"Colonel" J. H. Asworth

[Stryker65]

Ran across this interesting fellow in V46P3 of the Official Records. Part of a series of regular reports of Bureau of Military Intelligence chief Col. George H. Sharpe to Maj. Gen. Edward O. C. Ord, commander of the Army of the James, the report (March 22, 1865) mentions that this J. H. Asworth character, commander of the "1st Georgia Volunteers (US)" was recognized as a deserter and placed in Castle Thunder.

I was surprised to see this, as I thought that the 1st Georgia Infantry Battalion (US) never saw action. Indeed it didn't, and there are no references to an "Asworth" in relation to that unit at all. Captain Alonzo M. Rogers, the listed commander of the unit, had been a private in the 18th Michigan Infantry, and since the unit was composed entirely of Confederate POWs from Georgia, it is highly unlikely an ex-Confederate officer would be placed anywhere within the command structure. Additionally, there is no record of anybody named "Asworth" holding a colonelcy in either army, Union or Confederate, during the war.

Can anyone find anything on this Asworth character?

 

[Fairfield]

Like you, I couldn't find JH Asworth serving as a colonel in either army BUT:

From the full text of Olde Ulster Magazine on Internet Archive: https://archive.org/stream/oldeulsterhistor1912king/oldeulsterhistor1912king_djvu.txt
"Morgan's returned prisoners are being sent to
Abingdon. If you do not take a hostage for Colonel
Asworth (see dispatch of March 15), he will be hung."

The Index to the Official Records of the American Civil War notes him as being in Series I, Vol. 46

As J.H. Ashworth:

• Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85230924/j-h-ashworth (one of the tributes is pictured with the CSA flag)
• FamilySearch: Virginia Births---1868, dau. of J.H. Ashworth, Jr. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VR5L-N8Q?lang=en
• There are two men named J.H. Ashworth in CSA units (SC and TX) as well as several ASHWORTHs with forenames beginning with J (James, John, Joseph)

I'm afraid that I don't know enough about military structure to interpret some of these--but it may be that you have a misspelling and some genealogical research ahead of you!

 

[lupaglupa]

I tried multiple variants of the name. There were only a few soldiers named Asworth and not fit the description in other ways. Ashworth was more common but I could not find anyone who fit the description that way either. I broadened the search to initials and name starting with AS and got:

J. H. Ashton, captain 2nd LA Infantry
John Ashford, captain/colonel 38th NC

Ashton appears to be James S. Ashton, wounded at Manassas, seems to have resigned 1863.
John Ashford was promoted to Lt. Col. prior to the incident in the clipping above and is marked as surrendered at Appomattox.

I'm honestly not sure where to go with this next!

 

[Story]

So I monkeyed around with this, last name first and got this wild card.

Title Ashworth, J. H.
Additional Format
Available on microfilm. Confederate rosters, v. 1-20, reel 1-10.
Note(s)
Rank: Private (most likely).
Company: K.
Regiment: 10th (Cavalry).

https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay/alma990009354200205756/01LVA_INST:01LVA

I'll bet a cup of coffee he was one of those soldiers gifted with the ability to spin lies and create false identities at the drop of a cigar ash.

 

[Stryker65]

I'll bet a cup of coffee he was one of those soldiers gifted with the ability to spin lies and create false identities at the drop of a cigar ash.

And it worked! He reinvented himself as "Colonel of the First Georgia Volunteers." Even then, someone recognizes him as a "captain"!

 

[Story]

And it worked! He reinvented himself as "Colonel of the First Georgia Volunteers." Even then, someone recognizes him as a "captain"!

What made me say that is the Libby Prison aspect, having run into other scam artists stuck in there who played outrageous parts.

Plus for that particular time in 1865, I get the sense there was an "anything goes" cloud hanging over Richmond.

 

[Stryker65]

Imagine if the Union actually held like a dozen Confederate privates as hostages for the "colonel".

 

[Story]

Imagine if the Union actually held like a dozen Confederate privates as hostages for the "colonel".

And as the exchange was conducted, our boy J.H. made a running leap into the river while his confused Federal *friends* (as well as the Confederate exchange party) hesitated so long he was out of sight and around the bend before they knew what's-what.

Silly NETFLIX script writes itself, donchya know?​

​

 

[Stryker65]

And as the exchange was conducted, our boy J.H. made a running leap into the river while his confused Federal *friends* (as well as the Confederate exchange party) hesitated so long he was out of sight and around the bend before they knew what's-what.

​

Is it just me, or does that sound like the climax scene in Rio Lobo?

 

[Story]

Is it just me, or does that sound like the climax scene in Rio Lobo?

All of Howard Hawk's movies were documentaries in disguise.