Person:Chauser Ashton (1)

Early in 1847, pending the war between the United States and Mexico and before Dallas county was a year old, a call was made by Colonel John C. Hays of San Antonio for volunteers to constitute what became subsequently distinguished as Hays' Second Regiment of Texas Rangers in that war.

A company was formed at Dallas composed partly of men from Fannin, Collin, and Dallas counties. The various companies of the regiment were mustered in at San Antonio for twelve months, or during the war, in April and May, 1847 (The Dallas and last company late in June), and were discharged in May, 1848, so that each company served twelve months. (The war began at Palo Alto May 9, 1846; the treaty of peace was signed at Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848, and the American army evacuated Mexico in June, 1848)

Of this famous regiment of mounted men, John C. Hays was Colonel, Peter H. Bell (afterward governor from 1849 to 1853) was lieutenant colonel, and (after October, 1847) Alfred M. Truitt was major, having been to that time one of the captains, and John S. Ford was the adjutant.

Chaucer Ashton (successor to Captain Truitt, died in the city of Mexico, December 14, 1847, and was succeeded by Alexander E. Handley)

(Transcribed by Dorman Holub from John Henry Brown's Memorial & Biographical History of Dallas County, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago,, 1892, pp. 209-210.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Ancestry.com.