The Portland daily press., 1892-01-18

part in that tragic preliminary of the con-
flict, the Harper's Ferry episode of 1859
Stuart as an officer of the United States
army and Ashby as captain Of company
| of volunteer cavalry.
| At that time subsequent events in the
lives of each were nodded. Another vol
unteer commander of Virginia vigilantes
at Harper's Ferry was Maj. Thomas N.
jackson (StonewalD, leading a corps of
cadets from the military institute at Lex
ington. During a campaign of several
weeks, guarding the Eztomac river against
further abolition raids, jackson and Ashby
became warm friends. jackson, as a
trained military man, saw in Ashby, the
saddle sportsman of the Blue Ridge hills,
| a born soldier with hero blood in his veins.
| Gen. Ashbys grandfather, Capt. Jack
Ashby was Washington's lightning mes
senger to announce Braddock's defeat to
the government at Williamsburg, and
Capt Jack son, Col. Turner Ashby, father
of the general, was soldier of the war of
| 1872
Young Turner Ashby won local fame in
| the sports and pastimes of his day. He
was a crack hunter, social hero, and one
of the most graceful and daring riders in
| the tournament which during his young
manhood fourished on Virginian soil. In
| the jousts be personated the knight of
Hiawatha,' 2 and in Indian paint, feathers,
beads and buckskin, suddenly swooped
down the track on fiery black stallion,
bareback and without bride or rein-a
startling, wild and picturesque figure,
bringing wildly to the doors Of the peace
full planters of Virginia the scenes of the
wild west.
| Il lTzl..u ~ e
Askby kept up his company of volunteer
cavalry, and as soon as Virginia sounded
the secession note in 1851 took to the saddle
and marched on Harper's Ferry to seize
| the government arsenal. jackson also
hurried to the spot with q body of state
| troops and exercised command.
Such is the lay of the land at Harper's
Ferry that the post can only be defended
on the Maryland side by force on Mary
land Heights, and jackson sent Ashby
While on this duty Ashby had chance to
serve his cause a turn that an army could
| not have excelIed During the first Bull
Run campaign, while the Union army was
marching from Washington on Manassas,
another Union army under Gen. Patterson
moved down Cumberland valley to the
upper Potomac to threaten the Shenan-
doah.
| While Jackson and Asbbv were at Har-
per's Ferry. as above stated. Patterson was
Gathering his arrnv around Johannesburg
Pa Tn order ia learn Patterson,s strength
and plans Ashby made a spy trip to his
camp. Dispuieed as an humble countrv-
man he passed himself off as horse doctor
and completely deceived the Union pickets
and scouts along the route. His inforrna-
| tion n11t the sor1therners on their ouard in
the Shenandoah and Patterson,s army was
cbeckmated at every stem a fact that con-
tributed to the Ruli RIM disaster
Meanwbi1af .I.cl,son WAC sunarseded for
a. time by Cen. Joe Johnston as Confed-
crate leader in the valley and Johnston
called Col "Jeh,, Stuart 70 the front az
chief of cavalry in that section Smart
was vounoer than Ashbv but he had been
in the old army with Toe Johnston and
Robert r. Lee. and eniovod their favor
Ashhy was on tbe noint of QUITTING the
service when Jackson interfered and GOT
him detached to another field bevond
Stuart,s bailiwick. When Johnston made
his celebrated march to RuIl Run field
Stuart followed him and Ashhv,s star
arose again RuIl RIM made jackson
lannon's 20 ssStone1valI ), and With a oaior
oonar.l,s cor,n,;es;on ba ra+,,rnod ~ tba
Shenandoah IN command OF the DISTRICT,
and Ashhy resumed his old place as chief
OF cavalry. Ashby had not been Idle IN the
interim, but as lieutenant colonel OF the
Seventh Virginia cavalry had thrilled the
hearts OF his neighbors with numerous ex-
ploits. The young men of the region pro-
claimed him as the leader OF their choice
by Hooking to his standard
jackson began sharp campaign IN the
extreme wlnfer weather OF december ana
January Asnby,s cavalry bearing the
brunt, making Iorcca marches IN snow SO
deep that the horses mad TO De led' and
strlklng rlghs ana lett until Their enemy
was driven across 70 Maryland the railway
ana canal west OF Hancock' Nd peing cu'
'li IN, oloseu ''saiiis' Union 'ralno.