John Jameson Comer b. 28 Oct 1837 , , Missouri, USA d. 16 Jun 1910 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA: Albemarle to Callaway, a Herring Family Journey

1837 - 1910

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Birth 28 Oct 1837 , , Missouri, USA

Gender Male

Died 16 Jun 1910 Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA

Cause: heart trouble

Obituary 17 Jun 1910 Fulton, Callaway, Missouri, USA

Callaway Gazette

SUDDEN DEATH OF JOHN J. COMER
A telephone message was received here Thursday, announcing the sudden death of John J. Comer, which occurred that morning at his home in Kansas City, of heart failure.
Mr. and Mrs. Comer and daughter-in-law, Mrs. J. Lynn Comer, of Claremore, Okla., had returned to Kansas City last Saturday morning after a several week's visit in this city and Boydsville.
A physician examined Mr. Comer recently and told him that his heart was affected. During his stay in Fulton, he had several smothering spells and told members of his family that he had a premonition that his death would result from a heart attack some day.
Mr. Comer was born and reared near Boydsville and was 74 years old. During the war he took a trip to California, where he spent some time. On the way out, his traveling party had several encounters with Indians, and Mr. Comer's body bears seven marks, where the shots of the redmen took effect. He was in business in Fulton about twenty years ago and since his retirement has been living in Kansas City.
Deceased is survived by the widow, whose maiden name was Betty Overton, and the following children: R. Lee Comer, Benjamin Comer, Harry Comer, Grover Comer and Mrs. Leona Davis (Davies) , of Kansas City, and J. Lynn (Len) Comer, of Fulton. He also leaves four sisters. Interment will occur at Kansas City but no information has been received here in regard to the time of the funeral.

Buried Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA

Person ID I7849 Herring Family of Callaway County, Missouri

Last Modified 27 Dec 2009

Father John A. Comer, b. Abt 1811, , , Virginia, USA , d. 18 Mar 1883, , Callaway, Missouri, USA

Mother Nancy McGary, b. Abt 1811, , , Kentucky, USA , d. 8 Jan 1873, , Callaway, Missouri, USA

Family ID F14346983 Group Sheet

Family Mary Elizabeth Overton, b. 17 Nov 1839, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. 11 Aug 1911, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA

Married 11 Jan 1866 , Callaway, Missouri, USA

Children

>	1. Robert Lee Comer, b. Abt 1867, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. Yes, date unknown
>	2. Leona A. Comer, b. 15 Apr 1869, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. 13 Nov 1919, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA
	3. Ellis Benton Comer, b. 3 Apr 1871, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. 25 Mar 1875
	4. Benjamin J. Comer, b. Abt 1872, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. Yes, date unknown
>	5. John Lenard Comer, b. Abt 1877, , Callaway, Missouri, USA , d. 3 Nov 1910, Fulton, Callaway, Missouri, USA
	6. Herry V. Comer, b. Abt 1882, , , Missouri, USA , d. Yes, date unknown
>	7. Grover C. Comer, b. Abt 1885, , , Missouri, USA , d. Yes, date unknown

Last Modified 13 Mar 2007

Family ID F14346982 Group Sheet

Notes	The Kansas City World Sunday, June 12, 1898 WAS SHOT SEVEN TIMES Miraculous Escape of J. J. Comer in the Goose Creek Mountains THE FAMOUS "SECESH EXPEDITION" Kansas City Survivor Who Lay Ten Days Without Food or Medical Attendance Wounded Unto Death There are men of iron constitutions, herculean frames and dauntless courage whom no danger seems to appal, no wounds to utterly disable and no combination of circumstances to overcome. Bleeding from many wounds, they defy death like the old knight in the ballads. "A little I'm hurt," Mr. Arthur cried. A little I'm hurt, but not slain, Let me lie down and bleed awhile And then I'll up and fight again" But who among our modern soldiers of fortune could be shot seven times and each time desperately wounded by hostile Indian minie balls, left for dead by his friends, lying for ten days in the freezing ground with no shelter but the thin willows which concealed his covert, without food and almost without water, and still live to tell the tale? There are two men in the city who escaped from Pocatello's ambuscade in the Goose Creek mountains in August 1862 and one of them J. J. Comer of 2933 Oak Street, had exactly this experience. The other is Charles McBride, the well known contractor. "The California and Nevada papers had us given up for dead," said Mr. Comer in telling the story to a World reporter one day last week, and said the entire "Secesh expedition" as they called it, had been wiped out by Indians. "My old friends in Callaway County, Missouri, all thought that I was dead and would not be convinced of the contrary until I showed up alive and well, three years afterward. STARTS FOR CALIFORNIA "It was on the 23 of November 18, 1857, that I succumbed to the gold fever and started for California. I was a mere youth then, but as big as I am now and strong as a country boy should be. I first went to St. Louis, thence took a boat to New Orleans, remained five days at Havana, and then took a steamer for Aspinwall(?) and arrived in San Francisco on Christmas eve. That year I went to the diggings on the Frazer River in British Columbia. I returned in the fall to --amond Spring, California, where I remained during 1859 and part of 1860, accumulating some gold, as everybody in California did in those days, and living the wild, free life of the mining camps until I suppose I became as reckless and venturesome as any of them. The year 1861, when the war broke out, found me in Carson Valley around the fabulously rich camps of Ophir* (Placer Co., Ca) and Virginia City on the great Comstock lode. Reports of the progress of the war came to us but meagerly. California was divided, a part of the miners siding with the north and the southern boys loudly declaring their sympathy with the rebellion. Finally, when things began to get pretty hot, a part of us southerns decided to make a break and try to join old Pap Price's army, which, as near as we could figure it, was operating somewhere on the Arkansas and Missouri line. We had to leave by stealth, for our southern sympathies were known and if we had all gone together we would have been ----- in arrest for being found in arms against the federal government. So we decided to meet on the Truckee River and try and make our way to Salt Lake City, from which place we would have no trouble in getting back to the states. This was in August, 1862. When we met at the rendezvous, we found that we had just fifteen men, all well mounted and well armed. We elected William Davis of Independence, MO., captain of our small company, and started for the lines of the confederacy. "Most of us were from Missouri and all were from the south except Johnson Foster and John Andrews, who were from Illinois, but were willing to join the confederates." STARTED FOR MISSOURI "We crossed the forty mile desert, made the Humboldt River and had reached the Goose Creek mountains, 100 miles from Virginia City, before we saw any signs of Indians. The night before the fight we camped within eight miles of a large body of hostiles, but did not know it, as they were on the other side of a hill or small mountain. The next morning, we found that our provisions were almost out, but thought we had enough to make Salt Lake City, which was now only 150 miles away. When we divided out the rations each man was given a small piece of bread, no larger than you hand, to last all day. Most of the men ate their, but Joe Snow broke his in two and put one piece in his pocket saying: "You ----- can eat yours if you want to but I tell you this piece of bread will taste mighty sweet tonight!" "Poor fellow, he was killed before sundown, with that piece of bread in his pocket." When we broke camp and started on our march, we came across an old emigrant trail that had not been used before that season. We saw wagon tracks in the road and off some distance in a canyon, we saw smoke, which we thought might come from some emigrant train. Bill Davis, the captain, who had been in California since 18--, and Jackson another old '49er, started out to reconnoiter and see if they could get us some provisions. Just as they got up to the mouth of the canyon we saw three or four Indians come out on their ponies to meet them. They made signs of peace, but other Indians kept crowding around and trying to get near enough to snatch our men's guns and finally, after what seemed an interminable time to us, although it was only about half an hour, Captain Davis and Jackson rode back without any beef, but unharmed. "They told us when they got back that it was old Pocatello's band of Shoshones or Snakes, as they are called, and that they appeared to be on the warpath. They had promised to sell some meat, but did not appear to be in any hurry to keep their promise. They were doubtless only waiting to see how strong we were before they attached us." "They first asked if we were Mormons" said Captain Davis, and we told them no." "All the Indians of that part of the country were friendly to the Mormons." "That settles it." said one of our party. "We've got to fight." "Joe Snow, who had crossed the plains twice, immediately declared that they were bad and also asserted that we would have to fight. "We started to go and had made about half a mile when we saw two Indians emerging from the canyon where they were encamped, driving before them a pony with a pack on his back. "That's the buffalo beef they promised us." said one of our party. "No, it ain't." said Snow. "Its only a decoy. They'll be on us in a moment if we don't get some place to make a stand." THE INDIAN AMBUSCADE "He had hardly got the words out of his mouth when four rifle shots rang out directly in front of us. This was the signal for the attack. Indians sprang up from the grass and rocks around us as if by magic. It seemed as if there were thousands of the yelling red devils and in reality there were only ---. They must have gone out of the other end of the canyon and deployed to head us off, while old Pocatello and three or four of his warriors were pow-wowing with our captain in front. At the first volley, Jackson Foster was shot, but managed to keep on his horse. We charged and took the ---- and then kept up a running fight for 12 miles. Three of the horses were shot and the men had to follow on foot. Seeing that we had to make a stand or abandon the boys, we decided to make a stand. There was a mountain about half a mile away, and for this we made pell mell, shooting as we ran, the dismounted men up behind, or clinging to manes and stirrups to help them along. At the foot of the mountain was a little stream called Raft River. Our horses had had nothing to drink since early morning, and a pack pony loaded with cooking pans stopped to drink. I drew up to give him a kick to hurry him along and just then an ounce bullet from an Indian's rifle shattered my left leg. I cried that I was shot." "The boys asked me if I could keep on to the top of the hill and I said I would try. The hill was very steep and rocky, but we went up it like mountain goats, and as soon as we reached the top all the boys jumped off and dodged behind rocks, without stopping to tie their horses. One or two lariats were so thrown that they caught on rocks or clumps of sagebrush. I was too weak to get off my horse and two of the boys helped me off. Then I fainted and was carried in a blanket father up the hill to an open place where they laid me on the ground and formed around me to defend me. The Indians got up on another hill and there was one Indian who seemed to have a bead on me. He shot me six times in 15 minutes and each time I felt the shock of the bullet against my body, I hoped that it would kill me. Besides the wound in the leg, I was shot in the groin, in the shoulder and in the head. There was just one Indian shooting at me all the time, but I thought there were a dozen. As fast as he plugged me he would load and wait till I moved in my agony, and then he would plug me again. I raised my head with my hands for I was too weak to hold it up alone above the rock behind which I was partially sheltered hoping each time that he would hit me in the head and end my misery. He shot me once in the head and that so stunned me that, weakened by loss of blood, I lost consciousness, and I suppose he thought I was dead and did not waste any more lead upon me. Thus we fought them from 10 o'clock in the morning until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Davis was shot ---- in the forehead and dropped flat on his face in the gravel. In attempting to reach him and get his pistols and money, Joe Snow was killed. Ben White incautiously exposed his head to look at an Indian throwing up gravel with his hands, and another Indian shot, and as we supposed, killed him. We called to them, but they did not answer. We now had three killed and five wounded. The other boys began crawling away saying they would wait until night and that if they could make the settlements on the Bear River about (---) miles away, they would come back for us if we were still alive. At night the Indians withdrew, leaving a few scalpers to watch us. I thought I saw signs of life in White before I left, but the others declared that he was dead. Goodman and Sharp both badly wounded were the only men who were now left with me. The boys had left us an empty powder can for a water can and at night we all tried to crawl down to the Raft River to get a drink. They asked me if I thought I could crawl down to the river and I said I thought I could. I was too weak to stand on my hands and knees, and my shattered leg dragged painfully, but reaching out my hands and getting hold of sage brush or other vegetation, I managed to pull myself forward very slowly. It took me all night to reach that river, about half a mile away. Goodman and Sharp hid me in the willows and there I remained for eight days. In the morning we heard four shots and supposed that the Indians were killing White, but they did not discover me and supposed we had gone. TERRIBLE SUFFERING The fight was on the 12th of September and every night the river froze and the mud about me would freeze tight every night and melt a little the next day. For three days it rained on us. We were wholly without shelter and unable to provide it. I had nothing to eat but the tender leaves and bark which I could strip from the young willows within my reach, and the wild rose berries which the boys would gather and sometimes divide with me. I suppose I ate a pint of those red rose berries, each about as big as a pea, during those eight days. On the eighth day, two Indians passed along the bank of the river just above where we were lying. We could hear their steps rustling in the dry grass and concluded that there only two of them, then we could hear them jabbering and they rolled a lot of rocks down on top of us. We didn't move and they went away. Presently, they returned and rolled down more rocks. One of the stones struck me on the head, adding to my already painful wound. Then I heard Goodman and Sharp talking and knew that they had decided to leave me and try and make the settlement. I objected, but what good did it do? "The Indians will be back and kill us all tomorrow", they said. "It is eight days since the other boys left us and they must be all dead. If we make the settlement we will come back for you." THE RESCUE "When they had gone, I crawled about 100 feet further away in the willows, and waited for the end. The ninth day passed and a part of the tenth. It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon when I thought I heard voices but did not know whether I was dreaming or not. I had suffered no pain for some time and was only half conscious. In fact, I was dying. I aroused myself by a supreme effort of the will, and then I was sure I heard my name called." "Then my heart leaped up and I yelled as loud as I could." "Where are you? came the answer. It was Jackson's voice. "About a hundred feet from where you left me." I said, thinking Goodman and Sharp were there. "They had to cut their way into me with knives. I was so nearly frozen that they built three fires and laid me between them to thaw me out." "Can you eat?" they asked. I nodded my head. "They gave me a biscuit, but I threw it away. My appetite was about gone. "Can you ride a horse?" "I thought I could do anything then." "They put me on a horse, but I fell off." "Then they put me in a blanket and carried me to camp. My wounds began to hurt again and it nearly killed me." In camp, I learned that Goodman and Sharp had reached this party of emigrants on the morning of the second night out from our hiding place. The picket (?) said he heard them coming for two hours, so slowly did they drag their wounded bodies toward his lines. "He challenged, and when they heard a white man's voice they answered "friends" and he said they jumped four feet with joy, wounds or no wounds. "The first night out, Goodman and Sharp made 10 miles, and the next night five miles more brought them to the emigrant train. They traveled only at night and hid in the day time. "As soon as the picket recognized them as wounded white men he took them into camp." "Are you some of the men who were attached by Indians in the Goose Creek mountains?" asked the captain of the train. "Yes", they answered. "Why, we've got three of your men in camp right now", said the captain. "They said you were all dead. They said that Comer and Goodman were dying when they left and that Sharp could not last until morning. That's one of them asleep by the fire over there." They went and woke him up. It was Jackson. "My God! Goodman and Sharp" said Jackson. "Where's Comer?" "They told him I was alive where they left me the night before." "Jackson immediately offered to head a party to lead the way to my rescue, and that is how they got to me that day. He said he had no idea but that we were all dead, and so reported it to the captain of the train. The captain of the train said he could spare twenty men to go out and look for us, but they said it was no use. We must be all dead." "It was lucky that this train was coming by way of ?Muldette's cutoff, or I wouldn't have been alive to tell the tale, There were --5 men in the train besides women and children. Jackson and the others had met the train at Bear River. All but three had gone on and eventually joined the confederate army. Jackson and two others decided to return with the train to California. The captain of the train treated me royally. There was a doctor in the party who dressed my wounds. I was given a wagon to ride in and was carried back to Virginia City where I was gradually nursed back to health. Dr. Webb of Virginia City told me that it was the freezing and the starving that kept out mortification and saved my life. If I had had a bed to lie in or a hospital to go to, he said I would have died sure. I had a fever from the wounds, he said, and the starving kept down the fever, and as I had the constitution to stand both that and the freezing I had lived. The men who started with me to join the confederate army and who went through those experiences are the following: THE SECESH EXPEDITION William Davis of Independence, MO., killed. J. W. Sharp of Callaway County, MO., now a resident of California. Hardin Goodman and ----- Riley of Callaway County, still living there. John Foster and John Andrews of Illinois. Andrews was last heard of in Salt Lake City. Eli Wilkerson of Texas and William Lawson of Arkansas present whereabouts unknown. Ben and Jim White from Green County, MO. Ben was killed and Jim is now living in Fort Smith. Joe Snow of Springfield, Green County, MO, killed. Charles McBride, now a resident of Kansas City, MO. J. Jackson of Virginia, last heard of in California. W. T. Grant of Fulton, MO, last heard of in California. Transcribed by Alice Comer Meyer from copy of article. An article that appeared in The Kansas City World on June 12, 1898 from an interview with John Jameson Comer, son of John A. Comer. 1880 United States Federal Census about John J. Comer Name: John J. Comer Home in 1880: Round Prairie, Callaway, Missouri Age: 42 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Birthplace: Missouri Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head) Spouse's name: Mary E. Father's birthplace: VA Mother's birthplace: KY Occupation: Farmer Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age John J. Comer 42 Mary E. Comer 40 Robert L. Comer 13 Leona A. Comer 11 Benjamon J. Comer 8 John L. Comer 3 James Mitchel 44 farm labor William R. Comer 11 doesn't give relationship Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Round Prairie, Callaway, Missouri; Roll: T9_677; Family History Film: 1254677; Page: 671.1000; Enumeration District: 36; Image: 0764. 1900 United States Federal Census about J J Comer Name: J J Comer Home in 1900: Kansas City Ward 10, Jackson, Missouri Age: 62 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Birthplace: Missouri Relationship to head-of-house: Head Spouse's name: Mary E Race: White Occupation: Grain commissioner Household Members: Name Age J J Comer 62 Mary E Comer 60 Perry V Comer 18 Grover C Comer 15 L C Daviess 32 son-in-law Leona A Daviess 31 daughter Lee C Daviess 6 grandson Lennard Daviess 4 grandson Harvey G Daviess 1 grandson Chas Daniels 20 boarder Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Kansas City Ward 10, Jackson, Missouri; Roll: T623 864; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 114. 1910 United States Federal Census about John J Comer Name: John J Comer Age in 1910: 72 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Birthplace: Missouri Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Virginia Mother's Birth Place: Kentucky Spouse's name: Mary E Home in 1910: Kansas Ward 12, Jackson, Missouri Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age John J Comer 72 Mary E Comer 70 Grover C Comer 25 Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Kansas Ward 12, Jackson, Missouri; Roll: T624_785; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 52; Image: 984. JOHN JAMESON COMER died at his home in Kansas City, MO of heart failure on 16 June 1910, age 74. Survived by his widow, Betty (Mary Elizabeth Overton) Comer, and the following children: R. Lee Comer, Benjamin Comer, Harry (Perry) Comer, Grover Comer and Mrs. Leona (Comer) Davis (Daviess). He was the uncle of Mrs. M. E. Gilbert of Fulton, MO. Source: Callaway Gazette and Missouri Telegraph, Fulton, Mo. on 17June 1910. (In file ACM) JOHN COMER IS DEAD (John Jameson Comer - 16 June 1910) Former Callaway Man Dies of Heart Disease in Kansas City John Comer, of Kansas City, died at 4 o'clock Thursday morning, June 16, of heart trouble. Deceased was a former citizen of this county and was for years a farmer and a buyer of stock. A week of (or) ten days ago he was in Fulton on a visit and was looking stout and hearty. The news of his death was quite a surprise to his acquaintances here. Deceased was an uncle of Mrs. M. E. Gilbert of this city. Source: Missouri Telegraph, Fulton, MO - June 17, 1910 - Page 1(In file acm) SUDDEN DEATH OF J. J. COMER J. J. COMER who was born and reared near Boydsville, died suddenly in Kansas City, last Wednesday. During the Civil War, deceased took a trip to California where he spent some time. On the way out (back to MO) his traveling party had several encounters with Indians, and Mr. Comer's body bears seven marks where the shots of the Redskins took effect.

Event Map

Event

	Married - 11 Jan 1866 - , Callaway, Missouri, USA
	Died - Cause: heart trouble - 16 Jun 1910 - Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA
	Obituary - Callaway Gazette - 17 Jun 1910 - Fulton, Callaway, Missouri, USA
	Buried - - Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA

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