See : —=— 66 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River liam H. Hill. The last was the mother of Mr. J oseph Alston — Hill, the most talented man of the family, with the most brik — liant promise of distinction when he died at the age of thirty ; six. ‘his Green Hill property is now owned by the estate of the late Maj. John Walker. The Ashe family in early times after the Revolution differed in politics with the generality of the Cape Fear gentry. The Governor and his sons, with the exception of Col. Samuel Ashe, were leaders of the Republican or Jeffersonian faction, whereas — the large majority of the gentry and educated class were Feder _ alists of the Hamilton school. After the adoption of the Federal — Constitution and a republican form of government was estab lished, there is no doubt but that a good deal of feeling and — prejudice existed against what was called too much liberty and — equality, and the practice of some of the old Republicans was not always consistent with their professed principles. The next place of note, and adjoining Green Hill to the north, was Moseley Hall, the residence of the Moseley family, one of prominence in colonial times. One of them, Sampson Moseley, Esq., was a member of the King’s council and surveyor-general of the province, but the writer does not know that any of the male members of the family survived the Revolution, or that any of their descendants whatever are left. They were nearly allied by blood to the Lillingtons. One of the daughters of the family married a Mr. Carlton Walker, and left one son, John Moseley Walker, who died soon after coming of age, and the estate passed to his half-brothers and sisters. This was a large and quite valuable place and was said to have been handsomely improved, but all that the writer remembers seeing were the remains of what were said to have been fine old avenues. Crossing Clayton Creek, we come to the next place below, known in olden times as Clayton Hall, the residence of a Mr. Clayton, a Scotch gentleman, who died leaving no descendants, though I believe the Restons of Wilmington were his nearest kin. This property, which was at one time regarded as the best plantation in New Hanover County, was purchased by Col. SSE Sa AN ea SOE RTE (ORE ye tat Rh AE a te RA RI SSO LOM WIESE DMO PM 0 UL EARLE ME MAB Fe Permanent Settlement 67 & appearance, tall and erect, with prominent fea- in sunken, but piercing eyes, of fine manners and bear- Wiens of remarkable colloquial powers, and manner and style of Rs Se Most engaging. Especially was his fund of anecdotes RS ah relating to the olden times most interesting, and an ed almost inexhaustible. Of him Mr. George Davis, in his 888 at Chapel Hill in 1855, spoke as follows: “In my early mber an old man, bowed by age and infirmities, front and most commanding presence. Old and bik ins ed around him in love and veneration to listen to triale "les of the olden times. And as he spoke of his country’s flashed and of the deeds and sufferings of her sons, his eyes bait — the ardor of youth, and his voice rang like the wank fs arge of a bugle. He was the soul of truth and honor, a chi] oe Tipe wisdom of a man and the guileless simplicity of Ss 7 He won strangers to him with a look, and those who lives 'm loved him with a most filial affection. None ever More honored and revered. None ever died leaving a thes °F More cherished memory. This was Col. Samuel Ashe, a T St of all the Romans.’ ” ae 55 Clayton Hall mansion, left for a long time unten- Write . Went to decay, and there was nothing left of it when the Old va a remember but the foundation. He can remember an aid = t, which stood to the north of the creek, in which it is Came j : sears of Mr. Clayton rested. After Colonel Ashe. of ne Possession of the place, he built immediately on the bank and ie = that you could stand on one end of his piazza Water ff oe Spring out of which they got their drinking — the ae from the base of a rock, which formed the bank of i. » and when the tide was up, the spring was overflowed. of RE ey = great treat to visit the old colonel and hear him talk harratj Imes. His memory was remarkable and his style of i. 10on uncommonly 200 d. had : “eemed familiar with the genealogy of every family that on the Cape Fear, and their traditions. It is Young gather hot h © Tegretted that some one who had the capacity could self “ve chronicled his narratives as they were related by him- Samuel Ashe. Colonel Ashe, when I knew him, was about the only survivor of the olden times on the Northeast River. He C had been a soldier in the War of the Revolution, had entered the : ady lone Ashe removed from Rocky Point when he was well * LS SOD GP EY RE ERLE Nite AE Ree RBS. anced : ' army when he was but seventeen years old and served through ; in ti i years to a place which he owned on the Cape Fear, the last three years of the war, was at the siege of Charleston, : Yearg Tie orhood of Fayetteville, where he lived several and was there made prisoner. Colonel Ashe was a gentlema? believe 'S only male descendant of the name in the State, I » Is Capt. Samuel A. Ashe, of Raleigh.