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

room; and, observing that Mrs. Ashe
was much ~agitated, inquired the
cause Of her emotion. h explained
what had passed. to which General
Leslie answered with a smile: say
what you please. Mrs. Ashe; Colonel
Tarleton knows better than to Insult
a lady in my presence.
Though often absent on distant
campaigns during the Revolution,
Colonel Ashe occasionally had an op-
portunitY Of spending part or his time
with his family at Halifax, though
even while at home on these visits he
labored actively for the American
cause. Writing from that town to
General Sumner. in a letter dated
June !, 1881, he tells some OF ms
troubles. both military and personal.
OF his efforts to raise troops by draft
he says: Il have collected eight or
ten. among them three VlIlalnous de-
| serters. Two Of them Major Hogg.
Captain Chapman and myself thought
proper to chaStiSe Yesterday morning.
fo:giving the third. They have all
since deserted. An example Of death
must be made. General. and that
shortly. Of such offenders" Then,
turning to family affairs, the writer
tells how Mrs. AShe and his slaves
were recovering from sickness caused
by incubation against smallpox, and
Hospitality adds: Won't Mrs. Sum
ner come own and be i~nOculated?
Our house is at her service, II we
shall be happy to render her any
other. Mrs. Ashe Joins me in best re-
sDects." incubation, it Will be re-
nlembered, was d process tbefore vac
cinatiOn was diScOVered) whereby a
person was made mmune by being
given something like a mild case OF
smallpox as a preventive against the
more malignant forms of that dis
ease. SO prevalent was this treat
ment by the Surgeons of Revolution
airy times that when the North Caro-
lima Continentals, under Gen. Francis
Nash. marched northWard to join the
main army commanded by Washing
ton. the whole brigade was halted at
Alexandria. Virginia. in May, 1777,
until the soldiers of that command
could thus be made immunes against
smallpox.
After the close Of the War for In
dependence. in which Colonel Ashe
had borne 50 creditab BILE a part and
had ever been encouraged in his
course by the patriotism Of Mrs. Ashe,
he and his wife remained at their
home near Halifax. When the first Of
fetal ensus Of the United States was
taken in 1890. he was the owner of
sixty-three slaves. Political honors
i stint NI1e Po1 VI HIS
last years. For several terms he
was elected speaker Of the North
Carolina, House of Commons. In 1857
he was elected a member Of the old
Congress and served two years. He
was also a Congressman under the
newly adopted Constitution from
1880 till 1898. In 1902 he was elect
ed Governor of North Carolina, but
died on November 9th in that year
before he was inaugurated. Had he
lived long enough to be indicted into
office he would have missed being the
successor of his W brother by only
four years., as Governor Samuel Ashe
(another veteran officer Of the Revo-
lution) had filled the executive chat,
from November 10, 1895 to December
Z. 1898.
The subject Of this sketch, Mrs
Elizabeth Montfort Ashe, survived
her husband nearly ten years
In 1912, while being driven il
a gig her horse became unman
ageable and she was thrown
under the wheels of the vehicle, SUI.
fering injuries therefrom which re.
suited in her death almost instantly
In the Usual brief style Of recording
l a death in that day The Star. a Raj
: eieh newspaper Of September Is
! 1872. contained this notice.:
DIED: In Halifax county a
few weeks go, Mrs. Elizabeth
: Ashe. relict Of the late Governour
, Ashe."
: IN another paper. The Raleigh Reg
lister. OF the same date, there is al
!, equally brief notice as follows:
! DIED: In Halifax lately, Mrs.
Ashe. relict Of the late John Bap-
tiste Ashe."
!, So passed from earth EIizabetl
Aont1ort Ashe. whose beauty and wi
= charmed the circles in which sh
moved. and whose memoir still pleas
= antly fingers in the traditions Of oil,
Halifax. Yet little save that mem
:. DRY remains; for, when her only SO,
y went to seek his fortune in anothe
= state, the old home with it's adjacen
; lands passed into the possession O
others. the house being demolished
: and her mortal remains now rest i
a grave unmarked and unknown
somewhere within or near the con