The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-08-21


Samuel Lester Asbury wis born
November 8. 1898, in Benton county,
Mississippi He was son Of Viii
liam Morris Asbury. who was born in
North Carolina and cmigratcd to Mis-
sssippi early in the seventeenth cen
tury. The family came to America
about 1860 and settled in Tennessee,
where Rev. Daniel Asbury, n pioneer
Methodist minister and the grand
father of Samuel L., was born in
1862. Samuel l.. was also the great
grandson of Lester Morris, Rcvo-
lutionarv soldier. Lester Morris was
a nephew of Robert Morris of Nir-
ginin, who signed the Declaration Of
Independence Lester Morris was
also great uncle to Samuel L., as his
grandmother. was Lester Morris sis
ter. The family is the same branch
from which came Francis Ashury, who
was the first Methodist Bishop in
America. Bishop Asbury being half
brother Of Samuel LIS great grand
father. The family down to the
present generation has been promi-
ncnt in the Methodist Church, the
present being the first since the es-
tablishmcnt of the church that has
not included minister.
. Samuel [. Asbury's boyhood was
spent in Mississippi, in Benton ccun-
ty, wherein are Holly Springs, Salem,
Riplcy and other small cities. lie
was educated in the public schools
and at private schools, and some years
/ before the outbreak of the Civil War
/ took a civil Engineering degree at
| Dickson's Academy, and ut that time
one Of the foremost schools of the
/ South. When the war broke out
Samuel l.. Asbury's parents owned
one of the largest plantations in
Northern Mississippi, and owned
numerous slaves. The Benton coun-
ty Infirmary now occupies a portion
Of the plantation. When the war
was declared between the states
Capt. Samuel l.. Asbury enlisted in
Company f., Third Mississippi Bat,
alion, 45th Mississippi Infantry, com.
mandcd by Col. A. B. Hardcastle. OF
his company he was elected first lieu.
tenant at once. He enlisted October
u, 1861, at Granada, Miss, and was
mustered out of service June -, 1860
mt La Grange, Tenn. He was attach
ed to the army OF the Tennessee. ant
served under Generals Bragg, JOSEPH
f. Johnston and Hood. His regimen
was part of General NJ. p. Lowry
brigade. General Pat Clcburne's di
vision, and General Hardin's corps
At the battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Samuel /. was breveted captain fol
bravery and at the close of the wal
was Brevet Major by seniority. A
this same battle he was wounded il
the left ankle and carried the bulle
to the grave. He was also in tn,
battles of Shilo, Perryville. KY, Peacl
Tree Creek, Atlanta, and was will
Bragg on the march from Chattan
oga to Bardstown, Ky. He also par
, ticipated in some of the engagement
around Marietta, Ga, and Kennesay
Mountain, and at the main battle o
Atlanta was on General Cleburne'
: staff. After the battle Of Atlanta
owing to the wound received at Muir
freesboro, he was retired from fel
service and detailed on post duty a
! Pamela, Miss, and Pontatock, Miss
= From the latter part Of July, 1863, t
March, 1864, Captain Asbury was
| prisoner of war. confined in unio
= prison at Johnson's Island, in LAX
Erie.
6 In 1858 Captain Asbury was maj
ried to Miss Betty Gray, in Mississir