19. The Heroine of North Carolina

One summer day when the wild red roses of North Carolina were in bloom around her door-step, Mistress Ashe stood at her opened door, and shading her eyes, saw a cloud of dust that grew larger until an English army was seen coming nearer and nearer. “Look,” cried her sister, “at the head of the column rides that braggart. Colonel Tarleton! Have you heard of the threefold oath that he registered recently on the banks of the Roanoke in Virginia?” “No, tell me in all haste,” answered Mrs. Ashe, “for they are now almost within ear-shot.” “He swore,” said the sister, “that he will plant the flag of old England on every housetop in our land; if not on the turret, then on the ashes of every building. He swore that he will carry our noble leader, General Washington, in chains to England. He swore that he will quaff a stirrup-cup (a lucky drink) to these horrid accomplishments from the Ashe punch-bowl.”

The sound of tramping deadened her voice. As the army came up General Leslie graciously asked the defenseless women for food and drink, which were brought at once and placed on the mahogany table. While they were eating and drinking, Colonel Tarleton, without hint of his oath, led the talk to the famous Ashe punch-bowl. He told General Leslie how it was old in England before the Pilgrims came; how in America it had grown thrice precious to its owner, because almost every American leader of the Revolution had quaffed delightful draughts from its crystal depths; how five officers of the Revolutionary army, all of the one name and blood of Ashe, had gathered around that bowl. And then, turning to Mrs. Ashe he said: “Mistress Ashe, since you have so amply entertained your foes, can you not add to your hospitality, I pray you, a draught from the Ashe punch-bowl?”

Mrs. Ashe ordered the punch-bowl to be filled, and rich red roses to be brought to crown it, but she trembled to think if this cunning colonel succeeded in quaffing a lucky-drink to his declared designs from that bowl, destruction indeed might await her country and its leaders. She arose from her seat at the head of the table. General Leslie and his officers arose with her. Then she said: “General Leslie, from this bowl the brave and the bravest have sipped, and to such, whether friend or foe, I give a draught from this bowl.” She then handed the General a glass of the brew, and, while he held his glass in his hand, waiting the filling of the other glasses, she took the roses from the bowl and put them in her hair, and then she turned to Colonel Tarleton: “Sir, I have heard of your threefold oath—that you have sworn to plant the flag of England on the roof of every American house or on its ruins; that you have sworn to carry our leader, Washington, in chains to the foot of your English throne; and that you have sworn to drink your stirrup-cup, before you ride forth on the accomplishment of these intents, from the Ashe punch-bowl.”

There was a moment’s silence, then she continued: “Heaven grant that our leaders in war may become our rulers in peace!” While saying this she put her slender hands about the heavy bowl, lifted it high above her head, and then dashed the punch-bowl to the floor. “Never, Colonel Tarleton,” she cried, “never from the Ashe punch-bowl shall cup be offered to the cruel foeman of my people!” The bowl was broken into a hundred pieces and the floor was sprinkled as with crimson blood. Outside the door the red roses blossomed in the sunlight, but nevermore would any of them crown rich libations in the once priceless, now shattered, punch-bowl of the Ashes of North Carolina.