The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-13

Az, OCTOBER 10. 1919.
the nrang line. he received q gunshot
wound In the left instep. This injury.
which came to the gallant young SOL
der ON July Is. 1851. At Biackburn's
Ford. In the battle of Bull Run. meant
years Of suffering and q long period
Of almost total disability. 1t Inca
paciated Mr.. Ashby from further &C.
tive service and brought about his dis
charge from the Confederate Army.
But IL neither abatsd his love Of the
,oat cause nor furnished him an sx-
cuse % cease his LAHORE in behalf OF
| the South. He returned to Richmond
! and while on crutcnes secured employ
ment in the arsenal on seventh street
! Tha wounded soldier for time "did
| bta part" by cleaning the guns sent
| In from the hastlsnelds. and few
| months Iatsr-on October 4. lSs3-he
souxht employment rs master paint
or In the Virginia Central Raufoeo
| compAny's shops. Here. too. he FOUND
an opportunity TO assist the Southern
cause
This road. which sftsrwssds became
/ the Chesapeake and Ohio waf con-
Quoted under the auspices OF tns Con
I; federate government. The EMPLOYS
1 In its shops were kept busy dispatchinS
, fro DDS to the battletisids and In bring
I, inr back the mutilated victims OF the
! enemy's nre. But their duties did not
.top there. They formed . battalion.
commanded by Major H. D. Whitooms
/ and CAPTAIN James Nsthe.land. ans
xealously guarded the ConfedsFaeys
rolling stock and stables. The eAftal-
ion was attached to Colonsl 1Asmas
Evans's regiment OF local eeeces'
/ known - the N1nstssnth Virginia Bat
TALON. Frequently the railroad EN-
! ployss were called upon to assist In
the brsastwoFks around Richmond ana
I, In defending the city against such Ssd-
srai raiders ~ Generals ShDridAn ana
6&onsman and Colonel DahUen. M.
Ashby. despite his injury. was . mem
Der Of his battalion. ana - gladly
performed the duties thak eams - him
/. tn this connection
This company kept the rolling stock
moving curing the day. built cots fpr
the many wounded soldiers brought IN
from the battiedelds around 1achneond.
and aid all they could for Ne OeaAAsd
| In the way Of nursing them fhay
spent many days and nights tn tbs
breastworks around Richmond In read
mess to repel invasion. when General
Ben Butltr's command Of negro troops
attacked Fort Gilmore and Fort Lee.
this company. under . forced march.
/! reached the works and assisted in de-
Tending them. Corporal Dick. the
negro leading the charge had his head
blown. on while climbing the workA
and the old dry well In front Of the
fort was flled with deaA negroes.
! Twelve white officers ana nifty negroes
were captured At this attack most Of
them wounded. They were cared for
,, at Belle Isle and Libby Prisons. When
General Mahone's Brigade left the
front Of Fort Harrison to attack IL in
the rear. this Virginia Central Railroad
Company Battalion was one Of those
marched In to guard the fort.
Ar. Ashby was . member OF the old
Virginia family Of that name whose
military achievements are too we'll
known to need mention here. His
father. James Ashby. and two brothsrs
served In the War Between the States.
He was . brother Of Colonel william
W. Ashby. who ssrvsd several appoint
ments ~ United States minister to
Colon. Panama, Central Amextca: to
Sergeant BENJAMIN Ashby, OF COMPANY
9. old First Virginia Regiment, ana .
cousin to General Turner Ashhy. Mr..
Ashby was . member Of the ola Fra
Virginia Regiment Association ana Of
General George Il. Pickett Camp. Con-
federate VeteranA
MI. Ashby's admirable stead1sstuesv
or purpose 10 demonstrated by the
fact that he remained with the Ches-
speake and Ohio Railroad Company rs
the clerk of its .psint store room m to
June I. 1912. and thought he had been
compelled to undergo the hmputa-
ton OF his left foot a. . result Of
the wound received At Bun Run, hts
usefulness was In no way impaired.
On October Of this year he would
have seen the dftieth anniversary Of
his service therein.
transformations though he was, he
Beautifully exemplided "ths dignity OF
service" and in every relation Of life
he realized. like his great military
chieftatn. that duty il the sublimest
word In the English language" He
was something more than . courage
Gus soldier-he WIS an upright. con-
scientious citizen. 4 true and faith
full husband. a devoted father, q
loyal and unselfsh friend, and. like
Goldsmith. generous to fault"
Life had no recognized handbags for
! him; for more than half q century
yes from the very day Of First Bun
Run-it was q struggle with q long
list of difficulties bravely overcome.
To the end he was COURAGEOUS. for he
w1s bulwarked By . conscience which
said. well done. good an faithful
servant Il 70 sweet to think that
when death sounded ''taps" ter HsnIv
Clay Ashhc there cAmo Win II the
- AnARDAIA