"Asahel, son of Jacob and Patience [sic, see following comment], was brutually murdered by the British at Lexington Fight. Having been taken prisoner, they were about to shoot him; when he begged for his life, taking out his purse containing his money, and a ring valuable for the affection it represented. After taking his money, they discharged a musket at his hips, breaking his legs; and another at his head, holding the muzzle close to his head, and singeing his hair at the the same time that they blew his brains out. He held a cornet's commission, and was known as Cornet Read."
[The truth of the above story is unknown. In the list of children in the family of Jacob and Patience, p. 280, Reed places Asahel between Abel b. 1752 and Jacob b. 1754, implying a birth in 1753. This has no basis in truth as the parents were married in 1757, Abel's birth is recorded in 1758, and Jacob's was recorded in 1764, so this list of children has the appearances of being manipulated to fit Asahel into this family. Besides the records mentioned, there is also the birth of Sarah recorded in 1760, meaning that if Asahel was from this family, he likely would have been born no sooner than 1762, and hence no older than 13 or so. While the name Asahel is often seen in this branch of the family, given the way he met his death, that would be as likely to occur if he was the brother of Jacob (see Reade Record) instead of the son, as improbably supposed by Reed.]
