The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-06-15

lldG space II Is d ldCb HOtcHOit III.
that neither Ashby nor Jackson wer
ever furlOughed. They never asked TO
such rest. Up to the Tins of Ashby'
death tt e mighty battalions on both side
were so far as.eff1cient drill is concern
ed, largely in an inchoate state. 1t wa'
expressly along the border a partisan
strife Ashby's military life was spent
along the border, and he had but little
to do with heavy battalions, and thus
he was Eever tired as to his power in
combination over very large forces.
Therefore he cannot fairly be compared
to Stuart, Hampton or Forrest, who
had large commands and lived a longer
time to develope their powers. But
Stonevall Jackson in his official report
of Ashby's death, said: "The close re-
lation which Gen. Ashby bore to my
command for most of the previous win
ter months will justify me in saying
that, as a partisan officer, 1 never knew
his superior. His daring was proven
bial, his powers of endurance Almost
incredible, his tone of character heroic,
and his sagacity almost instructive in
divining the purposes of the enemy"
DEATH OF RICHARD AsHBY.
Soon after this line of service was
formed, even before the first battle of
Manassas; Capt. Ashby lost his life
while on a bold scouting expedition on
an island in the Potomac, near Cumb err
land, Md being suddenly attacked by
a superior force of Federal cavalry.
Capt. Ashby received thirteen wounds,
but his strong vital powers enabled him
to live for over a week thereafter,
though borne for more than ten miles
over the mountains on two timber
young hickories on the shoulders of two
of his men in blanket doucled and sus-
pended from these poles Col. Turner
Ashby was some distance off when his
brother was attacked, but hearing of
the disaster, rushed to the scene, res
cued his brother from his captors, and
punished them severely by performing
perhaps one of the most brilliant eX-
ploits of the war, killing several Of the
enemy in a hand-to hand conflict.
of Richard Ashby's death, in
a letter to his sister, Mrs. Moncure, G oil.
Ashby wrote "I had rather it had
been myself. He was younger aud had
one more tie to break than l." Neither
of the brothers were ever married, and
is here made to Richards en-
gagement to one of the most lovely of
Virginia's daughters. The chaplain of
the regiment took the engagement ring
off the finger of the dead AshbY, and
with a lock of his hair inclOsed it to
his widow-betrothed. The body of
Capt Ashby was buried in Indian
Mound Cemetery, Romney, Va, (now
West Virginia.)
BOLIVAR HEIGHTS AND THE
BATH CAMPAIGN.
While denied the privilege of mingl-
ing in the Ifray at the first battle of
Manassas, such excellent service did
Col. Ashby render in masking Gen =.
movements from Winchester
to reinforce Beauregard that the Fed
eral General Patterson was completely
hoodwinked After this battle Ashby
returned to his old work of guarding the
border, and with the continuous skir-
mishing up and down the river, with a
line of pickets some sixty miles in
length, was kept very busy. The bat
tie of Bolivar Heights, with the Fed
eral General Geary, in which the at
tempt of the latter to enter the valley by
the way of Harper's Ferry was frustrated
showed clearly that Ashby could handle
both infantry and cavalry. He COM
manded' the cavalry in the celebrat-
ed Bath campaign in January, 1862 when
Gen. Jackson made feint of crossing
into Maryland, his real object being to
gather the rich supplies in Hardy and
Hampshire counties. After this, while
Gen. Jackson, in February, was in
Winchester resting and recruiting, it
was Ashby who watched the camp-tires
of the Federals around Harper's Ferry,
and Frederick city and Cumberland as
well, keeping Jackson Informed of the
exact stage of preparation for the Fed
eral advance in March. On the retreat
from Winchester Ashby was the last
man to leave the old town, constituting
the rear guard of Jackson's little army.
When Gen Joe Johntson's orders called
back to KernstOwn to prevent
Banks from reinforcing Mcclellan, it
was Ashby who led the advance guard
IN person, and in the stubborn engage
ment of the esd of March, 1862, coop
Grated with Jackson in so crippling
Banks as to hold thousands of troops in
the Valley who would have gone across
the Blue Ridge to oppose Johnston.
After the battle of Kernstown Jackson
looked to Ashby to cover his retreat
This he did in the most mastery man
ner.
AsHBY's LAST NIGHT ON EARTH.
It was on the outskirts of Harrison
burg, in the center of the great valley
almost equidistant from tragic Harper's
Ferry, at its entrance and qniet Salem
at its close. The Federals were pressing
upon the rear of Jackson, and the next
day the storm of battle was to begin
which shook the mountains around Port
Republic and reverberated among the
hills of Gross Keys. Ashby was to
fall with his hand on the heart Of the
valley. His chaplain, who was with him
says 1T was little wonder he could not
sleeep that night, for never did officer
feel more keenly the delicacy and i'm.
portance of Jackson's trust" Early
Friday morning, June 6. 1862, just
ninot"en years ago, Ashby seemed all
energy and life. With his line of pro-
lection and observation thrown in cres-
cent form from the Shenandoah river
around 10 the mountains west Of Har-