the town's occupation in 1781 by the army of General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis. Contracting smallpox while imprisoned, Ashe was paroled, but died in Sampson County on October 24 shortly after his release. Family He married Rebecca Moore, sister of Judge Maurice Moore and General James Moore. They had four sons: William, Samuel, John, and A'Court (none of whom left children) and three daughters: Harriet, Eliza (whose husband, William H. Hill, was U.S. district attorney), and Mary (who married an Alston and whose son, Joseph, was governor of South Carolina and husband of Theodosia, the daughter of Aaron Burr). One of his sons, John Ashe Jr., served as a captain in the 4th North Carolina Regiment. Governor Samuel Ashe, for whom Asheville, North Carolina was named, was his younger brother, and other descendants (not named Ashe since none of their male children had offspring) have continued to play a role in North Carolina politics, including Margaret Ashe Pruette, arrested as part of Moral Monday during the 2013 North Carolina legislative protests. References 1720 births 1781 deaths Harvard University alumni American Revolutionary War deaths Deaths from smallpox Ashe family North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Militia generals in the American Revolution State treasurers of North Carolina American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain Infectious disease deaths in North Carolina People from Brunswick County, North Carolina People of colonial North Carolina Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses