William Shepperd Ashe

William Shepperd Ashe
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 7th district
In office
1849–1853
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 3rd district
In office
1853–1855
Personal details
Born (1814-09-14)September 14, 1814
Rocky Point, North Carolina
Died September 14, 1862(1862-09-14) (aged 48)
Wilmington, North Carolina
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Sarah Ann Green
Alma mater Trinity College
Occupation Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance  Confederate States
Years of service 1861-1862
Rank Colonel[1]
Battles/wars American Civil War

William Shepperd Ashe (September 14, 1814 – September 14, 1862) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from North Carolina between 1849 and 1855.[1]

Biography

Born in Rocky Point, North Carolina, Ashe attended school in Fayetteville and pursued classical studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Ashe engaged in rice cultivation and studied law; he was admitted to the state bar in 1836 and practiced in New Hanover County.

Active in the Democratic Party, Ashe was a presidential elector in 1844 and was elected to the North Carolina Senate for a term of two years (1846–1848). In 1848, he was sent to the U.S. House, serving in the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Congresses (March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855). During the 32nd Congress, Ashe chaired the Committee on Elections. He did not run again in 1854, but served as the president of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad Company from 1854 until his death.

He was elected to one further term in the North Carolina Senate between 1859 and 1861. He was a delegate to the Charleston Democratic National Convention in 1860 and the North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1861.

During the American Civil War, Ashe was a major in the Confederate Army, in charge of all transportation between Virginia and the rest of the South. Ashe was killed in a railroad accident near Wilmington, North Carolina on September 14, 1862. He is buried in a family cemetery in Pender County, North Carolina.

  • "William Shepperd Ashe". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-05-11.

References

  1. 1 2 Clifton, James. "Ashe, William Shepperd". State Library of North Carolina. Retrieved 13 September 2018.

Sources

  • United States Congress. "William Shepperd Ashe (id: A000310)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
James I. McKay		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 7th congressional district
1849–1853		 Succeeded by
Francis Burton Craige
Preceded by
Alfred Dockery		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 3rd congressional district
1853–1855		 Succeeded by
Warren Winslow
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