The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-04-08
Descendant OF Cow sl1e
Tells Civil War Stories
S. A. Ashe Thinks Confederate
War Was as Full of Horrors
as the World War
FOUGHT IN u. S. CIVIL WAR

Silver-thatched Samuel ACourt
Ashe, who rs years ago fought un-
der the Stars and Bars of the Con-
federacy, isn't so sure that modern
warfare, as demonstrated by the
present civil strife in Spain, causes
more suffering than the type en-
ployed in this country's civil war.
Death is quicker today" the &C.
year-old captain who is clerk of the
Federal district court here said in an
interview. During our war, I saw
mems legs amputated without
anaesthetic I saw men die from
sheer pain in improvised hospitals
Possibly the development of modern
surgery almost counteracts the new
horrors of air raids and machine
gun fire"
Captain Ashe, North Carolina his
torian and former newspaper pub
Usher and lawyer, was sitting by an
open fireplace at his home in Ra-
leigh. He is a grandson of Governor
Samuel Ashe for whom Ashe county
is named.
Captain Ashe says he is mot as
young as I was once" but the fine
aqUiIine profile is still there. His
eyes are sunl1en deep behind shay
gy, expressive eyebrows and his
skin gcow5 close to the pockets of
his skull.
Nevertheless, the veteran regular
ly goes about his duties as clerk, a
position he has held the last 20
years. And although he fell and
fractured his hip last December, the
member mended perfectly and he
says he is feeling hardy and fit
again.
Captain Ashe has no recipe for
those who would live century.
Living got to be habit with me, !"
he chuckled. Always temperate, he
stopped smoking when he was a
mere STRIPPING of SIS and swore off
chewing seven years ago.
Born at Wrightsville sound, near
Wilmington, he entered the United
States Naval academy in 1855 and
although he stood second in his
class, resigned three years later be-
cause Try what I might, every time
I put one foot on a boat I became
seasick"
Returning home, he studied law
two years and joined the North Car
DINA forces after Fort Sumter, at
Charleston, S. c., was attacked. He
served at Fort Caswel and at
Charleston, being appointed lieu
tenant by President Jefferson Davis
and finally being elevated to the
rank Of captain and adjutant gener-
al on the staff OF General Fender.
Even now, when Captain Ashe
says Yankee" his brow contracts
the least bit into frown.
But 1 don't believe they ever
treated a prisoner any better than
they treated me-" he said.
The veteran described the fight at
Cedar Run and told how 1--WE whip
ped the Yankees for three days, by
hockus," at second Manassas.
1t was Immediately following the
second affray that, while taking a
dispatch to headquarters, he rode
into a camp full of Yankees" was
captured without shot being fired
and sent to Washington, where he
was released after being held pris-
Oner month.
After the war, Captain Ashe serv-
ed nearly year on the Wilmington
and Weldon railroad and, as conduc-
tor, rode with the first sleeping cars
from Wilmington to West Point, Ga.
It took two days and a night to
make the trip, each way.
He obtained his license to practice
law in January, 1867, and was
elected to the State House of Repre-
sentatives in 1870. In 1879, he
bought The Raleigh Observer and
two years later consolidated it with
The Daily News. Subsequently, he
merged The Chronicle with The
News and Observer, but later sold
the newspapers.
He served for a time as postmas-
ter in Raleigh and in 1909 was ap-
pointed an expert for finance COM
mittee of Congress. He has written
two histories of North Carolina and
numerous historical sketches.