Sterling was the son of Philip Combs, Sr., the Revolutionary War soldier. According to his gravesite marker, [1] he was born in 1769 and he died in Augusta, GA on June 15, 1847. He appears to have married Mildred Wingfield at some point. [2] Mildred was likely related to the Wingfield family that is shown on various Wilkes County, Georgia records living near the Combs family. The author has not devoted any research time to the Wingfield family.
Sterling appears to have been a wealthy businessman and he owned land in several Georgia counties. He appears on the 1820 census for Jackson County, Georgia where he is shown to own 10 slaves. By 1835, he was living in Richmond County, GA. In addition to owning land in Richmond County, he appears to have owned land in Clarke, Jackson, Lincoln and Wilkes counties.
Mildred Combs, wife of Sterling death
Charleston Daily Courier, April 1838
The Daily Constitutionalist, June 1847
Note that Dr. Joseph Eve was his son-in-law (married his daughter Sarah - see below).
Known children of Sterling Combs and Mildred Wingfield:
- William Combs (1794-1868), is said to have married Sarah Evans the daughter of Rev. War soldier Lt. William Evans (1746-1806). Lt. Evans is buried near the Kettle Creek Battleground in Wilkes County. Interestingly, another daughter (Anna) of Lt. Evans is said to have married a STARK and is thus likely related to the author's Stark ancestors of Wilkes County, GA. William Evans, Jr. (1776-1822) married Elizabeth Combs Hammock. Elizabeth was the daughter of Benedict Hammock, Jr. and Mary Combs (Mary Combs may have been the sister of Philip Combs, Sr. (RS)). Another interesting fact is that William Combs is living very close to another of the author's paternal ancestors on the 1830 census for Jackson County, GA - George Merck.
At least two of William's sons served in the Confederate Army: Thomas Charles Combs (47th Alabama) and John Sterling Combs (Capt. Meador's Al. Volunteers). Another son, James Evans Combs likely served but the author found no record for him. - Sterling Thomas Combs, Jr. (1807-1860) - married Celestia Frances Mealer/Meales. Sterling was a businessman like his father. He was in business with Francis Thomas Pentecost the son of Sterling's sister Mary Polly Combs Pentecost (see below). This Pentecost family is known throughout Jackson County, GA.
Sterling Thomas Combs, Jr.
Sterling T. Combs
The Charleston Daily Courier, Oct. 1855
Sterling Thomas Combs and Francis Thomas Pentecost
Sterling Thomas Combs and Ferdinand Phinizy
(The Daily Constitutionalist, Sept. 1859)
Hughes Spalding, the son of the founder of the prestigious Atlanta law firm, King and Spalding, is said to have married a descendant of Ferdinand Phinizy. Their son, Jack J. Spalding, was the long time editor of the Atlanta Journal Newspaper.
- Sarah Garland Combs (1811-1876), married Dr. Joseph Adams Eve who was one of the early members of the Medical College of Georgia. Interestingly, Dr. Lewis DeSaussure Ford was also one of the early members of the college and his wife (Frances Emily Chiles) was a descendant of the author's maternal Mayson family.
- Mary Polly Combs - married John Wesley Pentecost. John was a War of 1812 veteran and later he was a Colonel in the 70th Regt. of the GA Militia in 1839 (Newnan area). He operated a mercantile store near Newnan, GA. John and Mary were the parents of Francis Thomas Pentecost who is noted to be in business with Mary's brother (Sterling Thomas Combs) in the newspaper article above.
The biography of their son John below provides a great deal of information about Mary and John:
John Samuel Pentecost
It has been stated by other researchers that seven of their sons served in the Confederate Army losing two of them during the conflict. The author found records for two of them: - Milford Eugene Pentecost served with at least 2 different Alabama units. In one case, he is shown to be "Quartermaster Sergeant". After the war he was a noted businessman in the Rome, GA area.
Milford E. Pentecost - Dr. Leonidas Melvin Pentecost achieved the rank of Captain in the Alabama 17 Infantry. He was an 1855 graduate of the Georgia Medical College (see the parallel above with his aunt's husband, Dr. Joseph Eve). He likely was a field surgeon/doctor for the 17th Alabama. Following the war, Leonidas moved to Greenville Alabama where he died only a couple of years later (1867).
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[1] Sterling and his wife are buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta, GA.
[2] Some researchers claims that he married a McKinney in 1792 in Wilkes County, GA but the author has found no proof of this marriage.
This page was created on 2/24/2025