The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-14
CAPT; JACK ASiBY;
JOY TO HIS MEMORY.
A Famous Mountain Pass Bears
His Name.
STUFF THAT MADE AMERICA
An Indian Fighter, an Intrepid Scout
and All Around Brave Mar.-H's
Hair Breadth Escapes Treas
ured History in the Valley
STUFF THAT MADE AMERICA
D;snatc,, to The Times.)

BDRRYVILLE, VA. Dec 13.-There IS
perhaps no point in that secloi Oh me
B,uo Ridge Mountains in tho Valley OF
y;aa;n;, @, well known as Ashbys Gap
IN the COURSE of a year, thous1iios u
reon,a ascend and descend the noun
r.in at this particular point, yet the1e
arc very few who know now IL got 1tS
ra,ne. It is the common belief that IL
r.s associated with some of the daring
deeds Of that knightly soldier. Gen. Tur-
uer Ashby, but such is not the case.
Here is the story, with few incidents, OF
how it came about:
lack Ashby, who was raised IN otii-
ford. or that part Of Prince NA!laM
now known as Fauquier county, drove
:, team of horses engaged in haul
,roduce from the Valley many years
ago.
The bent Of the Blue Ridge at Paf.s
was very precipitous, and wagons cou.u
NOT descend safely without being lock
cd, and then logged by attaching a
tree to the hind part of the venice;
ashbv. Young and ardent, would staho
no such logging and delay. When lie
,ot ~ the top of the Ridge. he-sald that
sit was sorry team that couldn out
run the wagon" and dashed down the
gorge with two huge nogsheaos oI W
baCcO. , -.
The wagon was propelled with sucn
eorce that the tobacco burst throGGh the
front gate. killed one or two horses. ana
wrecked the entire outfit AshDE- BRUISED
and battered. after while emerged OH
,h,, wreck, looking as if nc had mad an
encounter with a Shawnee indian. IN
feat distinguished him. and gave a na!'le
to The bent by which it is known TO-
a.v on ali the maps OF Virginia as
Ashhy's Gap.
INDIAN TROUBLES.
After the Gap was named. the Indians
, 1,aea,- II, give trouble to the whites about
| he shawnee Springs and Fort Loudouh,
! az Winchester Ashby then became
| anger His business was to curp the
| Ind ans. and he was personally knonn
| 70 many Of them. After host'hues began
| he vas sa,otering around the fort, ana a
| mali marty OF redskins came upon his
! trial, and were very near killing or cap.
t,,rfrr him. He retreated with great
need; and they followed throwing mis-
f.ies and firing at him. he outT IN ~
| axcept one TIE other Indians nIlt we
/ -ellase and -e=cla inea kan As''HE: N ,
AslDge!" They wanted nm ~ ef 49, The
cause they had failed to get MN. ne
~ear, Indian threw his ton1ahawk at ASH
Nv il;st as he mounted the stockade at
| 40 fort. and the weapon struck hS '"e
| Idle Of Aehby without doing nm naIhi'
! >srfv-safe. self-possessed, ana Wiz.
'oaroed lack to the savage: -, 0a +h;,;,S
| yes. at such a time do you thlhh |
! ia y,,n booty?" After that ne Walk
| "a into the fort in triumph
General Braidocl, in ITO, was oele at
| "a h., the Indians and French. II cega.-
cd CONSERVATION and alarfz IL. ''1e ondnun
| 1cr
..,u .,t afsnatch TO Givernor Dinwiod!e'
nfcrrning him OF the disaster. Asns ;
| vas m. courier ard he mace 'hS ttlp
| "a Wirlia rnsburs ard back TO Nncntstsi
=, Ice Than three DAYS. The command
- mon seeing Ashbv at the fort after
! ,,a had given him the d'snatcn. aT y3,.'
! i,,, why he had rot started lot WI,
| ,i,7osh,;re, He answered that ne nad
,,e,n there ard to prove it presented the
-,o,-crro~'s reply. The distance Travelled
vas about four hundred miles.
A CENTAUR.
7,,,is centa1r messenger demanded sus-
| +cnance aud fresh horses on his route m
| NO name of George H. and arrived at the
| r,ovarnor's mansion shortly before the
lawn OF f3av He was found seated on
| The sill and holding when mouse ser
: vant opered the door IN the r7orn.l's'
| ua was too consGerate to disturb Gov
error DinwidGie's sweet slumber ana
| -arhaDs felt the necessity of little re-
/ tceehing sleep himself.
At the close of the war JACK hSnbS ndu
hecon7a CaDtain John Ashby and the pos
| SCISSOR of land and slaves and was 70
'>acco planter near the far-famed Elk
! Run
| re sent a hogshead Of tobacco by
! trusted slave to DunfIies for sale. The
| ;,ts0ector reduced the grade of the ar
| Ecle below what the slave believed to be
light and to keen it out Of the hands Of
| ,''ca-s and sharks Astounding there in
| nrr,,fries he rolled 1t into 0uantico
| Crock thee to rot and returned home.
| "antain John asked him how he got
| through with the tobacco. The NEGRO
nd Poorly" What cid yon do with
49, continued the Cantan. The renlv
us Dem rnscas in Dumfries wanted
! O reduce your tobacco 70 n"thin a"d
| conor an let you he cheated. I jes'
| o'1e1 II into de creek -
Tho urcon,rrc-1isir- old ranger snrang
! % his feet. and instead of a -renrinand,
| aid: You did -i-ht. sir. You ed as YOUR
! --aeter would have fore had ne been
| here The darls"v's eyes lit up with
| 'o,-. lie was g7atitied ard his r'""+nr Is
raid to have given him a big drink of
| -nraet wh's,-ev.
! CAPTAIN Jo'2n Ashhv died about 1902 and
/ eft a reru.ation 'on- treasured in this
| country. General Turner Ashby. the va
/ 'i~rt COn+riIrrn-e Cnva'rv l"af7nr was q
relative OF ibis strenuous man.