The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-06

pert, LOrO OIL IAd6idAo,
Cover. Baron Beaufort OF Caldecot
Castle, Grand Master Of the Most An
cient and HONORABLE Society or Free
and Accepted Masons.'
The earliest known written refer
ence to Elizabeth Montfort and her
sister Mary (who afterwards married
the Revolutionary statesman Wine
Jonesl is in the last will and tesla
ment of James Miner, an eminent
lawyer at Halifax who was Deputy
Provincial Grand Master Of Masons ID
America under Provincial Grand Mas
ter Montfort. Mr.. Miner died On the
9th Of December. 1872, and beQueath-
ed to Mary and Elizabeth Montfort
one hundred pounds sterling eacn'
also leaving Colonel MontfOrt tour
guineas with which to buy a
ing ring"
It is needless to say that Young
aides possessing such personal at
fractions and social advantages as
the Misses Montfort were much
sought in MARRIAGE. h successful
sutton for the hand Of Elizabeth Mont
fort was Lieutenant-Colonel John
Baptista AShe, at that time an officer
in the First North Carolina Continen-
tai Regiment. The marriage took
place on the 18th of October, 1873,
when the bride was in the eighteenth
year Of her age. the being
performed by the Reverend Thomas
Burgess. a priest Of the Church OF
England. who had made his home in
North Carolina before the Revolution.
Colonel Ashe was a member Of an
old and highly hOnored family from
the vicinity of Wilmington. In the
War for Independence (Which was in
progress at the time of his maTriage)
he had entered the service as captain
i'll the First Continental Regiment Of
| ~ ~-@l l. " H. 49, cat - ~rt1
1776. On January 20, 1777, he was
promoted to the rank of Major in the
Sixth Continental Regiment. He was
commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel on
November 2. ITS. He was in Wash
ing's army under Col. Thomas Clark.
1777-1778. On July IA, 1891, Briga-
dier-General Jethro Sumner ordered
him to proceed with such forces as
he could collect, to South Carolina,
and take command of all North
Carolina Continental troops in that
State. While in this campaign he
was present at the battle Of Eutaw
Springs, on September 8th, and also
fought in other actions. He remained
in the service till towards the close Of
the war, when hostilities had about
ceased in the neighborhood of North
Carolina.
The home of Colonel and Mrs. Ashe
'NS NAS 49, ~ A1 ~ WI VI
Halifax. in a southern direction.
Their dwelling, like much of the
architecture of that day, was a story
and a half in height. with dormer
windows. In front If it was a beau
tifu1 grove Of oak and elm trees. In
this home they spent the remainder of
their lives. Their only child was a
son. Samuel Porter Ashe. BORN July
II. 1871, who removed to Tennessee,
where most OF his descendants now
reside. He was married three times.
On several occasions during the
Revolution the town Of Halifax and
its vicinity was invested by the Brit
ish. and it must be said to their
credit that the officers stationed
there usually conducted themselves in
a way which reflected no discredit
pon the land of their birth, but
there were some unpleasant incidents;
and, where these incidents concerned
Mrs. Ashe, that lady fully measured
up to the requirements of the occas-
, ion. Several Of these officers. who
were already somewhat the worse fol
strong drink. once called at her house
and asked for a bowl of punch. Fear
: ing to anger them. in their ~intoxicateG
state. by open refusal. Mrs. Ashe haC
e the punch made, using therein all the
: spirituous liquors in the house. Their
entering the dining-room, she pur
poSCiJ l1ppcu O1 q rug, anu len II
i the floor. thereby splitting the punch
e by breaking her beautiful bowl into
many fragments, after which sh,
t sweetly apologized to her self-invite.
guests for the unfortunate accident
In her interesting work entitled
" Women of the American Revolution
Mrs. Elizabeth r. E1let gives the fol
lowing account of d famous tilt o
words etwee Mrs. Ashe and Colone
!, Tarieton, while the latter was sta
It toned at Halifax: The celebrate
# Tetort to Tarleton's sneering remarl
IS concerning Colonel William Washing
IS ton. g witticism variOusly repeated
FL has been generally attributed to Mr.
Jones; but I have been assured b
n her daughter that it was incorrect
is ascribed to her. Mrs. Jones often re
ar lated the occurrence to this lady, an
d disclaimed the merit Of the rotor
If which belonged to her sister, Mr.
v ASha. The circumstances were .