John Durant Ashmore (August 18, 1819 – December 5, 1871) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and a cousin of

Robert T. Ashmore Robert Thomas Ashmore (February 22, 1904 – October 5, 1989) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from South Carolina, cousin of John D. Ashmore. Born on a farm near Greenville, South Carolina, Ashmore attended the p ...

Early life and education

Born in Greenville District, South Carolina, Ashmore attended the common schools. He studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

and was admitted to the bar but never practiced. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and owned slaves.

Political and business career

Ashmore served as member of the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

1848–1853 and as

Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...

General of South Carolina 1853–1857. Ashmore was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Thirty-sixth Congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...

and served from March 4, 1859, until his resignation on December 21, 1860, upon the attempted

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

of South Carolina from the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. He served as chairman of the Committee on Mileage (

). He ran a plantation, but his journals do not record how many slaves he owned.

Military career

During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Ashmore was elected

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the Fourth South Carolina Regiment, but resigned before the regiment was called into service. After the Civil War, he sought a pardon for having aided in rebellion.

Death and legacy

He died in

Sardis, Mississippi Sardis is a town in Panola County, Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,703. Sardis is one of two county seats for Panola County; the other is Batesville, on the south side of the Tallahatchie River. Geography Accordin ...

, December 5, 1871. He was buried in Black Jack Cemetery, near Sardis, in

Panola County, Mississippi Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,707. Its county seats are Sardis and Batesville. The county is located just east of the Mississippi Delta in the northern part of ...

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashmore, John 1819 births 1871 deaths Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina 19th-century American politicians

Ashmore Ashmore is a village and civil parish in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England, southwest of Salisbury. The village is centred on a circular pond and has a church and several stone cottages and farms, many with thatched roofs. It is ...