Holcomb Family Photographs

Freeborn Page Holcomb was a career military officer with the United States Army whose service included six years as a captain in the 10th U. S. Cavalry, a segregated unit of African American soldiers. He was born in Plattsburgh, New York, and he and his parents, Daniel Cole Holcomb (1850-1919) and Evelyn Page Holcomb (1850-approximately 1913), lived at Bay City, Michigan.

In 1895, Holcomb graduated from the Michigan Military Academy, a college-preparatory school at Orchard Lake Village, Michigan, and enlisted in the United States Army. He rose through the ranks during his military career from private to colonel chiefly in cavalry regiments. His service included an assignment with the 14th Cavalry Regiment in 1906 before serving as an instructor of military science and tactics as well as commandant of the military department at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio, from 1907 to 1909. By 1910, his promotion to captain included a troop command with the 10th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, until 1913, and then in Arizona on the international border with Mexico during the Mexican Revolution until 1916. From 1916, until his death, Holcomb served as a finance officer with the Quartermaster Corps at the Philippines, as well as at Omaha, Nebraska, and Camp Lewis, Washington.

In January 1901, Holcomb married Cliffe Vanlue Mumma (1880-1964) at Matanzas, Cuba. She was a daughter of United States Army officer Eber Leslie Edward Mumma (1854-1925) and Sarah Amanda Waltz Mumma (1859-1919). Her brothers also served in branches of the United States military and include Morton Claire Mumma (1878-1945), Hiram Paul Mumma (1882-1964), Donald D. Mumma (1886-1888), Harlan Leslie Mumma (1894-1972). The Holcombs had four sons that also had careers in the United States military including Leslie Page Holcomb (1901-1965), Freeborn Page Holcomb (1904-1983), Cornelius Cole Holcomb (1906-1988), and Jack Cliffe Holcomb (1908-1987).