John Baptist Ashe | |
|---|---|
 portrait byGilbert Stuart | |
| Governor-elect of North Carolina | |
| Died before assuming office | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Williams |
| Succeeded by | James Turner |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793 | |
| Preceded by | Timothy Bloodworth |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Winston |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's1st district | |
| In office March 24, 1790 – March 4, 1791 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | John Steele |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Baptista Ashe 1748 (1748) |
| Died | November 27, 1802(1802-11-27) (aged 53–54) Halifax, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Anti-Administration (before 1792) Democratic-Republican (1792–1802) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Montfort |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | John Ashe (brother) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | North Carolina militia |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | New Hanover County Militia Salisbury District Minuteman 6th North Carolina Regiment 1st North Carolina Regiment |
| Commands | Majors Company, 6th North Carolina Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War • Battle of Brandywine • Battle of Germantown • Battle of Monmouth |
John Baptist Ashe (1748 – November 27, 1802) was an American politician and military officer fromHalifax, North Carolina.[1]
He was born in theRocky Point District of theProvince of North Carolina in 1748. He was the son ofSamuel Ashe and Mary Porter Ashe (cousin to her husband and first wife). His father's residence was called the Neck and was on the northeast Cape Fear River. His father was to be governor of the state and also brother of North Carolina militiaGeneral John Ashe. He was originally named "John Baptista Ashe", in honor of his grandfather, but chose to drop the final "a" from his middle name.[2]
He owned at least 63 slaves as of the 1790 census.[3]
He served as a lieutenant in the Province of North Carolina New Hanover County militia during the time of the Regulator uprising in 1771. Later, during theAmerican Revolutionary War, he served as aminuteman in theSalisbury District, and the6th North Carolina Regiment of theNorth Carolina Line (Continental Army), leading the "Majors" company. He fought at theBattle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776, after which the minutemen battalions were disbanded in favor of local militia and the Continental Army. He joined the 6th North Carolina Regiment as a captain and later promoted to major and then lieutenant colonel. He was atValley Forge and fought at theBattle of Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania on September 11, 1777;Battle of Germantown in Pennsylvania on October 4, 1777; andBattle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778.[4][2]
He served in theProvince of North Carolina House of Burgesses in 1775. Ashe was elected to theNorth Carolina House of Commons (1784–1786) and served asSpeaker of that body in 1786. He was a delegate to theCongress of the Confederation in 1787. In 1789, Ashe was a delegate and Chairman of theCommittee of the whole of theFayetteville Convention that ratified theConstitution of the United States. That same year, he served in theNorth Carolina Senate.[2][5][6]
Ashe was elected to the1st United States Congress and the2nd United States Congress as an "Anti-Administration" (what becameAnti-Federalist orDemocratic-Republican) candidate, serving from 1790 to 1793.[2][5] He was a candidate in the1792 North Carolina gubernatorial election, finishing 3rd.[7] Prior to his successful election as governor in 1802, he was also a candidate for governor in 1800[8] and 1801.[9]
In 1802, theNorth Carolina General Assembly elected AsheGovernor, but he died before he could take office. He is buried inHalifax.[5][2]
On October 7, 1779, he married Elizabeth Montfort. They lived on the outskirts ofHalifax, North Carolina. They had one child, Samuel Porter Ashe, born on July 17, 1791.[2]
His namesake and nephew,John Baptista Ashe, served inCongress as a Representative fromTennessee.
"Ashe, John Baptiste".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 154.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's 1st congressional district 1790–1791 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNorth Carolina's 3rd congressional district 1791–1793 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor-elect of North Carolina 1802 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
