George Washington Ashburn | |
|---|---|
 Ashburn's assassination depicted in an 1868 illustration | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1814-04-13)13 April 1814 North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | 31 March 1868(1868-03-31) (aged 53) Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Occupation | Union army colonel,judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
George Washington Ashburn (April 13, 1814 – March 31, 1868) was aRadical Republican US Senate candidate and judge[failed verification] assassinated by theKu Klux Klan inColumbus, Georgia, for his pro-African-American actions. He was the first murder victim of the Klan in the state.[1]
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Ashburn was born inNorth Carolina on 13 April 1814. He moved toGeorgia around 1830. He married Georgia Ryley in 1843. They had one daughter.[citation needed]
He opposed theSecession ofGeorgia. During theAmerican Civil War, he was commissioned a Colonel in theUnion Army.[citation needed]
After PresidentAbraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, Ashburn wrote a letter toAndrew Johnson stating "the hand of God is in the assassination" on the grounds that Lincoln was not properly prepared to punish ex-Confederates for their deeds.[2]
At the end of the war, Ashburn returned toColumbus, Georgia, and was appointed a judge[failed verification] by the military Governor,George G. Meade. In this capacity he worked to remove the political disabilities of all disenfranchised Georgians.[3] Ashburn called to order theGeorgia Constitutional Convention of 1867–1868, held in Atlanta, which also aimed at removing the obstructions placed onAfrican Americans rights after the end of slavery.[4] Ashburn was the author of the provisions in the new Constitution that assured civil rights to blacks.[5] At the Convention, Ashburn suggested that the new Constitution should be implemented even if the people of Georgia did not concur.[6]
Considered ascalawag by his white Columbus neighbors, he worked with theFreedmens Bureau and alongside African American leaders such asHenry McNeal Turner. His actions quickly created several enemies across the South. Ashburn lived amongst the African American population and garnered attention from theKu Klux Klan, which established their Columbus chapter on March 21, 1868, after a visit fromNathan Bedford Forrest.[7]
"In 1868, Ashburn assembled an organization to support his election to the U.S. Senate after Georgia has been readmitted to the Union."[8] On the night of March 30, 1868, Ashburn participated at a huge gathering of blacks and Republicans at Temperance Hall inColumbus, Georgia. One of the featured speakers wasHenry McNeal Turner.[9] Just after midnight, Ashburn was murdered at a house on the corner of 13th Avenue and 2st Street by a group of five well-dressed men wearing masks.[10][11]
During the time of Ashburn's murder, Georgia was still under the military governorship of GeneralGeorge Meade (the victor of Gettysburg), of theThird Military District. As soon as he heard of the murder, Meade implementedmartial law in Columbus, removing the mayor from office, and ordering the immediate arrest of all suspects.[12] The trial, beginning on June 29, gained national attention as over twenty persons were arrested and held atFort McPherson. The prisoners consisted mostly of prominent white residents ofColumbus. GeneralHenry L. Benning and former Confederate Vice PresidentAlexander Stephens agreed to represent the accused.
The Federal government was pushing forGeorgia to ratify theFourteenth Amendment, while the Georgia legislature was resisting it.[13] The defenders of the Klan saw an opportunity for a bargain. On July 21, as the trial progressed, Georgia agreed to ratify the 14th Amendment in exchange for General Meade's termination of the prosecution of the murderers. All prisoners made bail and returned to Columbus. No one was ever prosecuted.[14]
Newspapers across the United States covered the assassination and subsequent trial. The pro-Klan forces in the South capitalized upon the events, publishing a full-length book on the trial titledRadical Rule: Military Outrage in Georgia.
Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Ashburn, George W.".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 153.