Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/153

ASBURY.ASHBURNER. increased. Although Asbury sympathized with the colonists in their resistance to British oppression, he became, nevertheless, an object of suspicion, because of his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the state of Maryland. He fled to Delaware, and for two years his work was confined within the borders of that small state; but the authorities becoming convinced that his scruples were altogether of a religious nature, he re-entered upon his labors with increased ardor, and at the close of the revolutionary war, the church numbered fourteen thousand communicants, with eighty-three ministers.

In 1784 Francis Asbury was consecrated by Bishop Coke, who came from England for the purpose, the scattered societies were organized as the Methodist Episcopal church of the United States of America, Francis Asbury being the first bishop of that body consecrated in America.

The amount of work accomplished by him was marvellous, and his time was spent in travelling, preaching, establishing new societies, ordaining ministers, raising money for church erection and for sending ministers to destitute places, encouraging religious education, distributing tracts, and engaging in every good work. He travelled during his life more than 270,000 miles, mostly on horseback, over rough roads, rougher mountain paths, and often through dense thickets, where the foot of horse or eye of man had never penetrated. He preached over 16,500 sermons, and ordained more than four thousand preachers, besides discharging the various and multitudinous duties of his episcopal office. He left sufficient material for three volumes of "Journals," which are a faithful picture of his daily life. He died March 31, 1816. ASHBURN, George W., soldier, was born in Georgia. He was a prominent unionist in the midst of secessionists, and when the civil war broke out he raised a regiment of southern men, loyal to the union, and entered the Federal army with the rank of colonel. After the close of the war he went back to Georgia, was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1867, and was active in forming the new constitution. He greatly incensed the opposition by expressing his approval of the terms of reconstruction which Congress proposed. His political enemies endeavored to lead him into a controversy that would endanger his personal safety, but he preserved his equanimity and was finally murdered through the instigation of the men whose opinions he had opposed. General Meade, the U. S. military commander of the department of the South, investigated the affair and traced the murder to its instigators. Colonel Ashburn was killed April 1, 1868. ASHBURNER, Charles Albert, geologist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 9, 1854, son of Algernon Eyre and Sarah (Blakiston) Ashburner. He entered the Towne scientific school of the University of Pennsylvania at the age of sixteen, and was graduated in 1874 at the head of his class. In 1872, while yet an undergraduate, he assisted in the survey on the Delaware river, and in 1873 was one of the organizers of the engineers' club of Philadelphia. He was appointed on the U. S. light-house service survey in Pennsylvania, and from 1875 to 1879 was assistant geologist in the Pennsylvania surveys. In 1880 he accepted the position of geologist in charge of the survey of anthracite coal fields, and successfully conducted the work until 1887. After leaving the Pennsylvania survey Mr. Ashburner went to Pittsburg as engineer and geologist with the Fuel Gas and Electric Engine company, and continued with this company as an adviser during the rest of his life. In September, 1888, he was elected manager of the New York and Montana mining and milling company, and in December, 1889, was made vice-president and general manager of the Duquesne mining and reduction company, for which he had purchased a large property in southern Arizona the previous year. He made private surveys in Nova Scotia, Quebec, and in the middle, western and southern states, and published works of great geological value. The more important titles include: "The Anthracite Coal Beds of Pennsylvania" (1882); "Methods in Practical Geology" (1884); "The Geology of Natural Gas in Pennsylvania and New York" (1885); "The Geology of Natural Gas" (1887); and "American Petroleum" (1888). In 1877 the University of Pennsylvania conferred upon him the degree of M.Sc, and in 1889 that of D.Sc. He was an active member of the American philosophical society, the American institute of mining engineers, the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, the American association for the advancement of science, the American society of naturalists, and the engineers' club of Philadelphia. He died Dec. 24, 1889.