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Letter from Askin
about Hull's Invasion
The following letter was written by John Askin to a friend shortly after
the Americans, under General William Hull, crossed the river from Detroit
to Sandwich in July 1812.
Strabane July 17th 1812
My dear sir
About a week ago, our militia & other force left Sandwich, and the same
day the Americans came over to this side. Governor, now General, Hull,
keeps up the strictest good order. The soldiers dare not take a cherry,
without the owners' consent. I waited on him two days after his arrival,
and he received me not only with politeness, but friendship, and
extracted no oath, or promise, other than my word, that I would not,
while he had possession here, meddle in the present troubles.
Indeed I did not mean to do it, otherwise than giving my advice to my
sons how they should act. … Therefore I have kept myself quiet and
were it not for our anxiety respecting our children & friends, Mrs. Askin &
I have no cause of uneasiness. That of the fate of a government I have
always lived under, and that my wife & children love much excepted.
However should it be our lot, to fall under any other authority, I would
not prefer any man, to the present General Hull; who I'm pretty sure will
not only respect my property, but that of my friends, so far as he can
consistently do so, in which he will be aided & assisted, by the talents &
interest of Mr. Brush, (who now commands at Detroit) and who I believe
as kind & friendly a man, as ever was. All our Canadian militia to a man,
being called to Malden: Mr. Brush says he will send men to cut down my
harvest. On the subject of the Canadians on our side, let me assure you,
I never have seen men show more fidelity.
They volunteered to a man, and left their houses without a single
person except women & children. However our enemies have taken no
advantage of their distressed situation, and up to the present time,
there has not been a single life lost in this quarter, in consequence of
the war. How long this may continue, God only knows. … Some few
Canadians, but many more English of the river Trench [i.e. Thames], are
come off from Malden without leave. I really think the distressed state of
their families and the harvest being so very near, is the general cause.
General Hull has taken no notice of their having taken up arms against
him. He desires them to go home & keep quiet. He wants no service from
them, unless such as choose to offer themselves volunteers. He has no
Indians with him on this side, and I heard would not employ them.
Since writing the enclosed, General Hull has taken possession of private
property goods and provisions belonging to Mr. McGregor, Mr. Baby & Mr.
David, which he said in my hearing yesterday (the 19th) he would
return, when some private property taken in a vessel near Malden, was
given up. Our Canadians now desert in numbers. Our officers will have
no men. My son James is captain & Alexander lieutenant in the militia at
Malden.
about Hull's Invasion
The following letter was written by John Askin to a friend shortly after
the Americans, under General William Hull, crossed the river from Detroit
to Sandwich in July 1812.
Strabane July 17th 1812
My dear sir
About a week ago, our militia & other force left Sandwich, and the same
day the Americans came over to this side. Governor, now General, Hull,
keeps up the strictest good order. The soldiers dare not take a cherry,
without the owners' consent. I waited on him two days after his arrival,
and he received me not only with politeness, but friendship, and
extracted no oath, or promise, other than my word, that I would not,
while he had possession here, meddle in the present troubles.
Indeed I did not mean to do it, otherwise than giving my advice to my
sons how they should act. … Therefore I have kept myself quiet and
were it not for our anxiety respecting our children & friends, Mrs. Askin &
I have no cause of uneasiness. That of the fate of a government I have
always lived under, and that my wife & children love much excepted.
However should it be our lot, to fall under any other authority, I would
not prefer any man, to the present General Hull; who I'm pretty sure will
not only respect my property, but that of my friends, so far as he can
consistently do so, in which he will be aided & assisted, by the talents &
interest of Mr. Brush, (who now commands at Detroit) and who I believe
as kind & friendly a man, as ever was. All our Canadian militia to a man,
being called to Malden: Mr. Brush says he will send men to cut down my
harvest. On the subject of the Canadians on our side, let me assure you,
I never have seen men show more fidelity.
They volunteered to a man, and left their houses without a single
person except women & children. However our enemies have taken no
advantage of their distressed situation, and up to the present time,
there has not been a single life lost in this quarter, in consequence of
the war. How long this may continue, God only knows. … Some few
Canadians, but many more English of the river Trench [i.e. Thames], are
come off from Malden without leave. I really think the distressed state of
their families and the harvest being so very near, is the general cause.
General Hull has taken no notice of their having taken up arms against
him. He desires them to go home & keep quiet. He wants no service from
them, unless such as choose to offer themselves volunteers. He has no
Indians with him on this side, and I heard would not employ them.
Since writing the enclosed, General Hull has taken possession of private
property goods and provisions belonging to Mr. McGregor, Mr. Baby & Mr.
David, which he said in my hearing yesterday (the 19th) he would
return, when some private property taken in a vessel near Malden, was
given up. Our Canadians now desert in numbers. Our officers will have
no men. My son James is captain & Alexander lieutenant in the militia at
Malden.