Note: 
Mary appears to have been at least part Potawatomi. She was referred to by the judge presiding at her husband Samuel's trial as follows: "she was a good wife to you; a child of the forest, reared by a savage tribe, she possessed but little of the advantages of an education, but was adorned with more than ordinary native culture and beauty."

Mary was murdered by her husband, Samuel Ashmore. The following affidavit from a pension inquiry undertaken after 1909 says that the date of the murder was in 1868, but the transcript of Samuel Ashmore's trial [copy in my possession -- JTS, 31 August 2000] demonstrates that the murder was committed on 6 November 1872. The confusion appears to have been about which of Ulysses S. Grant's elections was implicated in the incident.

"GENERAL AFFIDAVIT...claim for widow...Ella V. Ashmore... ...J.B. Evans, 81...resident of North Topeka, Kansas... That affiant resided in North Topeka, KS, since the 11th day of February 1864. That affiant became acquainted with said soldier Samuel Ashmore soon after his taking up his residence in North Topeka, Kans. That affiant was Justice of the Peace at the time of the killing of the second wife of Samuel Ashmore, to wit: Mary Ashmore by said Samuel Ashmore. Affaint as Justice of the Peace went and examined the dead body of Mary Ashmore, after she was shot and seen her dead, and where she was shot. Affiant issued a warrant for the arrest of Samuel Ashmore for the shooting of his wife, and arraigned him and commited him to the county Jail of Shawnee County, Kansas. To the best of Affiant's recollection said Samuel Ashmore while crazy drunk, immediately after the election of Ulyses S. Grant for President in November 1868, got on a jolification spree, and had been on the spree for about two weeks or more, and while in this drunken delirium, and counting his money won on his bets, he shot his wife and killed her. This was about the middle or near the middle of November 1868 to affiant's best recollection. Had not Affiant's Justice of the Peace records been destroyed by the flood in 1903, he would be able to give the exact dates, he testifies to positive knowledge from his recollection now. That said Samuel Ashmore was tried for the killing of his wife, and convicted of murder in the first degree, and was sent to the Kansas State Penitentiary therefore, but was subsequently pardoned by Governor John P. St. John after serving two years in the penitentiary. That said Samuel Ashmore returned to North Topeka, Kansas, and took up his practice as a physician, and was soon after remarried to Ella V. Young, or Ella Young, as she was familiarly called. That affiant positively knows that said Samuel Ashore did not remarry from the date of the death of his second wife, Mary Ashmore, until he married Ella V. Young, and had he remarried, affiant would have known, as he was intimately acquainted with Samuel Ashmore, who remained a practicing physician and resident of North Topeka, Kans from the date of his pardon from the penitentiary until his death on January 19th, 1909. And was buried by his friend and comrades in the Topeka Cemetery" (from Harman Clark, hclark@bypass.com, 19 November 1999).

From Sherry Penland (SecStart@aol.com), 5 April 2002:

"Mary was my great great grandmother. Here is info I have for her: Mary Ferguson. B. 1-25-1838, Iowa. Died: Nov. 6, 1872. Buried Rochester Cemetery, Topeka, KS. 1st marriage to John Shepard, 3 kids, Emily B. 1860, Kansas, Charles B. 1856 Michigan and James. 2nd marriage to Dr. Samuel Ashmore, B. 1831, Ohio. He had the first drugstore in North Topeka. Dr. Ashmore was very mean to Mary. He murdered her Nov. 6, 1872. He served 10 years in prison for his deed. Escaped to Mexico, returned and went back to prison. Pardoned by Gov. John P. St. John. The Kansas Daily Commonwealth Newspaper, Nov. 7, 1872. Charles Shepard testified, he was 16 years old. Family tale was: Sam gave Mary money and told her to keep it no matter what. He came home drunk and wanted money to gamble more. She said no, he killed her and chopped her up in kitchen sink.Kansas Census 1870 shows: Sam Ashmore 39, Zanesville."

From Sherry Penland, 36 Le Mans, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 (secstart@cox.net), 13 April 2006:

"Because Mary was dead, Samuel and James Ashmore were named as inheritors on her Mom's (Naw-gish) interest in her brother's (Maw-zhaw) estate. Sam got 1/2 and the 3 children got 1/2 of Mary's share. Sam got 1/24 share of Maw-zhaw's estate, the kids 1/72 each. Not really important for your research but thought it was interesting that Sam got to inherit when he killed Mary."