pioneers, and he himself, frequently under escort of a score or two of frontiersmen to guard against Indians, rode to and fro, often in the advance and always near enough to see what was going on. The first ordination in the Mississippi valley was performed by him. Rude, unlettered men most of these itinerants were, and the bishop himself had but a slender equipment of scholastic knowledge. Nevertheless, they largely shaped the destiny of the west. There is nothing authentic in frontier literature more romantic than “Asbury's Journals” (3 vols., New York, 1852), with their unconscious record of a zeal and self-sacrifice that rivals anything in history. In spite of his defective early education, he managed to acquire a knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, and, contrary to the usual impression, laid during the first year of his episcopate the foundation of the first Methodist college, that at Abingdon, Md. Annually he rode on horseback or by primitive conveyances about 6,000 miles, and this, for the most part, over the rough roads and through the nearly trackless forests that covered the continent beyond the narrow belt of sea-coast settlements. In character and temperament he was bold, aggressive, enthusiastic, gentle in manners, but of unflinching firmness. His native wisdom and intuitive perceptions made good the lack of artificial training, and lent him an insight that was well-nigh infallible. Wesley could never have done what Asbury did. Indeed, he tried to do it, and failed, not comprehending the spirit of freedom that was abroad in the American air. Asbury was instantly in sympathy with that spirit, and two million American Methodists attest the ability with which he fulfilled his mission. The noblest monument to his memory is the great church, which grew under his personal leadership from a scattered band of 316 members and four preachers to a powerful denomination 214,000 strong, controlled by bishops, 2,000 local preachers, and 700 itinerants. See “Asbury's Journals” (New York, 1852); Bangs's “History of the Methodist Episcopal Church” (1839); Strickland's “Life of Asbury” (1858); Wakely's “Heroes of Methodism” (1859); Stevens's “Memorials of Methodism”; “Centenary of Methodism” (1866); and Larrabee's “Asbury and his Co-laborers” (2 vols., Cincinnati, 1853).
ASGILL, Sir Charles, soldier, b. in England, 7 April, 1762; d. there, 23 July, 1823. He was a son of Sir Charles Asgill, a London alderman, first baronet of that name. When sixteen years of age he entered the 1st foot guards, and in 1781 became
a captain. He served in the United States under
Cornwallis, and was included in the surrender at
Yorktown. Particular interest is attached to this
young officer on account of his narrow escape
from death. Capt. Joseph Huddy, of the New Jersey line, had been captured, falsely charged with
having been concerned in the death of Philip
White, a desperate tory, who was killed while trying to escape from his guard, and then hanged
by the British troops. In retaliation, Washington
was authorized by congress to select by lot from
among his prisoners an officer of equal rank to be
executed immediately, and Asgill was chosen, but
his death was postponed while an investigation as
to the exact cause of Capt. Huddy's execution was
being made in the British army. Meanwhile six
months elapsed, and, in response to an appeal made
by the queen, Marie Antoinette of France, congress directed that Capt. Asgill be set at liberty.
After his return to England, he served in Flanders,
and later was in command of the garrison in Dublin during the rebellion in Ireland. He became
colonel of the 11th regiment, and in 1807 was
made general in the British army. On the death
of his father he succeeded to the estate and the
baronetcy. His story was made the ground-work
of a tragic drama by Madame de Sevigne.
ASHBURN, George W., soldier, b. in Georgia; d. 1 April, 1868. During the civil war he was a strong opponent of secession, and raised a
company of southern loyalists, subsequently enlarged to a regiment, of which he was colonel. On
his return home after the war he boldly advocated the congressional plan of reconstruction. He
was chosen a delegate to the Georgia constitutional
convention of 1867, and did much toward perfecting the constitution of his state. His political enemies, unsuccessful in provoking him to violence,
caused his death. This crime was investigated by
Gen. Meade, and it was shown conclusively by
whom the murder was committed.
ASHBURNER, Charles Albert, geologist, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 9 Feb., 1854 ; d. in Pittsburg, Pa., 24 Dec, 1889. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1874. During the summer of 1872 he was engaged on the survey of Delaware river, and on his graduation he accepted a place in the light-house survey service. In 1874 the geological survey of Pennsylvania was reorganized with the appointment of Prof. J. P. Lesley as state geologist, and Mr. Ashburner at once resigned from the U. S. service to become an assistant on the survey. He was actively employed during the latter part of 1874 in the surveys of Mifflin and Juniata cos., and in 1875 was appointed assistant geologist, with charge of the surveys in McKean, Elk, Forest, and Cameron cos. In 1880 he was appointed geologist in charge of the survey of the anthracite coal fields, where he originated a method for surveying and representing the geology of this great coal-bed which has received the approbation of mining engineers and geologists both in the United States and in Europe. The ability and skill with which this undertaking was performed led to his being appointed in 1885 geologist in charge of all the office and field work of the survey. Mr. Ashburner was a member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and other scientific societies, to whose proceedings he contributed valuable papers. He also contributed to the scientific and technical journals, and prepared more than twenty of the reports of the geological survey. In 1889 he was made Sc. D.
ASHBURTON, Lord, Alexander Baring, statesman, b. in England, 27 Oct., 1774; d. at Longleat, the seat of the marquis of Bath, 13 May, 1848. He was the second son of Sir Francis Baring, described by Lord Erskine as "the first merchant in the world," and was educated with a view to succeeding his father in the great mercantile house of Baring Brother's & Co. Sir Francis, foreseeing the vast commercial interests involved, sent Alexander to America to study the commercial outlook and enlarge the business relations of the house. In 1798 he married the daughter of senator William Bingham, of Philadelphia, and shortly afterward returned to England and became the head of the house when his father died, in 1810. Two years before this he had published a tract entitled "An Inquiry into the Causes and Consequences of the Orders in Council, and an Examination of the Conduct of Great Britain toward the Neutral Commerce of America," this passed rapidly through several editions, but failed to prevent the war of 1812. Throughout that war the Barings, as the bankers of the United States government, continued to pay the interest on the debt as held abroad, without remittances, and without instruc-
