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From: "Karen McKellar" <>
Subject: Re: Corbus/Holtsberry
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:54:51 -0500
References: <ba.6daa2c94.2f683872@aol.com>


I thought you might be interested in this little bit of Americana I found yesterday while searching for Corbus information. Joseph C. Corbus is the son of
Godfrey. Godfrey is the son who left Allegany County and went to Canada. I think perhaps resulting in the sale of his land to Elizabeth Pitzer as
mentioned in her will (it is uncertain whether she is speaking of Godfrey Sr. or Godfrey Jr.). Godfrey returned to the Detroit lands and settled there for a short while. He was dead by 1807 as his widow is mentioned in the confirmation of the land grants. The two Corbus sisters she refers to I believe were probably sisters as well as sister-in- laws. I found a Corbus marriage to a Cisnee in Muskingum County Ohio. The land confirmations contain a number of records by this name. Needs further work. Godfrey actually owned the land wherethe Ford Mansion in Dearborn sits today. However, he sold it and moved on down the road to Hillsdale and then Branch County. He has quite a few descendants in the area today. The Corbus list on GenForum has a number of queries from this family. She really packed quite a bit of information in this little paper. If you want to read the entire paper, it is on HQ.
Joseph Corbus and his family were already settled in Hillsdale County in March of 1831 when Samuel Craig and his family arrived from Detroit.

Samuel's daughter wrote a paper dated Aug 24, 1897 describing their arrival in Branch County and the early life there.

She woite, " Many a time I followed mother and Mrs. Corbus as they came to the mill with their grist. Even if the flour was not of the finest, it was eaten with a relish. I understand this mill is now cared for by the Hillsdale Pioneer Society." She goes on, "the First school taught here was by Mr. Richard Corbus a brother of Joseph C. Corbus. Cupid had made him the mark for one of his darts and he left his school in charge of his sister-in-law, Mrs. J. C. Corbus, while he went "to the Ohio" to claim his bride.

"At the expiration of eighteen months father left Allen's Praire for Girard, with J. C. Corbus and family accompanying him. We stayed the first night with John Corbus, a brother of Joseph. He was situated on Section 21. James another brother, lived a little south, while Joseph C. settled on the same section with John." Several paragraphs later she writes, "John Corbus was afflicted with a fever sore and, in riding to detroit, injured it on the saddle. It had to be amputated and he died soon after. Dr. Hayes of Marshall performed the operation. In one month his widow, Hannah Corbus, died giving birth to a young son. The babe was kindly cared for by its grandmother, Sarah M. Coombs, a woman widely known for her good qualities, but he soon followed his parents." " I said that the first night we were in Girard we stayed with John Corbus.

A few paragraphs later she writes, "We settlers were now destined to receive a severe shock. Black Hawk, the cruel and wily Chief, and his braves were in Chicago on their way to the Territory of Michigan to massacre the few inhabitants. Officer Warner, seated on a bay horse, rode from house to house, warning the men out to meet at a certain place west on the Chicago Road, to repel the warriors. When all the men had obeyed orders, only two were left in our town of Girard. My father was one and, as I recall a Mr. Cisney, father of the Corbus sisters, was the other. they were then too old to shoulder a musket, but were brave enough to face an enemy on any battlefield. To the joy of the settlers, General Jackson, possessed of a fearless spirit, promised to take care of the Indians and nobly did he do it.

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