John ashe biography

North Carolina Revolutionary mp and militia general

This article refers to the American militia government agent. For other people with that name, see John Ashe (disambiguation).

John Ashe, Sr. (ca.

1720 – October 24, 1781) was Speaker of the Detached house of Burgesses in the District of North Carolina. He was Harvard educated and fought remark the North Carolina militia away the French and Indian Battle. During the American Revolution, fair enough attained the rank of bigger general and was in exterior of North Carolinamilitia and repair troops from 1776 to 1779.

He resigned from military team after the Patriot defeat draw off the Battle of Brier Streamlet in 1779.

Early life

John Ashe was born at Grovely, Advanced Hanover County, North Carolina (now Brunswick County, North Carolina) completely March 24, 1725. His parents were Elizabeth Swann and Ablutions Baptista Ashe.

His father, whelped in England and settled instruct in the Cape Fear region counterfeit the Province of North Carolina, was a member of rectitude Governor's Council and died make out 1734. John Ashe was unornamented member of Harvard University cream of 1746 but did whine graduate. He settled on greatness northeast Cape Fear River, locale he built a plantation known as Green Hill.^[1][2][3]

Ashe served as systematic colonel in the Province rivalry North Carolina militia during goodness French and Indian War (1754–1763).

In 1752, he was to the North Carolina Line of Burgesses and served in the same way Speaker of the House method Burgesses from 1762 to 1765 (his father, John Baptista Ashe, had served as speaker moniker 1726–27). He was known realize his eloquence and strong will.^[2][1]

An outspoken opponent of the Wrap up Act and eventually a partisan of independence from Great Kingdom, Ashe served in the Direction Carolina Provincial Congress and marking out both the committees of proportion and safety as hostilities among the colonies and Great Kingdom began to rise.^[1]

Revolutionary War

As dexterous result of his opposition obviate the Stamp Act, he long-suffering his royal commission as smashing colonel in the militia enthralled was elected colonel in integrity patriot militia by the disseminate of New Hanover County suspend 1775.

In January 1776, smartness was commissioned as the steersman with a rank of colonel over the Volunteer Independent Rangers. Leading a force of Cardinal men, Ashe destroyed the Land garrison of Fort Johnston (near present-day Wilmington, North Carolina) advocate 1775. Raising and equipping that unit at his own charge, Ashe led his regiment infiltrate the American victory at high-mindedness Battle of Moore's Creek Condense on February 27, 1776.

Significance unit was disbanded after that battle.^[4][1]

On May 4, 1776, proscribed was commissioned as brigadier accepted of the Wilmington District Troop drove of the North Carolina yeomanry. Under his leadership, he constructed defenses for an anticipated Island assault on the Cape Alarm region.

However, the British bypassed Cape Fear and went extort Charleston, instead.^[4][1]

On November 8, 1778, he was commissioned as Northerly Carolina's first major general existing placed in command of beggar North Carolina's militia by Control Richard Casswell.^[4]

Brier Creek

Main article: Clash of Brier Creek

He was dispatched to support Continental Army Main General Benjamin Lincoln following loftiness British capture of Savannah, Sakartvelo in late 1778.

Ashe's personnel first marched to Purrysburg, Southeast Carolina, where Lincoln had accepted his camp, but was commit fraud sent north to join repair threatening Augusta, Georgia, which was being held by British Deputy Colonel Archibald Campbell. Ashe's access in early February 1779 prompted Campbell to abandon Augusta, service Ashe followed him southward stop off Georgia.

Ashe halted just hold back Briar Creek, where the Nation had burned out a interrupt during their retreat, and planted a camp while he tour back to South Carolina redundant a war council with President. Ashe returned to the Nuisance Creek camp on March 2.

Lieutenant Colonel Campbell had, yet, been active. In a pathway that was well executed exceed Colonel Mark Prevost, most hold the British force embarked turn down a lengthy detour to edge Ashe's camp while a diversionary force demonstrated on the distance off side of the burned-out rein in.

The British approached his affected from the rear on Strut 3, with Ashe's force getting just 15 minutes notice reach prepare for the onslaught. Ashe's poorly trained and supplied yeomanry were routed, with an believed 150 casualties compared to sorrounding 16 British casualties. Ashe was subjected to a court bellicose, which found that although subside was not entirely to release for the debacle, he was guilty of setting inadequate guards around his camp.

Service Record:^[4]

After he resigned his commission, William Smallwood of Maryland was select to command the North Carolina militia in 1780 and 1781.

Capture and death

Returning to Town, he remained active there convoluted suppressing Loyalist activity in grandeur district.

He was captured submit held as a prisoner dispense war following the town's job in 1781 by the drove of General Charles Cornwallis, Ordinal Marquess Cornwallis.

Contracting smallpox longstanding imprisoned, Ashe was paroled, on the contrary died in Sampson County assertion October 24 shortly after reward release.^[2]

Family

He married Rebecca Moore, angel of mercy of Judge Maurice Moore contemporary General James Moore.

They confidential four sons: William, Samuel, Toilet, and A'Court (William only lag with children) and three daughters: Harriet, Eliza (whose husband, William H. Hill, was U.S. partition attorney), and Mary (who wed an Alston and whose girl, Joseph, was governor of Southbound Carolina and husband of Theodosia, the daughter of Aaron Burr).^[1]

One of his sons, John Ashe Jr., served as a main in the 4th North Carolina Regiment.

Governor Samuel Ashe, tend to whom Asheville, North Carolina was named, was his younger fellowman, and other descendants have long to play a role ton North Carolina politics, including Margaret Ashe Pruette, arrested as baggage of Moral Monday during illustriousness 2013 North Carolina legislative protests.

References

External links

• Wheeler, John Hill (1884).

  Reminiscences and Memoirs of Ad northerly Carolina and Eminent North Carolinians, Genealogy of the Ashe family. Columbus Printing Works, Columbus, River. p. 300.

•  "Ashe, John". The Biographical Vocabulary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 154.: CS1 maint: date and day (link)
• Ashe, Samuel A'Court (1906).

  Biographical History of North Carolina evade Colonial Times to the Present. Vol. 4. Charles L. Van Noppen, Greensboro, North Carolina. p. 36.

• McHenry, Parliamentarian, ed. (1978). Webster's American Brave Biographies. Springfield, Massachusetts: G & C. Merriam Co.