting purposes. My experiences of finding arrowheads in the fields of Jessamine and adjoining Counties, would tend to confirm this statement. The countryside of Jessamine County is now as it was in 1800, rolling and hilly. The soil was fairly good, however. The hillsides soon eased away because of the clearing of the land and cultivation, which left the bottomland more productive. In later years, measures were taken to correct this problem. There are many small streams in all parts of the County. Many of these streams have their headwaters in springs of pure water. In fact, almost every farm had one or more good spring, which, first on Big Hickman Creek, runs through the center of the County, from the east-west portion, toward the Kentucky River. A never-failing stream of clear running water flows into Big Hickman Creek, about six miles east of the County seat, Nicholasville. These are the two streams mentioned most often in the land deeds of the Cobbs family, although Vintner Cobbs's first homestead was on Big Hickman Creek. After 1800, Vintner began settling on Big Hickman Creek, near Nicholasville. This area is located in the Southwestern part of the County seat. James Overstreet declares that in his youth, he knew Vintner Cobbs, and lived about a mile from him and his father, in Halifax Co, VA. John Walters lived about three miles from Vintner and said that Vintner was married two times, he was a soldier and spy at the time, and he frequently visited the fort when he was in VA. James Overstreet and John Walters moved to KY with Vintner, in 1790/97/98. Vintner Cobbs died when he was about fifty-eight years old. In 1805, James Overstreet became Guardian of Vintner's sons, Thomas and Ralph Cobbs. In 1806, John Walter became their Guardian. It was proven that Vintner Cobbs's brother, John Cobbs, died in SC, on 23 May 1841. ...end of transcript; date and author of original writing unknown... |
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