State

Governor Sa I I uel Ashe Л i.'imoiis fallior lia«l two ili.sliiij*iiisli<*«l sons. Оно of these was Samuel Aslie. for whom the county of Ashe anil the city of Asheville are named. THERE is no name in North Carolina more distinguished than that of Ashe, which was connected with the county of New Hanover from 1730 until after the Civil War: and which has produced so many distinguished men who have been so prominent in both the civil and military life of the State. Indeed the last survivor of those that bore that name, who were born in New Hanover, did not pass away until but recently, when Captain Samuel A. Ashe, dis¬ tinguished editor, author, historian and last surviving officer of the Confederacy died at an advanced age. A memorial to his memory has been erected upon Capitol Square at Raleigh. Founder of The Family John Baptista Ashe, founder of the family, emigrated from Eng¬ land in 1727. He was the friend and protege of Lord Craven, one of the original Lords Proprietors, and under the patronage of this powerful friend. Ashe sought to carve out his fortunes in the new Western World, and settled in the county of New Напоч'ег. As early as 1730 he was named as a mem¬ ber of the Council of Colonial Governor George Burrington. His wife was a near relative of Samuel Swann, the New Bern lawyer and printer, who published in 1752 the "Yellow Jacket." the first compila¬ tion of the laws ever published in this State. John Baptista Ashe had two sons, both of whom became eminent in the public life of our State. General John Ashe The eldest of these was General John Ashe who became dis¬ tinguished for his opposition to British rule a full decade before the Revolution, when, as Speaker of the Assembly he warned Gover¬ nor Tryon that the hated stamp act would be resisted with all the power which the people could com¬ mand. When the patriots of Cape Fear marched upon Brunswick to demand the resignation of William Houston, the stamp master, the force was headed by John Ashe, By R. C. LAWRENCE and they not only forced the resig¬ nation of the stamp master, but also made it so hot for the British vessels which were carrying the stamped paper, that they weighed anchor and sailed for England without attempting to land their cargoes. After this Ashe attacked Fort Johnston at the mouth of the Cape Fear; destroyed it. and forced the Royal Governor Josiah Martin to seek the protection of a British cruiser lying in the Cape Fear. In 1776. John Ashe was ap¬ pointed Brigadier General of Mili¬ tia for the Wilmington District; and he served with the Southern armies during the Revolution. He held an independent command at the battle of Briar Creek, where his troops were defeated by the British — an act which caused him to be so criticised that he asked for a court of inquiry. That court reported that the General had con¬ ducted himself with personal gal¬ lantry, but that he had committed a tactical error in posting his troops, which contributed to their defeat. Thereafter he returned to Wil¬ mington which was then in the possession of the British, who, as soon as they learned of his pres¬ ence, determined to effect his cap¬ ture. Leaving Wilmington. Gen¬ eral Ashe took refuge in the deep recesses of Burgaw Swamp, but his presence there was betrayed and a party of British dragoons were sent to capture him. In at¬ tempting to escape, General Ashe was badly wounded and was made a prisoner by the British. He was imprisoned for a considerable time, during which he contracted smallpox and underwent many hardships. When convalescent he was paroled and allowed to re¬ turn to his home, and he was on his way hither when he died sud¬ denly at the residence of his friend, Col. John Sampson. Governor Samuel Ashe, brother of the General, was born in 1725, received the best education which the time afforded and came to the Bar in his early manhood. Like his brother, he was an ardent champion of the cause of American freedom, and as early as 1774 we find him a member of the Wil¬ mington Committee of Public Safety. In August. 1775. he was elected as a member of the Con¬ vention which met at Hillsboro to adopt a provisional form of govern¬ ment for the Colony, as the Royal Governor had fled, and there was no settled legal authority. This Convention adopted a form of gov¬ ernment having three fundamental departments: a Committee of Pub¬ lic Safety for each county: a similar committee for the several districts into which the State had been divided; and at the top of this emergency structure was the Provincial Council, the President of which acted as Governor ex officio. Samuel Ashe was elected as a member of this Council, show¬ ing that even at this early day he was looked upon as one of the leading men of the State. Upon the election of oITicers by the Provincial Congress for the first troops which were authorized for the Continental service. Ashe was elected as paymaster for the first regiment. He does not seem to have seen any other military serv¬ ice during the Revolution, for he was a statesman rather than a soldier. Constitutional Committee In April 1776, the Provincial Congress then in session at Halifax, appointed a committee consisting of the ablest men in the Colony to prepare a Constitution for the newly established State. Samuel Ashe was appointed a member of this committee which, after much discussion, was unable to reach any agreement. Therefore, until some permanent form could be agreed upon, the Congress adopted the former system of government by Committees of Public Safety. Ashe continued his membership on ( Continued on page 18) THE STATE. June 22. IS46 1